Join us on March 24 at 7:00 PM ET for a FREE, exclusive NP Circle webinar: Smoking Cessation: Assessment, Pharmacotherapy, and Relapse Prevention, presented by Claudia Mariano.
Smoking cessation remains one of the most important interventions clinicians can offer to improve long-term health outcomes, yet many clinicians receive limited training in delivering structured cessation support in practice. This session reviews a practical, evidence-based approach to smoking cessation, including assessment of nicotine dependence, the neurobiology of addiction, appropriate use of pharmacotherapy, and strategies to support relapse prevention. Participants will gain practical tools they can apply immediately in clinical practice.
Objectives
• Use evidence-based tools to assess nicotine dependence and readiness to quit.
• Describe the neurobiology of nicotine addiction and withdrawal and apply this knowledge to patient counselling and treatment planning.
• Select and initiate first-line pharmacologic therapies for smoking cessation, including appropriate dosing, contraindications, and monitoring.
• Implement relapse prevention strategies, including identifying behavioural triggers, planning follow-up, and reviewing medications that may require adjustment after smoking cessation.
About the Speaker
Claudia Mariano is a retired Primary Care Nurse Practitioner with over 25 years of experience in comprehensive primary care. Throughout her career, she developed a strong focus on smoking cessation and led a successful smoking cessation program within her Family Health Team. She served as a trainer for the Ottawa Model for Smoking Cessation and participated in the Smoking Treatment for Ontario Patients (STOP) Program, providing patients with access to free nicotine replacement therapy. Claudia has delivered numerous educational sessions to healthcare providers on evidence-based smoking cessation counselling strategies and has supported hundreds of patients in quitting or significantly reducing their tobacco use through patient-centred care.
Accreditation
NP Circle is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. This activity is accredited for 1.0 ANCC contact hour, including 0.5 pharmacology hours.
How to Register
RSVP on NP Circle. Not a member yet? Join for free at npcircle.ca/community.