ATTITUDE OF WEST NEGROS UNIVERSITY

LEVEL 3 STUDENT NURSES

TOWARDS SMOKING
 

A  Research Paper Presented To Faculty

And Staff of College of Nursing

West Negros University

Bacolod City

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

In Bachelor of Science

In Nursing

by:

Gangoy, Lalaine

Gellada, Pamela Pearl

 Genovea, Dona

 Suegay, Charmy

 Tomugdan, Michelle Marie 

Group 6 N3 - 5
 Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

           Smoking is a habit but curable. Considered as curable but few people try to control

themselves from doing it. People, students and even professionals are often tempted to smoke.

For some, smoking relieves tension; superiority among others, curiosity, satisfaction, and a form

of self deception but the adverse consequences of smoking is one’s own health.

            Smoking exist everywhere even in school campuses that conclude to be huge problem.

According to Toni Christopherson, a problem that everyone tries to eradicate but fails to act on it

because they themselves cannot practice what they preach[1]. It is obvious that smoking is one of

the major problems of every college student. Many college students are fond of smoking, it

driven one self to heavenly feeling. But it is not an excuse to be free from any complication

someday.

Many people tried self discipline to control the temptation of smoking. Others would try

re- lifestyle and refocus their attention just to stop themselves from doing it. But worse, others

don’t know what to do and they simply give in. Others on the other hand, would smoke not

because they don’t know what to do but simply because they won’t get belong to the “in group’.
 As mentioned earlier, smoking is curable; one always has the power to control one’s self.

Because of smoking, few qualified people get to be successful. It's because of smoking is one of

the reason that word's mortality rate. Smoking could never be eradicated unless we try to start the

battle against it and heart attack in those with heart disease.

             Studies have indicated that some student does smoking during their vacant time than

studying their lessons. Smoking in college especially in nursing students is becoming popular

substitute for learning. There are some factors of smoking which has the social approval from

parents, faculty and friends. Some studies shows that student with low self – esteem is actually

more likely to smoke than student with high self – esteem because of the negative evaluation that

they might receive from the people around them.[2] [3]

                          

         

                                           

 
 Objectives of the Study

The main purpose of this is to know the attitude of West Negros University student

nurses towards smoking.

Specifically, this study answers the following questions:

1.  What are the attitudes of WNU student's nurses toward smoking?

      a. favorable

     b. unfavorable

2. What are the attitudes of male and female student nurses toward smoking?

3. What are the attitudes of regular and second courser students toward  
smoking?

4. What is the influence of smoking on the academic and clinical performance of

the student in WNU College of nursing?

5.   What will WNU do for student nurse to stop smoking?

a. Prohibit smoking inside the campus, or within the parameter of 200m

away from school.  

b. Fine of 100 pesos when caught of smoking.

c. Make an incident report when caught of smoking while on school or

clinical area.

 
 Assumptions

            The basic assumptions considered in this investigation are as follows:

1. Male and Female student nurses possess different attitude toward smoking.

2. Everyone is entitled to choose his or her own recreational activities.

3. Each school has certain ways to prevent unnecessary misdoing inside the school                  

campus.  

Theoretical Framework

     Smoking has been practiced in one form or another since ancient times. Perception

surrounding smoking has varied over time and from one place to another; holy and sinful,

sophisticated and vulgar, a panacea and deadly health hazard. Only recently, and primarily in

industrialized Western countries, has smoking come to be viewed in a decidedly negative light.

Today medical studies have proven that smoking is among the leading causes of diseases such as

stenosis, lung cancer, heart attacks and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and can also lead

to birth defects. The well-proven health hazards of smoking have caused many countries to

institute high taxes on tobacco products and anti-smoking campaigns are launched every year in

an attempt to curb smoking.

            The reasons given by smokers for this activity are broadly categorized as "addictive

smoking", "pleasure from smoking", "tension reduction/relaxation", "social smoking",

"stimulation", "habit/automatism", and "handling". There are gender differences in how much
each of these reasons contribute, with females more likely than males to cite "tension

reduction/relaxation", "stimulation" and "social smoking"

            A clear majority of alcoholics smoke. According to Evelyn Lutz[4], between 80 and 95

percent of alcoholics smoke cigarettes, which is more than three times higher than among the

population as a whole.

Research has also shown that smokers with a history of alcoholism are more nicotine

dependent than smokers with no such history, and suggests smoking cessation may prompt a

relapse to drinking among a small number of smokers with a history of alcoholism.

