Learning Objective #1: identify recommended tobacco interventions and the cultural smoking trends among Hispanics in the United States.

Learning Objective #2: critique current research and discuss cultural influences on tobacco interventions by Hispanic health care professionals.

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Smoking cessation is the most important modifiable risk factor for many life-threatening diseases. Tobacco interventions by nurses are effective yet greatly underutilized. The Hispanic population is the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population. Tobacco intervention attitudes and practices are influenced by professional education and policy as well as personal and cultural experiences. Sensitivity to cultural concerns and social disparity may have an important effect on tobacco control practices among Hispanic nurses. The purpose of this pilot project is to establish professional rapport concerning tobacco intervention with Hispanic nurses and to develop a valid and reliable measure to test Hispanic nurses’ tobacco intervention practices, level of awareness and use of cessation protocols, and identify methods to meet educational needs. The Sorenson conceptual model will be used to guide the evaluation of cultural, individual, and organizational interactions to evaluate Hispanic nurses’ tobacco intervention practices and beliefs. A cross-sectional triangulated design with both phenomenological interviews and quantitative self-reports will be conducted with Hispanic nurses from two geographic areas of the United States located on the West Coast and in the Southwest. The results from this pilot study will be used to develop culturally appropriate smoking cessation interventions to test in future research.