Looking back where it all started

• Main Authors: Iveta Nohavova, Katerina Krenkova, Vladislava Felbrova, Stanislava Kulovana, Eva Roubickova, Eva Kralikova
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: European Publishing 2019-03-01
• Series: Tobacco Prevention and Cessation
• Subjects: tobacco control; health professionals; nurses
• Online Access: http://www.journalssystem.com/tpc/,105319,0,2.html

Introduction There is a need to increase awareness among nursing professionals about tobacco dependence and treatment, including brief interventions, in Central and Eastern Europe. The Czech Republic, a central European country, has 10 million inhabitants, 2,200,000 smokers (30 % of the population 15 years and older), 40,000 doctors and approximately 90,000 nurses. It is the nurses who are uniquely positioned to deliver evidence-based interventions for tobacco dependence including to patients already diagnosed with cancer. Methods Report about activities of the Czech Society for Treatment of Tobacco Dependence, and what nurses achieved in tobacco control over 10 years from the initiation. Results Since 2007, regular one-day “train the trainer” (TTT) workshops (taught by nurses trained in tobacco intervention) are organized for nurses about basics in tobacco control and smoking cessation methods, mainly the brief intervention and the possible role of nurses in its application in selected groups. In addition since 2012, more such activities are conducted through the collaborative project with the ISNCC as reported in another abstract. During this decade, a total of 735 nurses have participated in the TTT program, while additional 700 nurses have been trained via e-learning program in the Czech Republic. Conclusion Continuing increasing interest in the tobacco control education as well as promoting positive attitudes toward smoking cessation intervention among Czech nurses can impact future trends in nursing practice. Adequate education and training is essential for nurses to be able to successfully include the short intervention into daily practice. It must be supported and widely offered in both academic and clinical settings.