Testing for Respiratory Infection

• Clinical leadership (e.g. HSM, team leads, etc.) are responsible to ensure documentation of mandatory education for all health care providers is complete prior to independent practice.
• Unlicensed Health care providers (UHCP) are authorized to implement the Care Directive autonomously as part of their scope of employment.
• An unlicensed health care provider is accountable for all action or inaction, as per scope of employment with the health care organization (e.g. Nova Scotia Health). The health care organization is accountable to ensure the unlicensed health care provider has received appropriate education, training and support to provide safe care. 
• UHCPs can only collect specimens for respiratory viruses from persons 4 years and older.
• The type of swab collection that UHCPs are trained in depends on availability of those swabs at that site. They can be trained in both NP and throat/nares, or only NP, or only throat/nares.
• Models of care, patient flow and processes used to implement the care directives depend on local contexts with the following considerations:
  • All health care providers must work within scope of employment
  • All health care providers must receive appropriate education and training
  • All health care providers must follow appropriate policies, including infection control standards
• The lab requisition does not have to be completed by the health care provider taking the swab in every circumstance. If the local team has other care providers completing the lab requisition (either manually or electronically), then that part of the education/training is simply 'not applicable'.
• Clinical leadership are responsible to welcome new hires on first day, and to review information related to employment (e.g. role, responsibilities, expectations, vacation, illness, work schedule, etc.). 

The newly graduated care provider is new in a care provider role and would need to complete all components of the Self-Directed Learning Plan, including a review of all care directives, policies and procedures. This mandatory education would take approximately 2 hours. 

It is recommended that newly graduated care providers have face-to-face education delivered by IPP & L, IPAC or Clinical Leadership, with adequate time for demonstration, practice and questions (e.g. 2-3 hours). It is recommended that newly graduated care providers be offered a minimum of 7.5 hours of a preceptorship. They may require additional time with a preceptor in order to attain competence and confidence in their role with respiratory virus testing.

An experienced nurse who is new to Nova Scotia Health may be competent in skills such as donning/doffing PPE and swab collection, but is still required to demonstrate this safely and effectively prior to independent practice, and to review all self-directed learning.

It is also important to note that these new hires also have mandatory education requirements related to their role in the organization, as well as site-specific learning that is required to perform their role (e.g. documentation, SIMs reporting etc.). This must be taken into consideration in their transition to practice plans. 

• Mandatory education must be completed prior to independent practice. It consists of self-directed learning and a preceptored shift(s). 
• Clinical leadership (e.g. HSM, team leads etc.) are responsible to ensure documentation of UHCP mandatory education is complete prior to independent practice.
• Unlicensed Health care providers (UHCP) are authorized to implement the Care Directive autonomously as part of their scope of employment.
• An unlicensed health care provider is accountable for all action or inaction, as per scope of employment with the health care organization (e.g. Nova Scotia Health). The health care organization is accountable to ensure the unlicensed health care provider has received appropriate education, training and support to provide safe care. 
• The type of swab collection that UHCPs are trained in depends on availability of those swabs at that site. They can be trained in both NP and throat/nares, or only NP, or only throat/nares. 
• Models of care, patient flow and processes used to implement the care directive depend on local contexts with the following considerations:
  • All health care providers must work within scope of employment
  • All health care providers must receive appropriate education and training
  • All health care providers must follow appropriate policies, including infection control standards
• The lab requisition does not have to be completed by the UHCP taking the swab in every circumstance. If the local team has other care providers completing the lab requisition (either manually or electronically) then that part of the education/training is simply 'not applicable'.
• Clinical leadership are responsible to welcome new hires on first day, and to review information related to employment (e.g. role, responsibilities, expectations, vacation, illness, work schedule etc.). 

COVID-19 Resources

Laboratory Requisitions