SMOKING DISCUSSIONS AT THE CHILD HEALTH CLINIC - A PASSIVE, AN ADVISORY OR A JUDGMENTAL APPROACH

Interviews with 15 nurses working in child health care revealed that m ost of them were very keen not to apportion blame when discussing smok ing habits with parents. Thus, half of those interviewed chose a passi ve approach to counselling, which meant that they were cautious, evasi ve and tactful so as not to risk alienating or offending parents. Thos e who were more active tackled the issue of smoking by giving advice a nd suggesting ways in which the parents could cope with their smoking. A third approach was observed in which some of the nurses were judgem ental, which they expressed by moralizing about the smoking habits of the parents. The present study shows that there is a need to develop a patient-centred methodology, whereby smoking can be discussed from th e standpoint of the parents, without making them feel guilty.