Nurses: Practice Recommendations

These evidence-based recommendations are intended to be applied to the practice of the health care provider.

As Nurses are ideally positioned to provide a leadership role related to smoking cessation, the RNAO guideline Integrating Smoking Cessation into Daily Nursing Practice recommends that:

 

• Nurses implement minimal tobacco use intervention using the "Ask, Advise, Assist, Arrange" protocol with all clients.
• Nurses introduce intensive smoking cessation intervention (more than 10 minutes duration) when their knowledge and time enables them to engage in more intensive counselling.
• Nurses recognize that tobacco users may relapse several times before achieving abstinence and need to re-engage clients in the smoking cessation process.
• Nurses should be knowledgeable about community smoking cessation resources, for referral and follow-up.
• Nurses implement smoking cessation interventions, paying particular attention to gender, ethnicity and age-related issues, and tailor strategies to the diverse needs of populations.
• Nurses implement, wherever possible, intensive intervention with women who are pregnant and postpartum.
• Nurses encourage persons who smoke, as well as those who do not, to make their homes smoke-free, to protect children, families and themselves from exposure to second-hand smoke.
• Nurses seek opportunities to be actively involved in advocating for effective smoking cessation services, including "stop smoking medications”.
• Nurses seek opportunities to be actively involved in advocating for smoke-free spaces and protection against second-hand smoke.