The Impact of Nurse-Led Smoking Cessation Programs on Long-Term Behavioral Change in Patients

Posted: Mar 28, 2017

• Aria West
• Ellie Greene
• Theo Simmons

Abstract

Tobacco use remains one of the most significant public health challenges globally, contributing to numerous preventable diseases and premature mortality. While smoking cessation interventions have demonstrated efficacy in achieving initial abstinence, the maintenance of long-term behavioral change represents a substantially more complex challenge. The high rates of relapse following smoking cessation attempts highlight the critical need to understand the factors that support sustained behavioral change. Nurse-led smoking cessation programs have emerged as a promising approach due to nurses' unique positioning within healthcare systems, their training in patient education and counseling, and their ability to provide ongoing support across multiple patient encounters. However, the specific mechanisms through which nurse-led interventions facilitate long-term behavioral maintenance remain inadequately understood. This research addresses a significant gap in the literature by examining not only the effectiveness of nurse-led smoking cessation programs but also the underlying processes that contribute to sustained behavioral change. Traditional evaluations of smoking cessation interventions have predominantly focused on short-term outcomes, typically measured at 6-12 months post-intervention. This limited timeframe fails to capture the dynamic nature of behavioral maintenance and the complex interplay of psychological, social, and environmental factors.