Strategic directions for nursing research in tobacco dependence

Tobacco use continues to be the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, causing approximately 440,000 deaths a year. Even with significant progress in the last decades, there are over 45 million smokers in the United States. Despite the efficacy of nurses in providing tobacco cessation interventions, nursing research in this area has been minimal. The purpose of this presentation is to summarize the recommendations for focusing and fostering nursing research in tobacco cessation from 42 researchers, clinicians, educators, and representatives from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, and from nursing organizations who attended a 1-day invitational conference. This conference evolved from the work of the Tobacco Free Nurses Initiative in promoting the role of nursing in tobacco control and in response to the recognition of potential contributions to the field from nursing research. Sponsored by AHRQ and the NCI, the conference included formal presentations, and small and large group discussions around tobacco cessation research, resulting in consensus statements about a research agenda. Participants recommended strategies for new approaches in nursing research on tobacco dependence and cessation; strategies for seizing opportunities and confronting challenges in building nursing research in the field; and enhancing utilization of research findings into clinical practice. This agenda provides direction for growing nursing research in tobacco cessation, breaking down barriers to research, and supporting efforts for increasing utilization of evidence-based findings in clinical practice.