PCNA Celebrates 50 Years of Cessation Progress

June 5, 2014|PCNA

This month, the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association (PCNA) celebrates the 50th anniversary of the landmark 1964 Surgeon General’s report: Smoking and Health. PCNA president Kathy Berra publicly supports this latest report; 2014 Surgeon General’s Report: The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress and encourages nurses to review this important document.

Berra reflects on the important role of nurses in supporting patients in their efforts toward smoking cessation. “Nurses have accomplished important work in the fight against tobacco use. Since the smoking rates have dropped across the United States, those patients who remain tobacco users in 2014 are more likely those whose addiction is particularly strong and young first time smokers.” Adding, “They will require ongoing and repeat efforts at appropriate interventions. Nurses in acute care, ambulatory clinical and community health settings are well-positioned to potentially making a lifesaving difference by following the “5 A’s.”

    • Ask about tobacco use at every visit
    • Advise tobacco users to quit
    • Assess readiness to quit
    • Assist tobacco users with a quit plan
    • Arrange follow up visits

Nurses can also take advantage of clinical and patient education to support behavior change, and in particular, to facilitate tobacco cessation. PCNA offers tools like the Heart Healthy Toolbox: Lifestyle Change Tools for Health Care Professionals and Their Patients which includes advice for a smoke-free life, goal setting, and tips for motivational interviewing.

PCNA is excited to feature speakers this year at their annual symposium with keynotes addressing tobacco use and behavior change.

    • Carol Southard, RN, MSN, (Northwestern Memorial Physicians Group, Chicago, IL), who will present “Winning the Tobacco Battle: One Smoker at a Time”
    • Lola A. Coke, PhD, ACNS-BC, RN-BC, FAHA, FPCNA (Rush University School of Nursing, Chicago, IL) and Nancy Houston Miller, RN, BSN, FAHA, FPCNA (Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA) presenting “Hey Coach! Winning Strategies for Behavior Change.”

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