The nurse is caring for a patient who has been trying to quit smoking. The patient has been smoke free for 2 weeks but had two cigarettes last night and at least two this morning. What should the nurse anticipate?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When relapse occurs, the person will return to the contemplation or precontemplation stage before attempting the change again. The patient cannot pick up the attempt where left off. It is believed that change involves movement through a series of stages (precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance). Anticipating that the patient does not want to and will never quit is premature. While the patient will need to adopt a new lifestyle for change to be effective, it does not correlate to this scenario since the patient relapsed.

The Nurse Is Caring for a Patient Who Has Been