Evaluation of a tobacco cessation curricular intervention among acute care nurse practitioner faculty members

Background: In 2002, a report indicated that tobacco-related curricular content in educational programs for acute care nurse practitioners was insufficient. To provide healthcare professionals with the necessary knowledge and skills to intervene with patients who smoke tobacco, the Summer Institute for Tobacco Control Practices in Nursing Education was implemented at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. Objective: To evaluate the impact of a train-the-trainer program in which the Rx for Change: Clinician-Assisted Tobacco Cessation curriculum was used among faculty members of acute care nurse practitioner programs. Methods: Thirty faculty members participated in the 2-day train-the-trainer program. Surveys were administered at baseline and 12 months after training to examine perceived effectiveness for teaching tobacco content, the value of using an evidence-based national guideline, and the number of hours of tobacco content integrated in curricula. Results: The percentage of faculty members who devoted at least 3 hours to tobacco education increased from 22.2% to 74.1% (P<.001). Perceived effectiveness in teaching tobacco cessation also increased (P < .001), as did mean scores for the perceived value of using an evidence-based national guideline (P<.001). Conclusions: Use of the Rx for Change train-the-trainer program can enhance the level of tobacco education provided in acute care nurse practitioner programs. Widespread adoption of an evidence-based tobacco education in nursing curricula is recommended to help decrease tobacco-related morbidity and mortality.