Educating Nurses to Use a Brief Tobacco Cessation Intervention With Patients on a Mood Disorder Unit in a Midwestern U.S. Hospital

Background: Evidence shows that smoking cessation interventions are effective in reducing individual's smoking behavior. Despite tobacco cessation efforts, individuals with mental illness smoke more than do members of the general population. Objective: This study's objective was to determine whether educating nurses to use an evidence-based brief tobacco intervention would improve educating patients on smoking cessation and lead to more patients accepting nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). Methods: This study was conducted on a 28-bed mood disorder unit of a Mid-western U.S. psychiatric teaching hospital and used a pre/postchart review. Fourteen nurses participated in the education program that included a PowerPoint presentation, handouts, and weekly e-mails. Results: Eight weeks after the educational program, statistically significant increases were found in nurses' electronic health record documentation of providing patient education on smoking cessation and patients' acceptance of NRT. Conclusions: This study's education program was successful in promoting smoking cessation education among psychiatric nurses, with an increase of patients accepting NRT. Implications for Nursing: Training nurses to use a brief tobacco intervention proved to be an effective short-term method for addressing the high rate of smoking among a group of psychiatric patients.