Background: In 2002, NSW Health developed a plan to embed quality, evidence based smoking cessation skills throughout the health workforce as an essential strategy for reducing the social and economic burden of tobacco use in Australia. In 2003, two training units in treatment of nicotine dependence were written for the new Australian Population Health Vocational Education & Training (VET) Package. Learning and assessment materials to meet the competency-based unit criteria were completed by NSW Health in 2007.

Strategy: A pilot cessation training program ‘Assisting smokers to quit' based on the units was delivered via videoconferencing (VC) facilities to 240 health professionals across NSW. Participants assessed as ‘competent' in the delivery of smoking cessation interventions on completion of the training receive a ‘Statement of Attainment' for each of the two units. The two units are electives towards a Certificate IV in Population Health or any other relevant VET sector qualification.

Conclusion: In NSW a widely dispersed health workforce presents challenges and barriers in the provision of training in best practice. The conception and development of competency standards in smoking cessation has provided a framework for standardisation of delivery of evidence-based training.

The inclusion of the two units in smoking cessation onto the NSW Health Registered Training Organisation (RTO) scope of delivery and the delivery of pilot training using VC technology are the foundation of an accreditation program for ‘Smoking Cessation Professionals' endorsed by NSW Department of Health. Thus embedding evidence based approaches to cessation throughout the NSW Health clinical workforce.