Nicotine dependency treatment: a role for the nurse practitioner

Most patients who continue to smoke are nicotine dependent. By developing a standard procedure for identifying patients who smoke, encouraging cessation on each visit, teaching relapse prevention skills, and following up, NPs can help ease the withdrawal symptoms that accompany the cessation process. Methods that combine the proper use of pharmacological therapy (in the form of nicotine replacement) and behavioral counseling are most effective.