The purpose of this study has been to evaluate the prevalence of smoking habit, knowledge on the adverse health effects and attitudes towards it among nurses students in their three years of study (University School of Girona). A self-administrated questionnaire was used. A total of 135 questionnaires were answered (88%) from an estimated available population of 154 students (94% females with 21 years old of mean age). The prevalence of current smoking was 34.3%; ex smokers 23.3% and non smokers 42.5%. The mean of tobacco consumption was 367.6 cigarettes/month. 92% no smokers, 91% ex smokers and 76% smokers thought that smoking has adverse health effects (p less than 0.001). They consider the health protection like the first reason to give up smoking. 38% will advise their healthy smokers patients about the risk of their habit. We conclude: 1.-Low prevalence of smoking habit; 2.-Nurses should know methods aimed at lowering smoking rates, assuming that they have determined influence on the population behavior.

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Traditonal learning and assessment systems are overwhelmed when it comes to addressing the complex and mult-dimensional problems of clinical communicaton and professional practce. This paper shows results of a training program in clinical communicaton under Problem Based Learning (PBL) methodology and correlaton between student self-assessment and teachers assessment. This involves a qualitatve-quanttatve cross-sectonal study in usual practce in the 2nd year of the degree in Medicine. Teaching methodology is PBL, including 15 associate professors and 90 students. Educatonal tools for learning: PBL cases and seminars (video recorded, theoretcal-practcal lectures). Assessment tools: Tutorials on those cases worked on PBL (40%), knowledge test (30%), assessment of a case with PBL methodology (20%) and video recording report (10%). Communicaton skills are evidenced by CICCA-D scale (Connect-Understand-Identfy-Agree-Help-Decision). Variables: academic performance, score on CICCA-D and academic methodological assessment. The analysis is carried out using descriptve statstcs, calculatng the intra-class correlaton coefcients and weighted Kappa index with quadratc weights. 92.2% of students passed the course on the frst round. In a range between 0 and 34 points students' self-assessment scored 13 (SD ± 5) points and teachers' 16 (SD ±7). A weak (21%-41%) or poor (< 20%) correlaton was obtained between teachers and students for all questons on CICCA-D. The authors suggest a summatve assessment using diferent instruments and techniques to assess clinical communicaton skills from the frst year onwards, and highlight the key role of self-assessment, peer assessment and the use of video recording techniques along with feedback in formatve assessment.