Table 3. Answers to questions to assess nurse’s knowledge, attitude and belief about counselling for smoking cessation.

Questionsb	CUa (n = 19)	CICUa (n = 27)	SOUa (n = 31)	P-valuec	Post-hoc comparisonsd
Q5a. The inpatient ward is the ideal place to provide information on the health harm caused by cigarette smoking	3.05 ± 1.18	2.96 ± 0.98	2.29 ± 0.69	0.006	CICU vs SOU(P-value = 0.019) CU vs SOU(P-value = 0.023)
Q5b. The nurse must always ask the smoker patient weather she/he wants to quit smoking	2.80 ± 1.27	2.88 ± 1.01	2.77 ± 0.80	0.902
Q5c. If the patient decides to quit smoking, the nurse must set a precise start date of smoking cessation	3.00 ± 0.94	2.04 ± 1.20	2.22 ± 0.84	0.006	CICU vs CU(P-value = 0.006) SOU vs CU(P-value = 0.029)
Q5d. The nurse must always explain to the smoker patient the harmful effects of smoking on health	3.42 ± 1.22	3.78 ± 1.01	3.03 ± 1.25	0.058
Q6. The nurse must report the smoking status of each patient on the medical record (also in electronic format)	3.26 ± 0.87	3.44 ± 1.09	2.68 ± 1.01	0.014	CICU vs CU(P-value = 0.015)
Composite indicator of Nurse’s Knowledge	3.21 ± 0.68	3.19 ± 0.70	2.73 ± 0.74	0.021	CICU vs CU(P-value = 0.045)
Q7a. The nurse must do counselling interventions to smoking cessation in the context of clinical activity	2.89 ± 0.94	3.11 ± 1.15	2.84 ± 0.86	0.561
Q7b. It is difficult to explain the health benefits deriving from smoking cessation because it takes time away from nursing care (reversed item)	2.24 ± 1.29	2.78 ± 1.31	1.61 ± 1.08	0.002	CICU vs CU(P-value = 0.002)
Q7c. In general, the nurse has limited knowledge of the negative effects of smoking on health (reversed item)	2.57 ± 1.28	2.04 ± 1.26	1.85 ± 0.85	0.094
Q7d. The nurse is not able to help the smoker patient to stop smoking (reversed item)	2.50 ± 1.56	2.04 ± 1.48	2.06 ± 1.14	0.463
Composite indicator of Nurse’s Attitude	2.55 ± 0.93	2.49 ± 0.72	2.09 ± 0.59	0.049
Q8a. The nurse who advises smoker patients to quit smoking makes them uncomfortable (reversed item)	2.11 ± 1.51	1.39 ± 1.17	1.53 ± 1.06	0.133
Q8b. If the nurse advises the smoker patient to stop smoking, the patient considers him a moralist (reversed item)	1.91 ± 1.52	1.04 ± 1.39	2.06 ± 1.0	0.918
Q8c. Patients appreciate the nurse who advises them to stop smoking	2.95 ± 1.22	2.40 ± 1.12	2.48 ± 0.93	0.212
Q8d. The nurse who advises patients to stop smoking will cause many smokers to quit smoking	2.63 ± 1.01	2.07 ± 0.83	2.29 ± 0.82	0.111
Q8e. The nurse who advises patients to stop smoking gives a good picture of him/herself	2.84 ± 1.12	2.37 ± 0.93	2.64 ± 0.98	0.287
Q8f. The nurse who advises patients to stop smoking will help reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease and other smoking-related diseases among smokers	3.79 ± 0.98	3.33 ± 0.96	2.87 ± 1.17	0.014	CU vs CU (P-value = 0.012)
Composite indicator of Nurse’s Belief	2.70 ± 0.85	2.27 ± 0.65	2.31 ± 0.57	0.074

Notes:

^aCU, Cardiac Unit; CICU, Cardiac Intensive Care Unit; SOU, Surgical Oncology Unit.

^bMean and (SD).

^cAnova test was used.

^dOnly statistically significant Post-hoc comparisons were shown.