Simulation-based smoking cessation intervention education for undergraduate nursing students

SummarySmoking is one of the most important preventable risk factors that contributes to premature death from many tobacco-related diseases. Clinicians should offer and provide effective smoking cessation interventions to their smoking patients. Yet, few clinicians receive training in smoking cessation intervention. This one-group, quasi-experimental study was conducted to describe a simulation-based training of smoking cessation intervention and to evaluate its effectiveness on nursing students' self-efficacy in performing smoking cessation intervention, based on 5-As recommended by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. In addition, nursing students' experience, attitude and perceived barriers of smoking cessation intervention were also described. Among the 21 students (mean age: 21.6 ± 2.0 years), 86% were female, 62% were in their third year and 1% were current smokers. Most of students believed the health benefits of smoking cessation (100.0–66.7%) and were well educated about health risks of smoking (81.0–61.9%). However, few were taught (33.3–14.4%) and practiced (28.6–0.0%) smoking cessation intervention. Students reported that they should be actively involved in smoking cessation for patients (100.0–95.2%), but lack of knowledge and skills were the main barriers (90.5–85.7%). The simulation-based training of smoking cessation intervention improved nursing students' self-efficacy in seven out of nine skills of smoking cessation intervention (mean scores of pre- vs. post-intervention: 30.86 ± 3.80 vs. 34.05 ± 5.10; paired t = 2.298, p = .027). These findings indicate that simulation could be effectively used in teaching smoking cessation intervention education delivered to nursing students.