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Although the overall prevalence of tobacco smoking in the United States is decreasing, the proportion of light smokers is increasing and is as high as 50% among some groups. There is growing evidence that light smokers experience significantly higher health risks compared to nonsmokers, and they are often unable to quit smoking on their own. The prevalence of light smoking differs among subpopulations in the US and is particularly common among adolescents, college students, pregnant women, and some ethnic minorities. Characteristics of light smokers in these subpopulations vary, as do the underlying reasons for smoking, barriers to cessation, and treatment issues. Unfortunately, the paucity of research to develop and test effective cessation aids is common across all groups of light smokers. Given the substantial portion of light smokers in these populations, development and dissemination of effective behavioral and pharmacological interventions for light smokers is likely to result in substantial smoking reduction rates in the general population.

Limited information is available about Arab Americans' smoking behaviors. The aim of this study was to describe Arab Americans' smoking behaviors and any relationship between tobacco dependence and acculturation. This was a cross-sectional study. Arab American smokers and ex-smokers (N = 96) participated in the study. Nicotine dependence, acculturation, and tobacco use questionnaires were used to measure the major variables. Analyses revealed a significant positive correlation between acculturation and tobacco dependence and between tobacco exposure and tobacco dependence. Arab Americans who behaved most like their ethnic peers and spent more time with Arab Americans were more dependent on nicotine.

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This qualitative study describes the experience of individuals who were attempting to quit smoking. Ten respondents participated in the semistructured interactive interviews. Five themes emerged from the data analysis: the intensity of the struggle, the personification of the cigarette, planning to quit, replacement of an old habit with a new habit, and perception of this quit experience as different from previous attempts. Particularly poignant were the participants' descriptions of the very real anguish they felt during their struggle to quit. Feelings of both elation and defeat were expressed over just getting through the day without a cigarette, or the failure to do so. Understanding the depth of the struggle, as well as the other components of the quit experience, should help health care professionals to be more empathetic and supportive to persons struggling to quit. It should also provide guidance in developing realistic strategies helpful to the quitting process.

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As part of a major shift to embed quality improvement processes within a School of Nursing at a medium-sized Midwestern university, a faculty enrichment program using a Plan-Do-Act-Study design was implemented. A central focus for the program was the development and maintenance of an online faculty resource center identified as “My Faculty Center.” Nursing faculty used the tools in My Faculty Center to assess their baseline skills in the areas of teaching & learning best practices, use of learning management system, and technology. The first goal (Goal 1) of the systematic faculty development program was to measure the impact of the Faculty Enrichment program on overall faculty development with regards to technology. The second goal (Goal 2) was to evaluate the relationship, if any, between faculty development and student evaluations. To meet Goal 2, data from IDEA end-of-course evaluations (IDEA, n.d.) and the skills assessments were correlated. Results indicated that the instructor’s desire to learn more about teaching and learning best practices was positively correlated with students providing higher scores on progress on relevant objectives, perceiving the instructor as an excellent teacher, and the course summary scores. When students rated an instructor as an excellent teacher, that instructor self-reported a higher level of applying skills in using Desire-to-Learn (D2L). Negative correlations were found between the instructor’s self-reported skills with presentation and multimedia tools and the students’ perception of progress toward objectives, excellence of course, and overall course score. Based on the initial results, future professional development will optimize adequate training on the Learning Management System (i.e. D2L), for all faculty, and emphasize the effective use of technology in the classroom.

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