A significant percentage of global deaths occur as a result of non-communicable diseases such as cancers and chronic respiratory diseases. These diseases are also significant drivers of disability, morbidity, and healthcare burden in the United States (U.S). Most of these chronic disease manifest as a result of a few risk factors. Key among these factors includes smoking tobacco and exposure to second-hand smoke ( Bauer et al., 2014; Yoon et al., 2014). Bauer et al. (2014) argue that chronic diseases are the most prominent causes of disability, poor health, and mortality in the U.S. These diseases also take up a significant proportion of the country's healthcare expenditure. About 50.9% of the adult populace in the U.S has at least a chronic health condition, while 26% of the population has two or more chronic conditions ( Bauer et al., 2014). Given the role that smoking tobacco plays in fueling these figures, there is a need for healthcare practitioners to pay close attention to this issue.
MSN Specialty Track: Family Nurse Practitioner
My specialty in MSN is that of a family nurse practitioner. A family nurse practitioner is bound to encounter a wide range of chronic illnesses, some of which are caused by the smoking of tobacco. Apart from these illnesses, women who smoke often give birth to children who are both underweight and more susceptible to infections later ( Mund et al., 2013) . Moreover, mothers who smoke throughout their pregnancy deliver babies with an underdeveloped brain. Among teenagers, smoking tobacco has unprecedented implications on both their health and education.
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Practice Concern/Problem: Tobacco Use in Teenagers
Soneji et al. (2016) reckon that the teenagers and young adults in the U.S who smoke cigarettes often make use of other alternative tobacco products. These products include smokeless tobacco and cigars. The use of multiple tobacco products results in increased exposure to nicotine, dependence on nicotine, and the risk of developing other problematic behaviors such as the use of marijuana and binge drinking. Smoking tobacco has a detrimental impact on not only the teenagers’ education but also on their health. Smoking tobacco from a tender age may also increase the risk of developing complicated illnesses such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer later in life.
The healthcare system is faced with numerous challenges. For instance, a significant number of rehabilitation centers do not meet the recommended standards necessary to allow systematic recuperation of the victims of tobacco use. With the increasing number of tobacco users, especially teenage users, the existing rehabilitation centers are bound to become overwhelmed, further hindering the quality of care delivered to tobacco use addicts. Secondly, the amount of resources allocated to rehabilitation centers by the federal government is limited. Consequently, there is a shortage of qualified and registered nurses to attend to the victims of tobacco use both in hospitals and the rehabilitation centers. Thirdly, tobacco use is currently undergoing a transition with different forms of consumption being adopted. Technological advancement has resulted in unprecedented developments in the packaging and consumption of tobacco. Currently, youths have adopted the use of vapor pens, which are electrical (Mantey et al. , 2017) . These advancements are undoubtedly associated with different tobacco-related illnesses, especially in the future.
Importance of the Health Concern to Nursing and Healthcare
Abuse of tobacco among teenagers is a great concern to the healthcare sector and system. This concern is mainly due to its impact on the health and academic performance of this demographic. Also, the time that could be used in treating other more fatal conditions is used in intervening on health problems that are a result of smoking. Resources such as drugs, facilities, and workforce that could effectively serve other patients are being spent on rehabilitation of victims of tobacco abuse. Further, tobacco smoking is a great concern to nursing since it provides the foundation for the development of other diseases later on in a smoker's life.
Scope of the Concern
Tobacco abuse has unprecedented effects on the general health of its victims. Youths form the most significant demographic of the global population. Therefore, any negative factor affecting the health of this group jeopardizes the future of entire countries. Thus, tobacco use is not only a health concern for its victims but is also a threat to the socio-economic development of the whole world.
Evidence for the Need for Change
Smoking tobacco and exposure to second-hand smoke are amongst the critical risk factors for various chronic diseases ( Bauer et al., 2014; Yoon et al., 2014) . Among the prominent chronic ailments is lung cancer, whose victims primarily have a history of smoking tobacco products. Since smoking tobacco contributes to a significant percentage of deaths resulting from chronic diseases, there is a need to address the challenge of tobacco consumption amongst teenagers. Specifically, reducing tobacco consumption among teenagers is bound to reduce the prevalence of various diseases and promote their wellbeing. Likewise, reducing smoking is bound to ensure that the academic performance of teenagers is not compromised.
Elements of the PICOT Question
P - Population and problem – The nursing practice issue is the use of tobacco among teenagers.
I – Intervention - Counseling teenagers to ensure that they stay away from smoking tobacco
C- Comparison - Creating awareness on the effects of using tobacco on human health to deter teenagers from becoming smokers and encourage smokers to quit.
O – Outcome – Reduced cases of new teenage tobacco smokers.
T - Time frame - Approximately eight weeks would be necessary for establishing whether the intervention was effective.
PICOT Question
Narrative
Among teenagers in the U.S, does counseling compared to creating awareness on the health implications of consuming tobacco lower the number of tobacco smokers in eight weeks?
Separately
P: Teenage tobacco smokers
I: Those that are counseled to prevent them from becoming smokers
C: Increased awareness of the health implications of smoking tobacco
O: Reduced number of tobacco smokers.
T: Eight weeks
Key Search Terms and Phrases
Tobacco, smoking, chronic ailments, teenage smokers
Theoretical Framework/Nursing Theory
Trans-theoretical model and self-efficacy theory
References
Bauer, U. E., Briss, P. A., Goodman, R. A., & Bowman, B. A. (2014). Prevention of chronic disease in the 21st century: elimination of the leading preventable causes of premature death and disability in the USA. The Lancet , 384 (9937), 45-52.
Mantey, D. S., Cooper, M. R., Loukas, A., & Perry, C. L. (2017). E-cigarette use and cigarette smoking cessation among Texas college students. American journal of health behavior , 41 (6), 750-759.
Mund, M., Louwen, F., Klingelhoefer, D., & Gerber, A. (2013). Smoking and pregnancy—a review on the first major environmental risk factor of the unborn. International journal of environmental research and public health , 10 (12), 6485-6499.
Soneji, S., Sargent, J., & Tanski, S. (2016). Multiple tobacco product use among U.S.U.S. adolescents and young adults. Tobacco control , 25 (2), 174-180.
Yoon, P. W., Bastian, B., Anderson, R. N., Collins, J. L., & Jaffe, H. W. (2014). Potentially preventable deaths from the five leading causes of death—United States, 2008–2010. MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report , 63 (17), 369.
