Paediatric ward nurses' action intentions and attitudes towards quit smoking interventions and their knowledge on second-hand smoke

Abstract

Paediatric ward nurses' action intentions and attitudes towards quit smoking interventions and their knowledge on second-hand smoke This survey study investigated the paediatric ward nurses for their action intentions and attitudes towards quit smoking-related interventions (QSRI), and knowledge related to effects of children's exposure to second-hand smoke (SHS) (n=267). Results indicate that less than 2% of the nurses smoked, and a majority had a positive attitude towards QSRI. A majority also indicated that they would only assess children's parents' smoking status depending on the child's diagnosis on admission. The total mean scores for two knowledge items are relatively lower than the others. More than half of the participants (66%) indicated 'no' to 'documenting smoking status'. Differences in responses of the participants across the hospitals were statistically significant, χ2 (2, n=267)=11.190, P<0.05. About half of the participants did not know of any existing quit smoking clinics. The variation in the nurses' action intention towards various QSRI may be attributed to their busy workload and varying perceptions towards QSRI as a nursing priority. Results indicate the needs for knowledge related to impacts of children's exposure to SHS to be integrated into the basic nursing curriculum, support and affirmation from ward managers in the clinical settings to promote the initiatives to integrate QSRI in paediatric nursing settings. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.