| Course | NUR-3380 Applying the Nursing Process to Alteration in Health |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 6 |
| Paper type | Nursing process paper: prevention and smoking cessation |
| Length | About 1,026 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Thomas Edison State University |
| Program | B.S.N., Accelerated Second Degree |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for NUR 3380 Module 6
Not Ready Yet: Smoking Cessation Support for a Construction Worker in Atlantic City
Student Name
B.S.N., Accelerated Second Degree, Thomas Edison State University
NUR-3380: Applying the Nursing Process to Alteration in Health
Mentor Name
Month Day, Year
Not Ready Yet: Smoking Cessation Support for a Construction Worker in Atlantic City
The Patient
Mr. Rossi is an invented patient at an invented hospital. Mr. Rossi, 38, is a construction worker who smokes a pack a day and has since he was fifteen. He was admitted overnight with chest pain; tests ruled out a heart attack, and his pain was attributed to a strained chest muscle. His father died of lung cancer at 62. He says he knows smoking is bad, has tried to quit twice without help and lasted a week each time. He says he is not ready to quit now because work is stressful and everyone on his crew smokes.
Assessment
The student assessed his smoking history, nicotine dependence, past quit attempts and what helped or hurt, his reasons for smoking and his concerns about quitting. He lights up almost as soon as he wakes, a sign of strong dependence. He worries about weight gain and irritability. He has two children and says he would like to see them grow up.
Stages of Change
Prochaska and DiClemente (1983) studied people trying to quit smoking on their own and in therapy and found that they moved through stages: precontemplation, not considering change; contemplation, thinking about it but not yet acting; action, actively changing; and maintenance, sustaining the change, with relapse common and often followed by new attempts. The strategies people relied on also shifted from one stage to the next. The model suggests matching support to a person's stage rather than pushing everyone to act immediately.
Mr. Rossi is in contemplation: he knows smoking is harmful and has tried before but is not ready to act now.
Evidence on Nursing Interventions
Rice et al. (2017) reviewed trials of smoking cessation interventions delivered by nurses, such as advice, counseling and follow-up. Nursing interventions increased the likelihood that people would quit compared with usual care, and the effect appeared both in hospitalized patients and in other settings. The review supported nurses offering cessation support as part of routine care.
Evidence on Brief Advice
Stead et al. (2013) reviewed trials of advice from physicians to stop smoking. Even brief advice increased quit rates compared with no advice, and more intensive advice had a somewhat larger effect. The authors noted that because so many people see clinicians, even a small effect could help many smokers quit.
| Source | Key point | Plan element |
|---|---|---|
| Prochaska and DiClemente (1983) | People move through stages; support should match | Work with contemplation; build readiness |
| Rice et al. (2017) | Nursing interventions raise quit rates | Counsel in hospital; arrange follow-up |
| Stead et al. (2013) | Even brief clinician advice helps | Give clear, personal advice |
Nursing Diagnoses
Tobacco use pointed to ineffective health maintenance, while his concern for his children and two past attempts showed readiness for enhanced health.
Planning
Before discharge, Mr. Rossi will name two personal reasons to quit and two barriers, and will accept information about the state quitline and medications that help. Within one month, he will decide whether to set a quit date, with follow-up from the clinic.
Implementation
The student did not push him to quit immediately. She gave clear, personal advice: stopping smoking is the most important thing he can do for his health and his children. She asked what he liked and disliked about smoking and listened, then reflected back what she heard, including his wish to see his children grow up. She explained that most people need several attempts and that medications and counseling double or more the chance of success compared with willpower alone, which he had not known. With his permission, the nurse practitioner discussed nicotine replacement for his stay and after discharge. The student gave him the quitline number and asked whether he would accept a call; he agreed.
Planning for Triggers
They talked about his triggers: the morning, breaks with his crew and stress. He identified one change he could try, such as keeping his cigarettes in his truck instead of his pocket.
Medications for Quitting
The nurse practitioner explained the options with the student present: nicotine replacement in the form of a patch for steady levels and gum or lozenges for cravings, and prescription medicines such as varenicline. Mr. Rossi chose the patch and gum because he wanted to start before seeing his primary care provider. The student taught him to apply the patch to clean, hairless skin each morning, rotate sites and use the gum by chewing until a tingle and then parking it between cheek and gum. She explained that combining a patch with a short-acting form works better than one form alone.
His Crew
Because his crew smokes together on breaks, the student and Mr. Rossi discussed what he would do instead: walk to the truck for water, chew gum and tell one coworker he trusts about his plan. He said one coworker had quit last year and might help.
Relapse
The student explained that a slip is not a failure and that most people who quit for good have tried several times. She encouraged him to call the quitline after any slip rather than giving up.
