title: Nurses, smoking, and the workplace.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine attitudes and experiences of nurses regarding smoking and smoking cessation in the workplace. Eight focus groups were conducted with current or former smokers (n = 60). A questionnaire provided information about smoking history. Content analysis revealed six themes: taking breaks, stress and smoking, social support from colleagues, hiding smoking from patients and their families, impact of workplace smoking restrictions, and challenges to smoking cessation in the workplace. Nurses who smoke were perceived as taking more breaks and spending less time with patients than those who do not smoke. These findings document the impact of smoking among nurses in the workplace. Strategies are needed to support smoking cessation efforts of nurses as an important occupational health issue.
authors.affiliation: UCLA School of Nursing, University of California-Los Angeles, 700 Tiverton Avenue, Box 956918, Factor Building 4-262, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sarna
authors.forename: Stella Aguinaga
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Bialous
authors.forename: Mary Ellen
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Wewers
authors.forename: Erika Sivarajan
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Froelicher
authors.forename: Leda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Danao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology*; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D017132:Workplace