The Readiness of Staff in General Medical Practices to Participate in a Smoking Cessation Programme

Aim: So far, the chances for tobacco prevention are not currently implemented sufficiently in general practices. The involvement of practice nurses (PN) could contribute to reach more patients. This study investigated the characteristics of PN which could be relevant for the implementation of counselling offers. Methods: A total of 216 general practices was randomly selected from all general practitioners registered for primary care in a defined region in West Pomerania. The participation rate was 69% (n = 151). A total of 209 PN participated in a training and 94.3% filled in the questionnaire. Results: The data indicated a smoking prevalence rate of 30.3% among PN. Their motivation, to off er counselling measures in general practices was higher on average than the confidence to realise such interventions. There was no association between characteristics of PN such as age, number of work years in the practice, hours worked per week or smoking status and motivation or confidence measures. Conclusion: There is a need for proactive interventions to decrease the smoking prevalence among PN. Furthermore, it should be examined which skills and knowledge are essential for PN nurses to manage new tasks with a high level of confidence.