Nursing and Health Vol. 1(3), pp. 52 - 60
DOI: 10.13189/nh.2013.010302
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How Male Jordanian Psychiatric Nurses Become Regular Smokers at University: Lessons in Tolerance, Cultural Identity and Stress Reduction

Khaldoun M. Aldiabat^1,*, Michael Clinton^2
1 School of Nursing, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George- BC, V2N 4Z9, Canada
² Rafic Hariri School of Nursing, American University of Beirut, Riad El-Solh, Beirut 1107 2020,Lebanon

ABSTRACT

Aim: To explore retrospectively how male Jordanian psychiatric nurses became regular smokers. Background: Smoking is endemic in Jordan and there is a high smoking rate among university students including nursing students. Smoking is a risk factor for morbidity and mortality not only among those future nurses themselves but also among their patients. A better understanding of how male Jordanian psychiatric nurses became regular smokers is needed if smoking reduction and smoking cessation programs are to be effective. Method: A classical grounded theory study of eight male Jordanian psychiatric nurses employed in Amman. Findings: Jordanian universities and faculties of nursing play a paradoxical role in socializing male nursing students into regular smoking behaviours while instructing them in the importance of health promotion and patient education. As a result, male nursing students learn to become regular smokers after they were occasional smokers, but not how to access resources or use techniques to help them reduce their smoking or stop smoking. This transition responds to five contextual factors: the stressful demands of nursing programs; encouragement from other students; neglect of university no-smoking policies; no access to smoking cessation programs; and gaps in nursing curricula. Conclusion: It has been concluded that there are different contextual and cultural factors in Jordanian universities and faculties of nursing influence nursing students to become regular smokers after they were occasional smokers. The findings reported provide a basis for smoking prevention programs and smoking cessation programs. These findings are particularly relevant to university administrations, nursing faculty, and other health promotion specialists in Jordanian universities and to managers with occupational health and safety responsibilities in Jordanian mental health facilities and services.

KEYWORDS
Nursing Students, Smoking Behaviour, Grounded Theory, Regular Smoker, Health Promotion, Contextual Factors, Addiction

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Khaldoun M. Aldiabat , Michael Clinton , "How Male Jordanian Psychiatric Nurses Become Regular Smokers at University: Lessons in Tolerance, Cultural Identity and Stress Reduction," Nursing and Health, Vol. 1, No. 3, pp. 52 - 60, 2013. DOI: 10.13189/nh.2013.010302.

(b). APA Format:
Khaldoun M. Aldiabat , Michael Clinton (2013). How Male Jordanian Psychiatric Nurses Become Regular Smokers at University: Lessons in Tolerance, Cultural Identity and Stress Reduction. Nursing and Health, 1(3), 52 - 60. DOI: 10.13189/nh.2013.010302.