Featured Interventionist
Patricia G.
Rienzo, MSN, RN
The Nursing Center for Tobacco Intervention is pleased to highlight
Patricia G. Rienzo, MSN, RN as our third featured interventionist. Ms. Rienzo has been
greatly involved in tobacco intervention in a variety of practices such as: education of
health professionals in tobacco intervention methods, collaborative community efforts to
decrease the uptake of tobacco use by children, and direct individual and group
intervention with adult smokers in both inpatient and outpatient settings.
Ms. Rienzo received her nursing diploma from Utica State Hospital
School of Nursing in Utica, New York in 1974. She earned her BSN from Regents College,
University of the State of New York in 1987, and her MS in Adult Nursing from the
University of New Hampshire in Durham, in 1990. She currently serves as Adjunct faculty in
the Department of Nursing at Colby-Sawyer College, in New London, New Hampshire, and is
Director of Health Education at New London Hospital. Ms. Rienzo has also authored a book, Nursing
Care of the Person Who Smokes, and presented at several conferences, as well as
chaired several community committees on tobacco cessation related topics.
Ms. Rienzo's extensive experience within tobacco-related areas of
practice has prompted the following practice tips when delivering smoking cessation
interventions:
- A thorough assessment of each individual is essential, and should
include smoking history:
- age of onset
- amount smoked now and at peak of consumption
- previous experience with quitting
- duration of any smokefree periods and the cause of relapse
- individual's social support at home and work (including the presence of
other smokers)
- health history
- current prescription and nonprescription drugs
- previous experience in quitting alcohol or other substances
- most of all, current motivation for quitting.
- Her experience has been that smokers who make half-hearted attempts to
quit do not succeed, and moreover, they may be discouraged from making another attempt at
quitting.
Ms. Rienzo uses a variety of materials in her intervention practice.
For health professionals, she recommends the 1996 AHCPR [now Agency
for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)]. Clinical Practice Smoking
Cessation Guideline, and her text book, Nursing Care of the Person
Who Smokes (Springer Publishing, 1992). She also incorporates the
National Institute of Health program "How to Help Your Patients Stop
Smoking". When working with groups, she uses the American Cancer
Society's "Fresh Start Program" and the American Lung Association's
"Freedom From Smoking". At the individual level, after assessing
the patient's tobacco history, motivation for quitting, social support,
planned use of nicotine replacement, and reading ability, Ms. Reinzo uses
the Consumer Version of the 1996 AHCPR [now Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality (AHRQ)] Smoking Cessation Guideline and the National Institute
of Health publication Clearing the Air.
View Previous Featured
Interventionists
- Janie Heath, RN, PhD(c), CCRN, ANP, ACNP
- Mary Ellen Wewers, RN,
PhD, MPH, FAAN
- Louise M. Nett, RN, RRT
- Linda Lillington, RN, DNS
- Patricia G. Rienzo, RN, MSN
- Linda Sarna, RN, DNSc, FAAN
- Kathleen O' Connell, RN, PhD,
FAAN
- Karen Ahijevych, RN, PhD
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