Conference Proceedings - School of Nursing & Midwifery - Trinity ...

School of Nursing & Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin: 8 th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference
Transforming Healthcare Through Research, Education & Technology: 7 th – 9 th November 2007
Conference Proceedings
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Smoking Prevalence amongst Qualified Nurses and their Role
in Smoking Cessation
Ms. Geraldine O’Donovan RGN BSc (Hons) MA PGDip
Lecturer Practitioner
Catherine McAuley School of Nursing and Midwifery
University College Cork
Tel No: 353 (0) 21 4901454
Fax No: 353 (0) 21 4901493
Email: Geraldine.odonovan@ucc.ie
Background and context
Tobacco use is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Admission
to hospital provides an opportunity to help people stop smoking.
Nurses’ role and wide availability puts them in a prime position to
encourage people to quit smoking.
Aim of the study
To examine the smoking prevalence amongst qualified nurses at a
large university teaching hospital and their role in smoking
cessation.
Research methodology
Quantitative study using a random sample of 430 qualified nurses
(70% response rate). A structured questionnaire was used.
Analysis
Data from the completed questionnaires was entered onto a
database (Epidata) and analysed using a Statistical Package for the
Social Sciences. Differences between groups were tested using
Pearson chi-square test. Where data was not normally distributed
median and inter-quartile range was used.
Key findings
� 21% of nurses were Smokers, 23% were Ex-smokers and 56%
were Non-smokers.
� Psychiatric nurses (47%) and Coronary Care nurses (33%) had
the highest smoking prevalence.
� Lack of time (78%) and lack of training (67.8%) were the two
main reasons given by nurses for not giving smoking cessation
advice to patients.
� Only 14% of the nurses surveyed had received training in
smoking cessation.
� 90% of Non-smoking nurses strongly agreed that cigarette
smoke represents a major risk to health in comparison to only
65% of Smoking nurses.
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