Table 1

Descriptive characteristics of participating PNs (N=19)

Personal characteristics
Mean age in years (SD)46.1 (9.2)
Female (%)17 (89.5%)
Smoking status
 Never smoked (%)11 (57.9%)
 Ex-smoker (%)8 (42.1%)
Professional education
 Postbachelor PN training (%)19 (100%)
 Specialised diabetes nurse (%)3 (15.8%)
 Specialised pulmonary nurse (%)4 (21.1%)
Mean working experience as PN in years (SD)8.3 (4.0)
Practice characteristics
Urban practice location (%)12 (63.2%)
Mean number of employees in practice (SD)8.4 (4.4)
Mean patient visits per year* (SD)4478.4 (3016.4)
Counselling elementsAdherence by PNs (n)†
Provide a quit advice10 (52.6%)
Assess patients' smoking profile18 (94.7%)
Assess patients’ motivation18 (94.7%)
Increase patients’ motivation7 (36.8%)
Assess patients’ barriers15 (78.9%)
Remove patients’ barriers7 (36.8%)
Discuss use of cessation aids16 (84.2%)
Develop a quit plan16 (84.2%)
Follow-up after the quit date18 (94.7%)
  • *Standardised practice capacity: 2168 patients per full-time general practitioner.

  • †The data represent the number (and percentage) of adherent PNs.

  • PN, practice nurse.