Background: Numbering about 90,000, nurses represent the largest group of health care providers in the Czech Republic. Therefore, nurses can make a significant impact in the treatment of tobacco dependence, particularly in applying brief interventions to smokers.
Methods: During 2014, 279 nurses from the Czech Republic participated in an e-learning education programme consisting of two Webcasts with additional web-based resources about smoking cessation in relation to health and treatment options in daily clinical practice, particularly regarding brief intervention methods. Before viewing the e-learning programme, and three months after viewing it, the nurses completed a questionnaire documenting their interventions with smokers and their knowledge, attitudes and opinions regarding nurses' roles in smoking cessation.