Effects of Tobacco Cessation Counseling Training on Thai Professional Nurses' Self-efficacy and Cessation Counseling Practices

This one-group, pretest-posttest, quasi-experimental design aimed to examine the effectiveness of tobacco cessation counseling training on Thai nurses' self-efficacy and tobacco cessation counseling practices. A sample of 76 professional nurses was randomly recruited from three hospitals involved in the smoke-free hospital campaign, initiated by the Action on Smoking and Health Foundation in Thailand. The participants received a six-hour program on tobacco cessation counseling that was based on recommendations from Clinical Practice Guidelines on treating tobacco use and dependence, within the context of Bandura's self-efficacy theory. Self-efficacy for tobacco cessation counseling and cessation counseling practices were assessed using three self-administered questionnaires prior to receipt of the counseling cessation program, and 3 and 6 months after the program was completed. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and repeated measures analysis of variance. The findings showed the mean score of self-efficacy for tobacco cessation counseling was about the same prior to receipt of the counseling program and 3 months after completion of the program, but was significantly higher 6 months after completion of the program. The mean score of cessation counseling practices was found to significantly increase over time. The findings suggested a theory-based training program in tobacco cessation counseling can significantly increase nurses' confidence and provision of counseling.