Smoking, nipple pain and CKD

Smoking cessation: specialists better than community nurses
Nicotine Tobacco Res doi:10.1093/ntr/nts262

Specialists in smoking cessation are more successful than community practitioners, including practice nurses, at increasing quit rates.

Cessation rates after four weeks, verified by carbon monoxide monitoring, were higher among smokers managed by the 573 specialists (63.6 per cent) than the 466 community practitioners (50.4 per cent), including 135 PNs. Specialists' success is partly attributable to more extensive training/supervision and greater adherence to evidence-based practice.

For example, 94.7 per cent of specialists always offered advice about medications (versus 85.9 per cent of community nurses); 92.1 per cent and 79.3 per cent respectively asked about patients' experience of using the cessation treatment. Specialists were more likely to facilitate 'relapse prevention and coping' (82.3 per cent/ 66.8 per cent respectively), and 'summarise information and confirm client decisions' (58 per cent versus 45.4 per cent).