Smoking Cessation Training

Available Courses For any further information on our Smoking Cessation Courses please contact us.

Cessation Practitioner Training - Stages 1 and 2

This course aims to assist the healthcare worker to effectively communicate with a person who smokes and be able to assist them throughout the process of quitting smoking.

Cessation Practitioner Training - Stage 3 (Stages 1 and 2 a pre-requisite for this course) This course further develops skills and knowledge base in smoking cessation with an understanding of more intensive support strategies.

Cessation Practitioner Training for Mental Health/Alcohol and other Drugs

This course aims to assist the healthcare professional in this specialised field to effectively communicate with a person who smokes and be able to assist them throughout the process of quitting.

Cessation Practitioner Training for GPs

This course will give an understanding of the effective use of brief intervention strategies, behavioural support and the use of nicotine replacement therapy.

Specialised Customised Training

Presentations or workshops can be tailored to meet the needs of specific health professionals in various healthcare settings and organisations.

Group Facilitation Training

This course aims to give participants who have completed smoking cessation training, strategies to effectively provide smoking cessation support by way of group sessions.

Registered Healthcare Professionals

An e-learning tool called ABC ( Ask, Brief advice, provide or refer for Cessation support), is available for registered healthcare professionals who wish to be able to effectively provide ABC to their patients/clients. By completing the module you will receive a printable certificate (evidence of one hour of professional development) and will be able to provide people who smoke access to subsidised Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), by either prescribing or by becoming a Quit Card provider. This tool is endorsed for CME points by the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners. Link to the ABC e-learning tool on smoking cessation.  

Cessation Practitioner Training - Stages 1 and 2 Duration: 2 days

Who should attend?

Healthcare professionals who wish to gain a knowledge base in smoking cessation and gain the practical skills necessary to be able to effectively communicate with a person who smokes and be able to assist them throughout the process of quitting smoking.

Learning Outcomes Participants will be able to:

• Gain an understanding of the wider picture of tobacco control, prevalence and quitting behaviour in New Zealand and the mechanism of nicotine addiction

• Demonstrate an understanding of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) available under the quit cards programme and its applicability to clients who smoke

• Know how to source information on pharmacotherapy other than NRT (NZ Guidelines)

• Know how to access free written resources for smoking patients/clients (Ministry of Health)

• Become a quit card provider (QCP) and know how to access further quit cards

• Demonstrate an understanding of the useful components of a pre quit session and the main causes of    relapse

Cessation Practitioner Training - Stage 3 Duration: 1 day

Who should attend?

Healthcare professionals who have completed Stages 1 and 2 and who have been working for at least twelve months with patients/clients requiring smoking cessation support.

Learning Outcome:  Participants will be able to complement existing knowledge and skills in smoking cessation with an understanding of more intensive behavioural and medication support strategies.

Cessation Practitioner Training for Mental Health and or Alcohol and other drugs Health Professionals Duration: 1 day

Who should attend?

Health Professionals who work in the mental health and or alcohol and drug sectors.

Learning Outcomes Participants will be able to:

• Gain an understanding of the wider of tobacco control, prevalence and quitting behaviour in NZ and the mechanism of nicotine addiction

• Demonstrate an understanding of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) available under the quit cards programme and its applicability to clients who smoke

• Know how to source information on pharmacotherapy other than NRT (NZ Guidelines)

• Know how to access free written resources for smoking patients/clients (Ministry of Health)

• Become a quit card provider (QCP) and know how to access further quit cards

• Gain an understanding of the useful components of a pre quit session and the main causes of relapse.

Cessation Practitioner Training for GPs  (recognised for CME by RNZCGP)

Duration: 1, 2 or 3 hours

Learning Outcomes Participants will be able to:

• Gain an understanding of the wider picture of tobacco control, prevalence and quitting behaviour in NZ and the mechanism of nicotine addiction

• Gain an understanding of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and its applicability to patients who smoke • Appreciate the efficacy of brief intervention and behavioural support in the context of general practice.

Specialised Customised Training

Presentations or workshops can be tailored to meet the needs of specific health professionals, health settings and organisations.

Duration: 1, 2 or 3 hours  

Group Facilitation Training

Duration: Two or three days as requested

Who should attend? Healthcare professionals who have completed cessation practitioner training stages 1 and 2 (or equivalent).

Learning Outcomes Participants will be able to:

• Describe potential difficulties and pitfalls in recruiting clients for group treatment and ways of coping with these • Assess client suitability for group treatment

• Describe logistic demands of organising groups

• Present the treatment and create accurate positive treatment expectations within the group context

• Describe the content of a group programme

• Manage issues of co-morbidity (psychological and physical) within the group

• Show awareness of expected short and long term results based on international research

• Explain the ways in which group processes can sustain or enhance motivation to stop smoking

• Facilitate choice of medication in the group context

• Stimulate and facilitate supportive group discussion

• Describe and apply techniques for enhancing group support

• Describe and apply strategies for dealing with ‘difficult’ group members

• Implement an appropriate system of keeping records of group attendance and outcomes

• Demonstrate the use of carbon monoxide monitoring for motivation purposes and for the assessment of smoking status

• Outline current practices of maintenance and relapse prevention sessions for group members.