Evaluation of tobacco cessation classes aimed at hospital staff nurses

Abstract

Purpose/objectives: to evaluate a three-hour smoking cessation program and its effect on nurse knowledge, counseling behaviors, and confidence in counseling behaviors.

Design: program evaluation.

Setting: a Magnet-designated, 500-bed community hospital in Southern California.

Sample: 107 nurses.

Methods: program content included behavior counseling and pharmacotherapy along with role playing. Investigator-developed self-report surveys were completed on the day of the class and at 3, 6, and 12 months.

Main research variables: Short- and long-term changes in nurse knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors about tobacco cessation efforts.

Findings: knowledge significantly increased from baseline to post-test. Counseling skills improved. Nurses who completed all surveys exhibited no significant changes about asking patients to quit smoking but did demonstrate significant changes at three months regarding advising patients, assessing quit readiness, and providing assistance. Changes were maintained over the year. Nurses' average ability to counsel patients was rated "good or very good" after one year. At 3, 6, and 12 months, most respondents reported providing cessation counseling or referrals to at least one patient.

Conclusions: these findings support tobacco cessation programs for bedside nurses as useful in enhancing nurse confidence in patient-counseling skills.

Implications for nursing: study findings demonstrated benefits to using the developed curriculum. Additional research is needed on tobacco cessation programs for hospital nurses, particularly with longitudinal outcomes and actual nurse behaviors.