            "This study refutes the common perception that smokers with a history of alcoholism

have more difficulty quitting smoking and are likely to relapse back to alcoholism," said John R.

Hughes[5], professor of psychiatry at the University of Vermont and lead author of the study.

"Our results suggest smokers with this history need to be encouraged to attempt to stop

smoking."

            Hughes also said that for "for 85 percent of smokers with past alcoholism, quitting

smoking is not a problem. Furthermore, as our findings indicate, we found smokers with past but

not current alcoholism were able to quit as well and benefited from nicotine-patch treatment to

the same degree as smokers without this history.

 
            Social approval whether it is from parents, faculty or friends, is a factor that attributes to

smoking. Crowne and Marlou[6] found college student with a high need for approval of smoking

more often because they as concerned about negative evaluation.

Attitudes and Values as Motivational Perceptual State

             Attitudes and values can be thought and will be dealt with here as motivational

perceptual states[7]. An individuals’ attitude set a respond through the perceptual quality of

selecting, categorizing, and interpreting experience in the line of expectation; individuals' values

are associated with the central tendency of cluster of his attitude in a long – range motivational

sense.

            Attitudes are learned in terms of restricting of the psychological fields. This process is a

dynamic one in so far as attitudes and values are subject to change though the acquisition of new

information. However, attitudes appear to be more susceptible to apparent change while the basic

values underlying them persist.

            Attitudes are important in social psychology because they sum up the past experience of

the individual in terms of directive motivational perceptual states, growing

out of learning. This process therefore has consequences not only in terms of observable

behaviors but also with respect to potentials from the individual's action.

 
 The Structures and Functions of Attitudes

            In the early studies of attitudes, it was quite common to rely largely on the description on

individual's attitudes, their direction in terms of valence, and the belief system that they

constituted. More recently, attitudes have been viewed with considerably greater stress on what

can be called their structural relationships and functional features. The first of these newer

emphases has been called "cognitive interaction'' which conveys the idea of a relationship

between attitudes within the psychological field. It also encompasses the process by which new

experiences become absorbed as added information. Within this approach a great deal of

contemporary research has been directed toward attitudinal consistency and congruity, about

which we shall say more shortly. The second emphasis, on functional features, concerns

especially the motivation serve.

Components and Aspects of Attitudes

            There are great ways to approach the organization of attitudes, but for convenience, we

can consider them with reference the three major components and three aspects of study.

Regarding the components, Katz[8] observes that attitudes have been treated with respect to a

cognitive component, which refers to belief – disbelief, affective components, which deal with

like – dislike, and an  action components, which

embodies a readiness to respond.

The relationship of these components continues to be a lively interest in contemporary social

psychology. Thus believing or not believing something, and liking one or the other alternatives,

is by no means simple distinctions to make.

 As Rokeach[9] has pointed out, a firmly entrenched belief, especially when challenge, is

usually found to have considerable positive effect. There maybe a little apparent liking – in the

sense of positive valence associated with one's belief that the earth is round, yet a contradiction

of it would generate strong feeling. This point bears on consistency which will be considered

below.

            The three major aspects in the study of attitudes are: the relationships of their

components, especially in terms of cognitive interaction and individual adjustment; their source,

that is, the patterns by which attitudes are acquired through learning; and attitude change, with

reference to the influences on the individual which result in the incorporation of new experience

and the modification of attitudes[10].

            View broadly; there are several qualities of attitudes which may we may now generalize

as follows: they are beliefs and feelings about an object or set of objects in the social

environment; they are learned; they to persist, though subject to the effects of experience; and

they are directives states in the psychological field which affects action.

 
 Scope

This study covers all the level 3 nursing student of West Negros University – Bacolod .

The sample size was predetermined because of the inadequate list of student involves in

smoking. To enable to identify male and female respondents in their affection in smoking and

school objectives to handle the necessary precautions toward smoking.

Limitations

In view of financial and time constraints on the part of the researchers, only level 3

student nurses were selected: Level 3 because it is easy and accessible on the part of the

researchers as they are also in the same year level. Aside from that, level 3 is the time were the

student nurses are expose to the clinical area for their internship.

             

                                                 

 
 Definition of Terms

Academic Performance –conceptually academic performance refers to the over all

evaluation of the academic performance reflected in student's grades. Operationally, these terms

refer to the over all grades of students in all his subjects.

