Views of African-American nurses about tobacco cessation and prevention

African-Americans experience a disproportionate share of tobacco-related diseases and death and have not received equal access to tobacco cessation and prevention services. The purpose of this study was to describe views of African-American nurses about tobacco control. This was a survey of a convenience sample of attendees of the 2002 annual meeting of the National Black Nurses Association. One hundred and sixty three (N=163) nurses participated in the survey. Eighty-one percent (81%) of these nurses reported that they should be involved in tobacco control efforts; 92% indicated nurses should help patients stop smoking; 63% encountered patients who smoked at least every week, but only 11% of these nurses actually provided counseling for smoking cessation. The majority (89%) of these respondents also noted that nurses needed additional training in tobacco control. African-American nurses can address the significant tobacco-induced health disparities experienced by African-Americans by helping to prevent tobacco use and helping patients stop smoking. The findings of this study support the critical need for nursing education in tobacco control.