Facilitating Tobacco Dependence Treatment Through Nursing Education: An Evidence- Based Practice Educational Intervention

Purpose and objectives: The purpose of the evidence-based
practice educational intervention was to increase nursing students’:
(a) knowledge of tobacco, tobacco dependence, and
available evidence-based tobacco dependence treatments; (b)
skills to counsel patients to quit tobacco; and (c) self-efficacy to
treat tobacco dependent patients.
Background/Significance: Approximately 480,000 Americans
die every year of tobacco related illnesses. Tobacco dependence
is a major public health issue, and a chronic relapsing
condition that requires intervention with effective treatments.
Nurses are in a unique position to make an enormous impact
in tobacco cessation. Studies illuminate a large tobacco dependence
treatment educational gap in nursing curricula that
leaves nurses ill-prepared to treat tobacco dependent patients.
Methodology/Data Analysis: An evidence-based tobacco dependence
treatment educational intervention, grounded in the
Health Belief Model, with implementation guided by Everett
Roger’s Diffusion of Innovation Theory, was provided to undergraduate
and graduate nursing students at a southeastern
United States University. A before and after design was used,
and data analysis included descriptive and inferential statistics.
Comparative means testing was conducted on aggregate and
individual question scores of all knowledge, skills, and self-efficacy
questions. Paired t tests assessed for any statistically
significant (p ≤ 0.05) increases in aggregate and/or individual
question data.

Author(s): Kelly Henson-Evertz

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