Nurses can help smokers quit

DETROIT, Jan. 23 (UPI) -- Nurses can be effective in helping smokers to quit, a U.S. review of 31 clinical studies involving 12,000 adult smokers indicates.

The review, published in The Cochrane Library, found smokers offered advice by nurses have an increased likelihood of quitting compared to smokers without such intervention.

Study leader Virginia Hill Rice of Wayne State University College of Nursing said nurses have heavy workloads but recognize helping smokers stop is an important responsibility.

"Smoking is fueling so many health problems. In the long run (nurses) can reduce their workload by an investment upfront," Rice said in a statement.

Some of the studies analyzed were low intensity, involving a single 10-minute consultation with no more than a single follow-up session, while high-intensity intervention provided longer consultations in which patients were given materials and strategies and received additional follow-up care.

All the studies were randomized clinical trials, but differed in sample size, intervention structure and the degree of nurse involvement.

Rice said that among those given no intervention, less than 3 percent were able to quit, but among those given strategies to quit by nurses, 15 percent to 20 percent were successful.