A nurse-led smoking cessation clinic — quit rate results and views of participants

This study evaluated the success of a community nurse-led smoking cessation clinic, based in one trust in Northern Ireland. The clinic operated a group therapy approach. The study employed quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection to measure smoking behaviour and to gain the views of participants. Smoking behaviour was measured by self-report and end-expired carbon monoxide. The findings illustrate that the smoking cessation clinic helped 29.2 per cent of those who registered at the clinic to quit smoking at the end of the six-week course. Results from the focus group discussions indicated that participants had gained motivation from the `group' experience, from the lowering of their carbon monoxide readings and from the positive attitude of the smoking cessation support nurses. However, the six-month follow-up suggested that a number of those who had given up smoking had relapsed into their previous smoking habit. Participants felt that relapse could have been prevented by the provision of a follow-up service. It was reported that a number of GPs in the area only prescribed nicotine replacement therapy following registration at the smoking cessation clinic and this was seen as detrimental to the success rate of those who wished to `go it alone'.