Diverse group celebrating smoke-free life

Kick the Habit: How Nurse-Led Programs Can Help You Quit Smoking for Good

Reese Marlowe in Health & Wellness August 2025 • 4 min read.

"Discover the power of nurse-led interventions and innovative strategies to boost your chances of successfully quitting smoking."

Smoking remains a significant public health challenge, with grave disparities in smoking prevalence existing between indigenous Māori, Pacific Island peoples, and other New Zealanders. While many smokers express a desire to quit, achieving lasting success can be difficult. Primary care nurses play a crucial role in delivering brief stop-smoking interventions, yet they often face constraints related to time and resources.

Innovative approaches that harness new technologies and creative engagement strategies offer promising avenues to enhance these brief interventions and improve both uptake and outcomes. These methods aim to make the process more accessible, motivating, and tailored to the unique needs of diverse populations.

One such innovation involves integrating a novel scratch card and internet-based "quit and win" contest, complemented by mobile phone support messages, into the standard practice of nurses' brief smoking cessation interventions. This approach aims to add an element of fun and competition to what can often be a daunting process, potentially boosting efficacy and engagement.

The "Cow Pat Quit and Win" Study: A Pilot Project

Diverse group celebrating smoke-free life

To explore the feasibility and potential impact of this innovative approach, researchers conducted a pragmatic exploratory mixed-methods pilot study. This study sought to determine if adding a "Cow Pat Quit and Win" (CPQ&W) contest to routine ABC (Ask, Brief Advice, Cessation support) interventions could improve patient engagement and quit rates.

In this study, primary care clinics were divided into intervention and control groups. In the intervention clinics, practice nurses integrated supportive mobile phone messages and novelty scratch cards—offering chances to win online prizes and entry into a $1000 prize draw for those who remained smoke-free for one month—into their routine brief stop-smoking interventions. Control clinics continued with their standard brief stop-smoking interventions alone.

The study focused on several key areas:

Assessing the feasibility of incorporating CPQ&W into routine ABC interventions.
Evaluating the acceptability of the program to both nurses and patients.
Gaining insights into the program's effect on quit attempts, particularly among Māori, Pacific Islanders, and young smokers.

The results showed that the CPQ&W contest was readily incorporated into nurses' practice and was particularly appealing to both nurses and Māori and Pacific Island patients. It also appeared to increase the time to first cigarette and attract first-time quitters. While the study did not demonstrate a statistically significant improvement in smoking cessation compared to usual care, it did suggest a potential for reduced dependency and highlighted the value of low-cost, novelty activities in refreshing routine interventions and motivating practice nurses.

The Path Forward: Implications and Future Research

While the CPQ&W pilot study showed promise in engaging specific populations and refreshing existing interventions, further research is needed to optimize its effectiveness and address limitations such as internet access disparities. Larger, properly powered studies are essential to test the efficacy of scratch card-based quit and win concepts, delivered by community nurses and other health professionals, and modified to accommodate low access to the internet. By refining these innovative approaches, we can move closer to achieving equitable reductions in smoking rates and supporting all individuals on their journey to a smoke-free life.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1080/10376178.2018.1539337, Alternate LINK

Title: Boosting Efficacy Of Nurse-Led Stop Smoking Interventions With A Quit And Win Contest: Pilot Study Results

Subject: General Nursing

Journal: Contemporary Nurse

Publisher: Informa UK Limited

Authors: Grace Wong, Marewa Glover, Mervyl Mcpherson, Nick Garrett, Shona Mcleod

Published: 2018-07-04

Everything You Need To Know

What role do primary care nurses play in helping people quit smoking, and what innovative approaches are being used to enhance their efforts?

Primary care nurses are essential in delivering brief stop-smoking interventions. However, they often encounter limitations due to time and resource constraints. To enhance these interventions, innovative approaches are being developed, such as integrating the "Cow Pat Quit and Win" contest, which combines scratch cards, internet-based competitions, and mobile phone support messages into standard nursing practices. This is intended to make the quitting process more accessible, engaging, and tailored to diverse populations.

What was the "Cow Pat Quit and Win" (CPQ&W) study, and what were its primary goals?

The "Cow Pat Quit and Win" (CPQ&W) study was a pragmatic exploratory mixed-methods pilot project designed to assess whether adding the CPQ&W contest to routine ABC (Ask, Brief Advice, Cessation support) interventions could enhance patient engagement and improve quit rates. The study divided primary care clinics into intervention and control groups, with intervention clinics incorporating supportive mobile phone messages and novelty scratch cards into their routine brief stop-smoking interventions, while control clinics continued with standard interventions alone.

What were the main findings of the "Cow Pat Quit and Win" (CPQ&W) study regarding its impact on patient engagement and smoking cessation?

The "Cow Pat Quit and Win" (CPQ&W) study's results indicated that the CPQ&W contest was readily integrated into nurses' practice and was particularly appealing to both nurses and Māori and Pacific Island patients. It also appeared to increase the time to first cigarette and attract first-time quitters. While the study didn't demonstrate a statistically significant improvement in smoking cessation compared to usual care, it suggested potential for reduced dependency and highlighted the value of low-cost, novelty activities in refreshing routine interventions and motivating practice nurses.

How does integrating a scratch card and internet-based "quit and win" contest, like the "Cow Pat Quit and Win" (CPQ&W), complement the standard ABC (Ask, Brief Advice, Cessation support) interventions in smoking cessation programs?

The scratch card and internet-based "quit and win" contest, like the "Cow Pat Quit and Win" (CPQ&W), complements the standard ABC (Ask, Brief Advice, Cessation support) interventions by adding an element of fun and competition to what can be a daunting process. Supported by mobile phone messages, this approach aims to boost efficacy and engagement, making the quitting process more attractive and less intimidating.

What are the next steps in researching and refining the "Cow Pat Quit and Win" (CPQ&W) approach to maximize its effectiveness in helping people quit smoking?

To further enhance the effectiveness of the "Cow Pat Quit and Win" (CPQ&W) approach, future research needs to address the limitations identified in the pilot study, such as disparities in internet access. Larger, properly powered studies are essential to test the efficacy of scratch card-based quit and win concepts, delivered by community nurses and other health professionals, and modified to accommodate low access to the internet. This will help ensure equitable reductions in smoking rates and support all individuals on their journey to a smoke-free life.