Predictors of tobacco control among nursing students

As the most numerous health care providers, nurses could reduce tobacco-rel ated morbidity and mortality. A cross-sectional survey of 476 junior and se nior students at 12 schools of nursing in the New York metropolitan area wa s conducted, to determine nurse knowledge of tobacco control, their attitud es, beliefs, and practices. Overall, 76% of all nursing students reported t hat they practiced tobacco control. Current smokers were less likely to par ticipate in tobacco control with targets ranging from the nurse herself to the community than either never or ex-smokers. Nurses were more likely to e ngage in tobacco control among individual, family, or group clients than to advocate for changes in the community. Student nurses who were African Ame rican or Hispanic, had never smoked or were ex-smokers, those who had bette r knowledge of cessation approaches, and those who tended to have more conf idence in their cessation counseling skills were more likely to engage in m ulti-target tobacco control than other similar nurses. Tailored interventions that emphasize discrete counseling skills are sugges ted. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.