National Bowel Screening Programme

A new series of four learning modules has been released to support kaimahi who work in bowel screening. The modules are designed to help staff explain bowel screening clearly, confidently, and in a way that supports and empowers communities. They also feature advice, tips, and reflections from bowel screening colleagues throughout the motu, thanks to everyone who contributed their expertise and mahi.

The National Bowel Screening Programme (NBSP) is encouraging all bowel screening kaimahi to complete the modules, regardless of experience. Even for those who have worked in the programme for many years, the modules serve as an excellent refresher and include the latest, most up-to-date information.

The four modules offer simple, comprehensive content covering what bowel screening is, how it works, and how to have effective, supportive conversations with communities. A fun and informative group quiz is also available to help teams test and reinforce their learning.

• Module one – Introduction to bowel screening covers what the bowel is, how bowel cancer develops, and how the screening process works – including who it’s for, why it matters, and what happens at each step. This module takes about 30 minutes to complete. 

• Module two – Supporting bowel screening tests looks at how the faecal immunochemical test (FIT) used for bowel screening works – what it is, how to use it correctly, and how to support participants in the programme to complete it with confidence, preventing spoilt kits. This module takes about 15 minutes to complete. 

• Module three – Bowel screening conversations helps build confidence in having effective, culturally safe conversations about bowel screening in the community. This module takes about 25 minutes to complete. 

• Module four – Keep it sharp: Bowel screening conversations in action lets you put your learning into practice with quick refresher scenarios showing real-life questions, concerns, and hesitations — and how you might respond. This module takes about 5 minutes to complete.

Accessing the modules 

The new modules are available on the learning management systems (LMS) Ko Awatea. Log in and search for ‘bowel screening’. If you are not yet registered with Ko Awatea you will need to register the first time, before you can access the modules. If you have any difficulty accessing these modules, please contact bowelscreening@tewhatuora.govt.nz.