Impact of a nurse-led brief tobacco cessation training program for healthcare professionals

Objective To assess the impact of a tobacco cessation training program on healthcare professionals' smoking cessation practices, counseling-related opinions, and attitudes about their role in tobacco control. Design A single group pre- and post-design. Sample Eligible participants (n = 133) were health professionals who attended a training program between September 2018 and June 2019 at specific training sites in Malta. Measurements An already established questionnaire was used to compare healthcare professionals' practices, opinions, and attitudes before the training program, and at 3-month follow-up. Intervention A public health nurse-led, 3-hr training intervention addressing tobacco use and tobacco cessation with emphasis on the 5As (Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist and Arrange) framework. Results Healthcare professionals were favorably disposed towards counseling patients to stop. While participants still found it difficult to get clients to quit and lacked the time to counsel patients, they were more likely to deliver tobacco cessation interventions frequently at follow-up. Conclusion Despite these challenges, this training program was found useful by the participants, who took a more comprehensive approach to address tobacco use. Public health nurses are encouraged to take a leading role in tobacco cessation training initiatives as part of their efforts to improve population health.