The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #64061

Mary Ellen Wewers, PhD, MPH, College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, 1585 Neil Ave., Columbus, OH 43210, (614) 292-4503, wewers.1@osu.edu and Linda Sarna, RN, DScN, School of Nursing, University of California Los Angeles, Box 956918, Factor 4-262, Los Angeles, CA 90095-6918.

Background: The overwhelming majority of nurses express a desire to help patients stop smoking but most nurses report a lack of training in tobacco dependence treatment. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to assess tobacco content and extent of tobacco education and intervention skills among a national sample of baccalaureate and graduate U.S. nursing programs Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was implemented. A questionnaire that measured tobacco content curriculum was sent to 909 baccalaureate and graduate nursing program associate deans who were member institutions of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Discussion: The majority of tobacco content curricula focused on the health effects of tobacco. Nursing students, especially undergraduates, lacked curricular content in the area of clinical tobacco cessation techniques. Conclusions: Increased instructional efforts concerning the clinical treatment of tobacco dependence are critical for achieving a nationwide reduction in tobacco use prevalence.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to:
• Describe tobacco content in U.S. nursing education programs.
• Identify existing gaps in curriculum content in U.S. nursing education programs.
• List mechanisms to improve tobacco cessation skill training for U.S. nursing students.

Keywords: Education, Health Care Workers

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.