Abstract:

The purpose of this article is to provide the staff nurse with an overview of the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) Smoking Cessation guidelines. The authors outline the practical components of the guidelines to enable nurses in any clinical setting to implement various smoking cessation strategies according to individual patient needs. Treatment options, including behavioral modification are discussed, including a comprehensive review of pharmacological therapy.

Objectives:
By the end of this article, the nurse will be able to:

1. Describe the impact of smoking as it relates to the number of deaths in United States.
2. State three (3) adverse outcomes of cigarette smoking.
3. Identify three (3) health related outcomes of smoking cessation.
4. Discuss three (3) current treatment options for smoking cessation.
5. List three (3) strategies for modifying smoking behavior.