Abstract
Nurses, APN's (advanced practice nurses), and physicians involved in primary health care delivery were surveyed to determine their smoking cessation educational preparation, intervention activities, and perceptions of barriers and enhancements in providing smoking cessation interventions. The 334 respondents reported that 60% did not receive smoking cessation education in their nursing or medical curricula, 69% routinely assessed their clients for smoking behaviors, 44% initiated smoking cessation interventions when a smoking client was identified, and 35% followed up smoking cessation activities with smoking clients. Of the ten enhancement factors, “personal commitment,” “client request,” and “knowledge of the health risks of smoking” were the three most commonly reported enhancement factors for providing smoking cessation interventions. The “lack of client interest,” “lack of client commitment,” and “knowledge of the addictive mechanisms” were the three most commonly reported of the eleven barriers to providing smoking cessation interventions. The findings showed that different healthcare providers used different types of interventions and that nursing and medical curricula are needed to provide providers with smoking cessation skills and education. Type(s) of interventions used in helping clients quit smoking is presented by provider type.