Abstract

PURPOSE
S: The purposes of this descriptive correlational study were to assess knowledge and attitude toward smoking and smoking cessation counseling activity among nurses in a community, and to identify predictors of their smoking cessation counseling activity.
METHOD
Nurses employed by institutions such as university hospital, hospital, clinic, and health department in a community were surveyed using a structured questionnaire. Of the nurses invited to participate in this study, 760 (88.5%) responded with completed questionnaires.
RESULTS
Nurses had relatively positive attitude toward their roles and responsibilities about smoking cessation counseling activity. However, smoking cessation counseling activity was not a routine part of their nursing practice. Moreover, the level of engagement with smoking cessation counseling activity was significantly different by working place. Nurses who were working at the university hospital, hospital, and health department were more actively engaged with smoking cessation counseling activity than nurses who were working at the clinic. Smoking cessation counseling activity was significantly correlated with knowledge of smoking, attitudes toward smoking-related issues, and self-efficacy for smoking cessation counseling activity. In the final stepwise multiple regression, smoking cessation activity was predicted by the nurses' working place, attitudes toward smoking-related issues, and self-efficacy for counseling knowledge and skills.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, nurses need to participate routinely and actively in smoking cessation counseling activity. To help nurses counsel and intervene patients regarding smoking cessation more effectively, it is essential to integrate educational information on smoking cessation intervention into curriculums of nursing schools as well as to offer smoking cessation intervention as a continuing education program available for currently practicing nurses.