Abstract

Smoking tobacco usage and it’s related health problems are a significant problem addressing the health care industry. Clients depend on primary health care provides to help identify potential health problems and to assist them in improving their health. The family nurse practitioner is in an ideal position to screen for smoking, and to intervene with those clients found to be at risk, to promote wellness within their client populations. Erikson, Tomlin and Swain’s theory o f Modeling, Role-Modeling served as the theoretical fi-amework for this research. This descriptive study explored the screening and intervention practices utilized by family nurse practitioners for their clients who use smoking tobacco. Research questions included: (1) What are the screening practices used by nurse practitioners to identify smoking tobacco usage? (2) What intervention practices are used by family nurse practitioners to assist their clients in quitting smoking? The researcher-designed questionnaire was mailed to two hundred randomly selected family nurse practitioners certified in Tennessee. Those meeting criteria and returning the questionnaire within one month o f initial mailing were included in the study. A final sample o f 115 was obtained. Data analysis to identify frequencies and percentiles was performed using descriptive statistics. Over one-half o f the study participants reported that they always screen for smoking usage on all clients, with the highest occurrence rate for clients with smoking related symptoms or illnesses at 92.2%. The rate o f always advising and informing all smokers o f available resources for quitting smoking occurred in less than one-quarter o f the participants. The most fi-equently used intervention reported by the study participants for assisting clients in smoking cessation was verbal encouragement. Based on the findings o f this study, implications for nursing included the need for family nurse practitioners to use individualized and combined interventions when assisting their clients in quitting smoking. Recommendations included conduction o f a study to explore the effectiveness o f combined therapies for quitting smoking, including motivation, medication, exercise and counseling. Another recommendation included conduction o f a research study to explore facilitators and barriers to smoker’s receptiveness to involvement in smoking cessation interventions.

Degree

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

Department

Graduate Nursing

Degree Date

8-1-1999

Publication Number

27924591

First Advisor

Dr. Melinda Rush

Second Advisor

Dr. Bonnie E. Lockard

Third Advisor

Lorraine Hamm

Document Type

Thesis

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