background：This study examines the effect of the smoking behavior of nurses on their stress.
methods：The subjects were 174 female nurses (average age 31.8 ± 12.2 years old), which included 35 managers, 38 general ward staff, and 101 novice nurses. In the questionnaire, the presence/absence of smoking behavior and stress has been examined.
results：The overall smoking rate was 11.5 %. According to position, the smoking rate was 5.9% in novice nurses, 21.1% in ward staff, and 17.1% in managers. The average value of stressor score was 80.8 ± 9.7 points in smokers and 75.6 ± 11.1 points in non-smokers. The average stress reaction score was 34.8 ± 15.7 points in smokers and 28.8 ± 12.7 points in non-smokers, whereas that in novice nurses who smoke was 49.8 ± 14.1 points.
conclusion：Smoking nurses scored higher than non-smoking nurses on stressors and stress reactions. As a result of a detailed examination according to position, the novice nurses who smoke were found to have a significantly higher stress reaction. The study suggests that for novice nurses, smoking behavior contributes to the increase in stress reactions.

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