The education plan for pandemic immunizers is designed to ensure that you have the requisite knowledge, skills and competencies for safe, effective COVID-19 immunization practice. It recognizes prior learning, competence, and experience with immunization, and so there are different education requirements for beginners, competent and expert immunizers.
Determine which transition to practice for immunization education best suits your needs as defined below. There is a corresponding checklist of educational material for each pathway.
All self-directed education for each pathway is available in this Pandemic Immunizer Education online resource. Self-directed education can be completed at home on a personal computer or device. If you have issues with access to a computer or other device to complete your self-directed learning, access to a Nova Scotia Health computer can be arranged. You will be remunerated for the time spent reviewing self-directed learning, as this resource details (e.g. 1.5 hours for an LMS module). You will be scheduled and remunerated for any additional education sessions and onboarding shifts by management/scheduling departments.
The three Pandemic Immunizer Transition to Practice Pathways based on current competency, level and type of experience are as follows:
Beginner Immunizer: Has no or limited immunization education and experience with vaccinations.
Competent Immunizer: Has experience with immunizations (e.g. influenza campaign, tetanus), current or previous immunization competency and education, more than one year of experience in profession, but has not administered COVID-19 vaccine
Expert Immunizer: Experienced immunizer who has administered COVID-19 vaccine in past 12 months. Current (past two years) or previous immunization competency and education, has more than one years’ experience in profession. Examples: Public Health Nurse, Family Practice Nurse, Pharmacist, Occupational Health Nurse.
All Immunizers will be provided on-site training with a preceptor. The amount of preceptored time will vary depending on level of competency.
All three Transition to Practice pathways are designed to support the learning needs of health care providers who will be providing COVID-19 vaccinations at Community Immunization Clinics in Nova Scotia and include:
