Effectiveness of nurse-initiated smoking cessation intervention: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background
Smoking is one of the top causes of preventable death and is linked to many serious health problems, including cancer and chronic diseases. Nurses can play a big role in helping people quit smoking by offering support through counselling, education, and mental health care. These nurse-led programs have been shown to increase quit rates. Training nurses to deliver these programs is important, and reviewing past studies helps us understand what works best.

Methods
Researchers searched eight major health databases between March 27 and August 1, 2024, to find studies on nurse-led smoking cessation programs. They only included high-quality studies called randomised controlled trials. The quality of these studies was checked using a standard tool, and data was analysed using a program called RevMan. The results looked at how likely people were to quit smoking, using odds ratios and confidence levels to measure the effect.

Results
Thirteen studies published after 2005 were included in the review. Most of the programs involved one-on-one or personalised counselling, and a few used phone support. After six months, people in nurse-led programs were significantly more likely to have quit smoking compared to those who didn’t receive the same support. However, after 12 months, the difference was smaller and not statistically significant. This suggests that while nurse-led programs can help people quit, ongoing support may be needed to keep them smoke-free long term.

Conclusions
Nurse-led programs are an effective way to support people in quitting smoking, especially in the early stages. These programs need to be part of a bigger plan that includes proper training and long-term follow-up. More research is needed to test different methods and find the best ways to help people stay smoke-free, which can lead to better health for individuals and communities.