Jordanian nurses' perception and interventions related to promoting smoking cessation

To determine nurses' perceptions related to smoking cessation, health promotion and interventions provided to hospitalised patients.

Smoking is a major health problem in Jordan. The cost for treating smoking-related health conditions is a significant strain on the healthcare system. Nurses are in an ideal position to encourage smoking cessation. Little is known about Jordanian nurses' perceptions related to smoking cessation issues.

A qualitative design was used to collect data from 22 Jordanian nurses using focus groups. Purposive sampling was used to select the study participants. Content analysis was conducted, to determine themes related to the research questions.

Nurses indicated that smoking cessation counselling is important. However, they did not feel that their counselling was very effective. Nurses indicated that the presence of a well-defined hospital policy regarding smoking was a facilitator to smoking cessation and antismoking clinics would also help to decrease smoking. Challenges to nurses' interventions included lack of hospital policy, lack of time and nurses who smoke could not be role models or provide effective counselling. Regarding decreasing smoking in Jordan, nurses had suggestions that included scare techniques and increasing taxes on cigarettes as well as enforcing policies that prevent cigarette sales to children under 16.

Nurses are well aware of the hazards of smoking and indicate a belief that encouraging smoking cessation is an appropriate activity. Changes in smoking rules and the enforcement of rules, as well as increased public health efforts related to smoking cessation, are necessary to decrease smoking prevalence in Jordan.

Training in smoking cessation counselling and increased awareness of the resources may increase nurses' ability to have an impact on decreasing the smoking prevalence in Jordan.