Integrating Smoking Cessation into Daily Nursing Practice: Summary of Recommendations

A summary of the recommendations for the RNAO Best Practice Guideline 'Integrating Smoking Cessation into Daily Nursing Practice.'

Practice Recommendations

1. Nurses implement minimal tobacco use intervention using the "Ask, Advise, Assist, Arrange" protocol with all clients.

2. Nurses introduce intensive smoking cessation intervention (more than 10 minutes duration) when their knowledge and time enables them to engage in more intensive counselling.

3. Nurses recognize that tobacco users may relapse several times before achieving abstinence and need to re-engage clients in the smoking cessation process.

4. Nurses should be knowledgeable about community smoking cessation resources, for referral and follow-up.

5. Nurses implement smoking cessation interventions, paying particular attention to gender, ethnicity and age-related issues, and tailor strategies to the diverse needs of populations.

6. Nurses implement, wherever possible, intensive intervention with women who are pregnant and postpartum.

7. 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.

Education Recommendations

8. All nursing programs should include content about tobacco use, associated health risks and smoking cessation interventions as core concepts in nursing curricula.

Organization and Policy Recommendations

9. Organizations and Regional Health Authorities should consider smoking cessation as integral to nursing health promotion practice, and thereby integrate a variety of professional development opportunities to support nurses in effectively developing skills in smoking cessation intervention and counselling.

All corporate hospital orientation programs should include training to use brief smoking cessation interventions as well as information on pharmacotherapy to support hospitalized persons who smoke.

10. Nurses seek opportunities to be actively involved in advocating for effective smoking cessation services, including "stop smoking medications".

11. Nurses seek opportunities to be actively involved in advocating for smoke-free spaces and protection against second-hand smoke.

12. Nursing best practice guidelines can be successfully implemented only where there are adequate planning, resources, organizational and administrative support, as well as appropriate facilitation.