|
|
 Shirley Deuchrass – Practice Nurse, Musselburgh Medical Centre, Dunedin
It always surprises me how few people, including nurses, understand the severity of smoking on the cardiovascular system. The National Heart Foundation website has a wonderful visual tool, “Your Heart Forecast” to help patients understand the necessity to quit smoking.
Once you have keyed in the data on “Your Heart Forecast” and moved through the programme (it is quick) you can click on “quit smoking” and change the visual graph to show patients how quitting smoking can reduce their risk of a heart attack or stroke. The programme allows an opportunity to change the blood pressure reading and lipid results so that the quit provider can look at the broader picture, such as the effect changing lifestyle factors can have on a patient’s risk of heart disease.
It is a chance to reduce the risk of CVD as well as smoking related cancers. Prevention is what nurses love and rarely see in the health system as it is. The smoking cessation programme I deliver and “ask about the elephant” is prevention on a scale that makes everyone smile.
Once the patient is taking NRT they sometimes become complacent and don’t want to keep visiting the medical centre. I have a list of patients that I phone on a weekly basis for support. It seems to be working.
Succ ess Stories from Val Southcombe R.N., Quit Coach, Wanganui
I now realise that there is no ‘best’ age to quit smoking.
An 87 year old gentleman who had smoked for 71 years quit using NRT and loads of affirmation from me as support Quit Coach. His life went from housebound, using a walking frame, drinking copious cups of coffee and waiting to die….. to back to a walking stick only and once more tending a vegetable garden. He felt motivated to reduce coffee intake and generally had a new feeling of wellbeing.
A 59 year gentleman, smoked for 41 years. Referred by his GP for cardiovascular problems. I used NRT with motivational work/affirmation. He quit successfully with the added bonus of restored sexual function after 10 years dysfunction. Now a non smoker, with restored cardiovascular health, restored marriage and restored self esteem.
Jill Lamb is a Colposcopy Nurse at Christchurch Womens Hospital
Jill discusses smoking cessation with all her patients and recently had a success story with a prisoner. "She felt she was having difficulty accessing support to become smokefree and was appreciative of having someone else offer support and the free nicotine products to assist her. Adequate support is the key – even if this does take time. Encouragement, support and acknowledging progress are all crucial steps.”
Jill is not discouraged by unsuccessful stories about quitting because every experience is unique to each individual and no two journeys are the same.
Lynley Blythe is an Occupational Health Nurse in Whangarei
Lynley says “It takes trust to build a relationship and knowledge to give advice. Nurses share not only a unique therapeutic relationship with their patients, but want to be part of their smokefree journey. It is important to accept the differences amongst individuals in this journey towards quit smoking. Nurses can help patients to identify their strengths and clarify myths about quitting.”
Lynley has had many successes in assisting patients to quit, including one who couldn’t walk to the end of the driveway without puffing who now enjoys fast walking several times a week and biking.
|
