A patient admitted with shortness of breath and chest pain who is a pack-a-day smoker tells the nurse, "I am just not ready to quit smoking yet." Which response by the nurse is best?

Question

a. "This would be a really good time to quit."
b. "Your smoking is the cause of your chest pain."
c. "What health problems do you think smoking has caused?"
d. "Are you familiar with the various nicotine replacement options?"

Answer 1

ANS: C
The patient is in the precontemplation stage of change, and the nurse's role is to assist the patient to become motivated to quit. The current Clinical Practice Guidelines indicate that the nurse should ask the patient to identify any negative consequences from smoking. The responses "This would be a really good time to quit" and "Your smoking is the cause of your chest pain" express judgmental feelings by the nurse and are not likely to motivate the patient. Providing information about the various nicotine replacement options would be appropriate for a patient who has expressed a desire to quit smoking.