Home

Dynamic Health November Round-up: Updated Workplace Notes + Checklists + Call for Skill Reviewers + Fall Prevention Month + Movember + World Diabetes Day

UPDATED: May 15, 2024

Dynamic Health round-up posts keep you informed about implementation and use of Dynamic Health at Nova Scotia Health. They highlight any new priority projects and events as well as updates to our Workplace Notes and Custom Workplace Skills.

Updates: Workplace Notes

We receive feedback submissions on an ongoing basis through the Suggest an Edit form and through partnerships with departments and teams. This month, the following customizations have been added:

• No Note
  • We have added a notification to any skill that was reviewed through our standard processes and found to not need a Workplace Note. The notification includes a link to our Suggest an Edit form. Example: Applying a Spinal Board Using Lift and Slide
• Minor Edits due to Publisher Updates
  • Changing Burn Dressings
  • Drawing Capillary Blood Gases: Respiratory Therapy
  • Creating Advance Healthcare Directives for Patients With Mental Health Disorders
  • Performing Manual External Defibrillation in Adults
  • Supporting Caregivers of Patients With Cancer
• Shrinking and Shaping a Residual Limb: Physical and Occupational Therapy
  • Edited to reflect that within NS Health we do not use safety pins to secure, only tape (i.e., nothing sharp).

Checklists

Did you know that Skills within Dynamic Health have associated Checklists you can use in practice and for instructing new staff? Let’s say you were interested in mentoring a colleague using the Dynamic Health skill Changing Peripheral IV Catheter Dressings in Adults.

1. Navigate to the skill through Dynamic Health by searching “Changing IV Catheter” or through direct link (above).
2. From the Skill menu, select Checklist.
3. Note that the printable version of this checklist contains a form to allow you to record evaluator and examinee names and signatures, date and pass/fail status as appropriate.
4. Select the printer icon to the upper right of the Checklist.
5. Select the sections to include in the Checklist (Preprocedure Steps, Procedure Steps, Postprocedure Steps.
6. Select Print.
7. Choose to print a physical copy or to save a PDF to your computer, depending on your settings and needs.

Calling all Reviewers! Skills Review Push – Fall 2023

What’s a skills review push?

Back in the Winter of 2023, you may have supported Dynamic Health implementation by volunteering to evaluate skills within Dynamic Health. This process involved determining if a skill was part of current practice and if it aligned with Nova Scotia Health resources like policy. This process enabled us to review over 500 skills at the time! There are a lot of skills left in Dynamic Health that need a look! Many could better align with practice at Nova Scotia Health, so we’re asking for your support to do another round of review.

How do I get involved?

Be curious and engage! Explore Dynamic Health and look up skills that:

• You and/or your colleagues know a lot about
  • Is there a workplace note? Do you have any edits?
  • Does it need a workplace note?
• You and/or your colleagues have frequent questions about
  • Is it helpful?
  • Is there room for improvement?

After you explore, take a moment to fill out our brief form to indicate your intention to participate as a reviewer: https://library.nshealth.ca/DH-Call-Reviewers. Please express your interest through this form by November 30th, 2023. We will follow up with you directly after this date with the number of skills that you indicated you are willing to take on.

How can I learn more and help spread the word?

You’ll find the recording and slides from our recent Lunch and Learn – Skills Review 101 here: https://library.nshealth.ca/Dynamic-Health-Support/Lunch-Learn#s-lg-box-16713274. Content from this session can be reused to help you in your efforts. Share the following information about the skills review push:

• Links to relevant skills with workplace notes
• Call for Reviewers form (above)

Continuing education credit is another great incentive to get involved. Check out our latest update about Practice and Leadership Premiums here: https://library.nshealth.ca/Dynamic-Health-Support/CE-Credits.

Health Promotion in November and Dynamic Health Topics

November 2023 marks the promotion of:

• Fall Prevention Month
• Movember
• World Diabetes Day November 14

In recognition of these health promotion events, we encourage you to engage with the curated list of Dynamic Health content below.

If you spot any Skills below that you feel need a Workplace Note, consider being a reviewer! Fill out our Suggestions for Skills form with your notes and we will get in touch!

Fall Prevention Month

• Disease & Condition Overviews
  • Hip Fracture
  • Orthostatic Hypotension, Adult
  • Subdural Hematoma, Adult
• Signs & Symptoms
  • Muscular Weakness, Adult
  • Waddling Gait
• Skills
  • Implementing a Fall Prevention Plan
  • Educating Older Adults About Fall Prevention: Physical and Occupational Therapy
  • Assessing Fall Risk in Adults: Physical Therapy
• Patient Handouts
  • Exercises to Help Prevent Falls
  • How to Prevent Falls

Movember

• Disease & Condition Overviews
  • Prostate Cancer
  • Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
• Signs & Symptoms
  • Pelvic Pain, Male
  • Urinary Hesitancy
  • Urinary Retention, Adult
• Skills
  • Caring for Urinary Catheter Following Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP)
  • Assessing Male Genitalia
• Patient Handouts
  • Prostate Cancer
  • Transurethral Resection of the Prostate
  • Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
  • Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Test

World Diabetes Day

• Disease & Condition Overviews
  • Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, Adult
  • Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Adult
• Signs & Symptoms
  • Hypoglycemia, Adult
  • Hyperglycemia, Adult
• Skills
  • Educating About Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in Adults
  • Educating About Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Adults
  • Caring for the Diabetic Foot
  • Managing Hypoglycemia in Conscious Adults
  • Managing Hypoglycemia in Unconscious Adults
• Patient Handouts
  • Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease: What’s the Link?
  • Taking Care of Your Diabetes When You Are Sick
  • Type 1 Diabetes
  • Type 2 Diabetes

Dynamic Health Project Team

Amanda Revels
Professional Practice Leader
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Western Zone

Leah MacDonald
Professional Practice Leader
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, COVID-19 Response

Katie McLean
Librarian Educator
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services

Margaret Meier
Policy Lead
Policy Office

Ann Slaunwhite
Library Technician
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services