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.