Nursing staff are an integral part of teaching and influencing the public about smoking and tobacco-related diseases. However, their role may not be as effective if they smoke. The purpose of this study was to investigate smoking behaviors and attitudes of nurses and nursing assistants. The sample included over 500 nursing professionals working in a non-profit hospital in Northwest Arkansas. Data were gathered using a self-administered questionnaire. Results of the study indicated that 17.6% of the nursing professionals were smokers. Only about half of the smokers strongly agreed that their tobacco use is harmful to their health, that they are more likely to develop cancer or heart disease, and that reducing or eliminating tobacco use would increase their quality of life and improve their overall state of health. Furthermore, there was a statistically significant(p < .01) difference between smokers and nonsmokers regarding how they viewed themselves as role models within the health care profession. These data suggest that smoking prevalence among nursing profesionals is only slightly less than that of the general public and that reasons for smoking are no different. The need for health professionals to adhere to personal health practices that are congruent with the goals of health promotion and disease prevention are paramount in order to change health behaviors within the general public. Keyword(s): disease prevention, health promotion