Emergency Nurse Implementation of the Brief Smoking-Cessation Intervention: Ask, Advise, and Refer

Emergency nurses felt comfortable performing the smoking-cessation intervention, suggesting that training was effective. Data indicated that patients were consistently advised to quit smoking. Results suggest that brief smoking-cessation interventions are feasible and acceptable in emergency settings. The training and protocol could be used in other emergency departments, and lessons learned can guide future efforts by emergency nurses to help patients quit smoking.Contribution to Emergency Nursing Practice
- Many ED patients smoke, and emergency nurses are uniquely positioned to provide a brief smoking-cessation intervention during the teachable moment that occurs when screening for smoking status.
- It is known that a patient who smokes is more likely to quit when counseled to do so by a trusted clinician such as a nurse.
- Training in brief smoking cessation techniques provides another skill that emergency nurses can use to contribute actively to the promotion of patient health and reduction of risk.