It is apparent that mental healthcare providers have
failed to treat patients’ tobacco use consistently and effectively.
Certainly mental health nurses, who as a profession
pride themselves on the provision of holistic care, have a
responsibility to confront the enormous problem of
smoking and nicotine dependency among those with
schizophrenia. Cataldo (2001) asserts that the ability of the
mental health nurse to deliver broad based care while
addressing psychotherapeutic needs positions them in the
forefront of treating tobacco use and dependence