Needs Assessment: Tobacco Dependence Education in Graduate Psychiatric Nursing and Pharmacy Schools

Dr. Susan Blaakman is Associate Professor of Clinical Nursing and Director of the Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program at the University of Rochester School of Nursing. She is a nationally certified advanced practice psychiatric mental health nurse with many years of clinical, education and research experience. Susan works as a clinical interventionist to help reduce tobacco smoke exposure for urban children with asthma. Along with Daryl Sharp, Susan also co-chairs the American Psychiatric Nurses Tobacco Dependence Council, which has partnered with the SCLC to implement a national strategic plan to support psychiatric nurses’ interventions with their patients who smoke.

Karen S. Hudmon, DrPH, MS, RPh, CTTS, is Professor of Pharmacy Practice at the Purdue University College of Pharmacy and Clinical Professor at the University of California San Francisco School of Pharmacy. She’s a licensed pharmacist and a cancer prevention researcher with 30 years of tobacco research experience and has personally provided tobacco cessation training to more than 30,000 health professionals.

Karen was one of the original authors of the Rx for Change: Clinician-Assisted Tobacco Cessation training program, which is used globally to train students and licensed clinicians to apply evidence-based approaches for helping patients quit. Currently, Karen’s research is funded by the NIH and the Indiana State Department of Health. She testified in favor of legislation to advance Indiana pharmacists’ role in prescribing cessation medications, was instrumental in drafting the statewide protocol, and is leading statewide training efforts.

Dr. Prochaska is a licensed clinical psychologist, educator, researcher, and expert in the treatment of tobacco dependence. She is a past president of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT).

Rhonda Schwindt, DNP, RN, PMHCNS-BC, is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Nursing at Indiana University School of Nursing. She is a graduate of St. Elizabeth School of Nursing (Diploma), Purdue University (B.A., Indiana University School of Nursing (M.S.N), and the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University (DNP). Dr. Schwindt is a board certified Psychiatric/Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist with 8 years of experience as a nurse educator. Her current research interest is tobacco education for undergraduate and graduate psychiatric/mental health nurses. She is a member of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society (Alpha Chapter).

Dr. Daryl Sharp is Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Diversity at the University of Rochester School of Nursing. She also holds an appointment as Professor of Clinical Nursing and in the Center for Community Health where she serves as Director of Quality and Education in the Healthy Living Center. A nationally certified advanced practice psychiatric nurse and founding director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program, Dr. Sharp served as project director for the University of Rochester School of Nursing Tobacco Dependence Intervention Program, which provided tobacco dependence interventions for those challenged by serious mental illness. She currently co-chairs the American Psychiatric Nurses Association Tobacco Dependence Council, which has worked closely with the Smoking Cessation Leadership Center to implement and evaluate a national strategic plan designed to increase the delivery of tobacco dependence interventions by psychiatric nurses nationwide.