Age – refers to the length of time of level 3 students which measured by years from birth

that considerably existed.

Attitude – refers to mental disposition, feelings or emotion toward a state or fact. In this

study, this term means the student's feeling and disposition toward smoking.

Clinical Performance – the term refers to the evaluation of the performance in the clinical

setting, hospital or community.

            Sex- conceptually this term refers to the sum of structural and functional differences of

every individual. Operationally this term refers to male and female engage in smoking.

            Smoking - is a practice where a substance, most commonly tobacco, is burned and the

smoke tasted or inhaled. This is primarily done as a form of recreational drug use, as combustion

releases the active substances in drugs such as nicotine and makes them available for absorption

through the lungs. In this study, this term refer to the inhalation of burned tobacco stick of the

students.

 
 Significance of the Study

This study will be great significance to the following:

             Clinical Instructors in WNU. As clinical instructors guide and are the one who are

always there for the students, they have a great responsibility in motivating the students. This

study will provide and support the students in giving good quality education and health teaching

which could necessarily extend benefits in the school and for the students. In terms of school

performances, level 3 student nurses could practice self discipline through the help of Clinical

Instructors who handle them. They should give advices and health teachings for the students to

be more aware of the effects of smoking towards their health, academic and clinical

performance.

            Dean of the College of Nursing . In order for the dean to assess the immediate needs of

the student services and supervises the level 3 student nurses through their academic

performance and health status. Furthermore, to determine whether this study  towards smoking

has a great impact in the student nurse's academic and clinical performance. Also for the dean of

the college to be alarmed and to implement actions that could alleviate the students attitude

towards smoking. This is not only for the college but also for the school to uplift its name and

produce quality nurses in the near future.  

            For Academic Performance Administrators. For them to give a future program that will

draw out a plan for the school. They could provide objectives and support the program which

could serve as baseline for decision – making.

            For the class advisers, who could give student nurses care and guidance and which could

possibly help students in managing their life. They could provide objectives and identify all their

perspective needs from the different policy of the school.

            For Level 3 student nurse’s, so their goals could be identified, and for the benefits of their

future plans, health and career. This could be chance of opportunity for them to gain self

discipline and be a role model to their responding clients in the clinical area, school and

community. They will realized that what they are doing will affect their studies.

For the researcher, to encourage changes in the health habit of their fellow students and

be knowledgeable on the effects of smoking,  health discipline and an anchor individuals to

maintain and strengthen the health condition of the students nurses in terms of promotive,

preventive and curative aspects of the course.

    

        

 
 Chapter II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

            This chapter covers more on the study, which is basically related to the research study of

the attitude of West Negros University College of Nursing level 3 student nurses towards

smoking.  This chapter contains the related reading, ideas, concept and research studies of

different authors and sources in relation to the effect of smoking to one's attitude.

Conceptual Literature

            Smoking is the practice of inhaling tobacco from a pipe or cigarette. The custom of

smoking tobacco is thought to have started in the Americas . In the late 1400's, English and

Spanish explorers returning from the New World brought back to Europe the custom of pipe

smoking, which they had learned from Indians. Cigarette smoking may have started among the

Aztecs of Mexico, who smoked shredded tobacco rolled inside corn husks. Until the 1900's

tobacco was used mainly in cigars, chewing tobacco and snuff. Later cigarette smoking became

popular and increased sharply after World War 1 (1918) and again after World War II (1945)

[11].
             In 1964 the United States Public Health Service released a landmark document, smoking

in health: Report of the Advisory Committee to the Surgeon General, which concluded that

smoking is a major cause of cancer of the lung, mouth and throat. Since, then researchers have

shown that each year cigarette smoking cause more than 300,000 premature deaths in the United

States alone, principally from the heart disease, cancer In 1964 the United States Public Health

Service released a landmark document, smoking in health: Report of the Advisory Committee to

the Surgeon General, which concluded that smoking is a major cause of cancer of the lung,

mouth and throat. Since, then researchers have shown that each year cigarette smoking cause

more than 300,000 premature deaths in the United States alone, principally from the heart

disease, cancer the habit. Smoking causes smokers cough, a lower capacity for exercise,

addiction to nicotine, and in the long run, severe disability and death[12].

Local Literature

            In the Philippines , the number of women who smoke is constantly on the rise. It is a

phenomenon that, in recent years, seems to affect the youngest most of all: 30% of girls between

the ages of 13 and 18 smoke regularly.