Documenting the Conversation
The student documented his smoking history, his stage, the advice given, the medications chosen and the quitline referral, so that his primary care provider could continue the conversation.
Evaluation
At discharge, Mr. Rossi named his children and his father's death as reasons to quit and his crew and stress as barriers. He accepted nicotine patches and the quitline referral. A follow-up call at three weeks found that he had set a quit date and started the patches.
Limits
The stages of change model has been criticized for oversimplifying how people change. The reviews' effects are moderate, and most smokers who receive support still do not quit on a given attempt. A single patient's decision cannot show what caused it.
Conclusion
Mr. Rossi was not ready to quit, but he was thinking about it. The stages of change helped the student meet him where he was, and Cochrane reviews showed that nurses' counseling and brief advice increase quitting. Clear advice, listening, information about help and follow-up moved him toward a quit date.
References
Prochaska, J. O., & DiClemente, C. C. (1983). Stages and processes of self-change of smoking: Toward an integrative model of change. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 51(3), 390-395. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.51.3.390
Rice, V. H., Heath, L., Livingstone-Banks, J., & Hartmann-Boyce, J. (2017). Nursing interventions for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (12), Article CD001188. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD001188.pub5
Stead, L. F., Buitrago, D., Preciado, N., Sanchez, G., Hartmann-Boyce, J., & Lancaster, T. (2013). Physician advice for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (5), Article CD000165. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD000165.pub4
NUR 3380 Module 6 instructions, in plain terms
Prevention is one of the aims TESU names in its catalog description of NUR-3380, and with no syllabus posted publicly, the final module is planned as a smoking cessation paper. Write a nursing process paper that assesses tobacco use, dependence and readiness, explains a model of behavior change, uses evidence on nursing interventions and advice, plans support matched to the patient's stage and arranges follow-up. Some sections assign a different prevention topic, such as alcohol use or physical activity. Check whether the brief expects motivational interviewing to be named and whether a dependence measure should be reported. Describe the patient's stage in their own words, and plan follow-up after discharge. Include how the patient will handle the people and places that trigger smoking.
How this NUR 3380 Module 6 example is built
An invented 38-year-old construction worker admitted with chest pain to an Atlantic City hospital, who says he is not ready to quit, opens the paper. Prochaska and DiClemente's stages of change, a Cochrane review of nursing interventions and a Cochrane review of brief advice are explained and tied to the plan. The student gives clear advice, listens, explains that help increases success, arranges nicotine replacement and a quitline call and plans for his triggers. At three weeks he has set a quit date. Limits and conclusion follow. Annotations note the plan matched to his stage and counseling that builds readiness. Sections on cessation medicines, his crew and relapse make the plan practical. A brief section shows the conversation documented for his primary care provider.
Reading the NUR 3380 Module 6 grading rubric
Smoking cessation papers earn credit for a thorough assessment of use, dependence and readiness, accurate explanation of a behavior change model, evidence on interventions, a plan matched to the patient's stage, practical help with triggers and follow-up. Mentors notice when a student respects a patient who is not ready while still giving clear advice. Explaining that medications and counseling improve success corrects a common belief. Arranging follow-up after discharge shows continuity. Cochrane reviews should be cited by issue and article number. Explaining that a slip is not failure prepares the patient for a common setback. Documenting the conversation lets the primary care provider continue the work.
Common NUR 3380 Module 6 mistakes, and how to avoid them
Cessation papers often tell the patient to quit and stop there; find out how ready the patient is and build the plan for that stage. Another frequent gap is no follow-up after discharge. Give brief, personal advice. Listen to the patient's reasons. Offer medications and the quitline. Plan for specific triggers. Call back after discharge. The desk drafts a cessation paper for your own patient free from your brief, following the Atlantic City example. Teach how to use cessation medicines correctly, and plan for slips. Plan for slips before they happen. Document what was discussed so the next clinician can build on it.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Thomas Edison State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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NUR 3380 Module 6 questions, answered
Where can I find a free NUR 3380 Module 6 sample paper?
The smoking cessation paper about an invented construction worker in Atlantic City, from "not ready yet" to a quit date, appears here in full.
What are the stages of change?
Prochaska and DiClemente described precontemplation, contemplation, action and maintenance, with relapse common.
Do nursing interventions help people quit smoking?
A Cochrane review found that nursing interventions increased quit rates compared with usual care.
Does brief advice from a clinician help?
A Cochrane review found that even brief advice increased quit rates.
How should a nurse respond to a patient not ready to quit?
Give clear, personal advice, explore the patient's reasons, offer help and follow up rather than pressing for immediate action.