According to a recent study conducted by the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance, 18.7%

of Filipino young women between the ages of 13 and 25 smoke cigarettes. The numbers go up if

the sample is restricted to teenagers between 13 and 15: 3 out of 10 already have the smoking

habit. Among female smokers, 60% say that they smoked their first cigarette at the age of 18,

while the remaining 40% say they started when they were still very young.
 They continue to smoke despite the fact that they are aware of the risks connected to

smoking: nine girls out of ten know that smoking can cause lung cancer, infertility, early

menopause, osteoporosis, and hysterectomy. For this reason, the country has begun an anti-

smoking campaign supported by the local Catholic Church: the first initiatives include that of

putting warning labels on packaging[13].

Research Literature

     Alarm more teens are lighting up and making smoking a habit. But do they really

know the harm they're doing to their young bodies? Some teens are asked why they smoke. They

mostly answered to relieve tension; to be in "in" the group, fashion and make them feel strong

and heavenly feeling. There are only some teenagers being asked for the reasons of why they

smoke. True that we all die but don’t we know the adverse consequences smoking has on one's

health.

More than just addictive nicotine, these are the poisons that go into our lungs each time

we inhale cigarette smoke. ARSENIC: used in rat poison; ACETIC ACID: hair dye and

developer; ACETONE: main ingredients in paint and fingernail polish remover; AMMONIA: a

typical household cleaner; BENZENE: rubber cement; CADIUM: found in batteries and artist oil

plant that carries carbon monoxide; FORMALDEHYDE: used to embalm dead bodies;

HYDRAZINE: used in jet and rocket fuels; HYDROGEN CYANIDE: poison in gas chambers;

NAPTHALINES: used in explosive moth balls and pain pigments; NICKEL: used in the process

of electroplating; PHENOL; used in disinfectants and plastics; POLONIUM: radiation dosage

equal to 300 chest X-ray in one year; STYRENE: found  in isolation material; TOLUENE:

embalmers glue; VINYL CHLORIDE: ingredients found in garbage bags[14].

The gross truth, the damage of smoking does to our insides eventually shows in our

physical appearance. It's not about beig vain, but puffing can really strip our pretty points. Its

stained teeth that either yellowish or brownish, bad breath, a yellow stain in the fingertips, black

lips, facial wrinkles and an over all odor of stale smoke  that everyone, except a smoker that can

detect.

 
 Chapter III

METHODOLOGY

This chapter discusses the method of research use, the subject and respondent of the

study, the sampling procedures, the research instrument, the data gathering procedure and the

data processing technique use.

Since the main purpose of this study was to determine the effect of smoking in the health

condition and the academic and clinical performances of the student nurses.

                                                        Research Design

            In this study, the descriptive research design is use because we want to know if smoking

has great effect on the clinical and academic performance of nursing students. What is really

their reason of smoking? Descriptive research is the most widely research design, indicated by

the numerous thesis dissertations and non-academic researches, the primary aim of which is to

describe existing belief, opinion or condition of social group; compare sub groups in terms of

selected variables; determine the relationship between among variables covered[15].

 
 Respondents of the study

            The respondents of the study will be the level 3 male and female student nurses of West

Negros University .  These students' respondent will be identified in terms of their academic

performance, and clinical performance. With the use of purposive sampling procedure, there

were 300 level student nurses who were taken as respondent.  To determine the sample size,

Solvin's formula was used.

n = __N__

        1 + Ne²

Where: n = sample size

            N = population size

            e = desired margin of error set at 0.5 level of confidence

Thus:               n = _200_

1+ 500(.05)²                      

Data gathering Procedure

       The researcher requested the approval of the dean of College of Nursing to gather the

pertinent data necessary to answer the objectives of the investigation. Approval from the College

Registrar for the procurement of grades was also sought upon approval; the researcher personally
copied the averages of the academic grades as well as the clinical grades of the level 3 student

nurses. Other information which was needed to establish the profile of the respondents was also

gathered from the same office.

Research Instrument

        This study will make use of a survey questionnaire compose parts to gather the needed data.

It will be supplemented by the academic and clinical record of the level 3 student nurses in

second semester S.Y. 2008 – 2009. It will be further supplied with interview to level 3 student

nurses to collaborate and substantiate the information gathered from the questionnaire.

Data Analysis Procedure

        The following statistical tools were utilized to analyze the gathered data to answer the first

objective which sought whether level 3 student nurses of WNU are favorable or not, towards

smoking. Objective 2 and 3 determine the attitudes between the male and female and the regular

and second courser level 3 student nurses towards smoking. The formula to be used:

        Descriptive Statistics

                           % = F/N × 100

                           % = percent
                            F = frequency

                            N = total # of the respondent

     Objectives 4 sought to determine the level of academic and clinical performance of the level 3

nursing student when group according to attitude of student, regular or second courser, smoking

habit, the mean was used. According to Basilio, the mean is the most dependable measure of

central tendency.

The formula is as follows:

                           X = __efx__

where:            

 x = the mean

                        efx = sum of the weighted scores

                        N = total # of the respondents

                                               

 
 QUESTIONNAIRE

PART I. Bio – Profile

Direction:  Please indicate your response by checking the appropriate box or by filling the blank.

1. Name (optional)___________________

2. Sex:  (  ) Male    (  ) Female

3. Age: _____________

4. Estimated allowance for a week ______________

5. Regular:  (  )      Second Courser: (  )

6. Active Smoker: (  )      Passive Smoker: (  )

PART II.

Direction:  Please check the parenthesis which corresponds to your answer.

1. I usually smoke when I'm bored.                                            (  ) Yes   (  ) No          

2. I usually smoke when I see my classmates do the same.        (  ) Yes   (  ) No

3. I consume more than 5 sticks of cigarette per day.                (  )Yes    (  )No

4.  I smoke when I encounter problems.                                     (  ) Yes   (  ) No

5. Smoking affect my study habits, my performance in the academic and clinical

area.                                                                                               (  ) Yes   (  ) No      

6. I believe smoking makes me release my tension.                        (  ) Yes   (  ) No

7. I believe smoking is risk full in my health in the future.         (  ) Yes   (  ) No

8. I believe smoking is already a part of my lifestyle.                (  ) Yes   (  ) No

9. West Negros University should implement  rules and regulations to eliminate

smoking.                                                                                 (  ) Yes   (  ) No

 BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS

Ardales, Venancio B.

2008                Basic Concepts and Methods in Research. 3rd edition. Ermita,

Manila : Educational Publishing Company   

Christopherson, Toni G.

2004     Working Nurse, Working world. New York : Wadsworth Publishing Company.

Hughes, John R.

1996                Smoke Alarm. San Diego State University

Keller, Kimberly F.  

1996                Great Emphasis. California :

Polacheck, Whitney.

1996                Guiding Rule for a better.” New Jersey : Prentice Hall Inc.

The New Book of Knowledge

1992                 History of Smoking

  

PERIODICALS

Philippine Journal of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (January / June 2006)

The Script. (2002)

Time Magazine, Volume 44, (1995).

           

INTERNET

www. AsiaNews.It.com

 
 TABLE OF CONTENT

PAGE

APPROVAL SHEET                                                                                               ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT                                                                                       iii

ABSTRACT                                                                                                              iv

LIST OF TABLES                                                                                                  

LIST OF FIGURES

CHAPTER

            I           INTRODUCTION

                                    Background of the study

                                    Statement of the Problem

                                    Hypothesis

                                    Theoretical Framework

                                    Conceptual Framework

                                    Significance of the Study

                                      Scope and Delimitations of the study

Definition of Terms 
            [1] Toni Christopherson, Working Nurse, (Working World, June 11- July 2, 2004), pp.22.

[2] Keller, Kimberly, Great Emphasis, 1976, pp.32

[3] Polacheck, Whitney, Guiding Rules for a Better, 1996, pp. 45

Evelyn Lutz, Philippine Journal of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, January-June

[4]
2006,pp.23

[5] John R. Hughes, Smoke Alarm, Volume 76, March-December 1998

            [6] Erik Crowne and Marlou, Your Health Guide, February-August 2005, pp. 85

[7] Franklin Allport, Choose life, not smoking, pp. 106

[8] Emily Katz, Aspects of Behavior, pp:123-124 h 

[9] Rokeach, Beliefs & Attitude,pp89

[10] Elliot Karen, Significant Gains, 1996, pp. 63

[11] The New Book of Knowledge, 1992, pp. 243

[12] The New Book Of Knowledge, 1992, pp. 587

[13] AsiaNews.It.com, February 05, 2007

[14] The Script, 2002, pp.41

[15]  Ardales, Venancio, 3rd Edition, 2008.