LibGuides: Testing for Respiratory Infection: Educator Resources

Education Plan for Regulated Health Care Providers: Experienced

Regulated Health Care Providers who are experienced Nova Scotia Health employees typically have a range of learning needs related to respiratory virus specimen collection, depending on current practice and competence. Prior to performing respiratory virus specimen collection (e.g. in testing locations), an experienced care provider must complete a self-assessment of learning needs. This requires a review of the self-directed learning checklist with the following questions:

Am I familiar with and have recently reviewed (in the past year) the IPAC policies listed below?
Am I competent with donning and doffing PPE?
Am I competent to safely perform specimen collection via nasopharyngeal and throat/nares routes?

As per standards of practice, regulated health care providers are responsible and accountable to ensure that they have the knowledge, skills and competence to practice safely. An experienced care provider must ensure that they:

Understand their scope related to respiratory virus specimen collection and their role in the practice setting, as well as those of other care team members
Complete any education and training required to ensure they have the knowledge, skills and competence for safe, effective respiratory virus specimen collection
Follow appropriate care directives and policies, including infection control standards
Document as per setting standards

Experienced regulated health care providers do require on-boarding support, with consideration of all individualized learning needs related to variations in designation and current scope (e.g. RN, Physiotherapist), practice experience (e.g. critical care, ambulatory clinic) and currency of practice (e.g. returning from maternity leave).

For Testing Locations, a common approach is to offer them 1 to 1.5 hours “buddied” with an experienced RHCP. All self-directed learning must be completed prior to this experience.

Component	Delivery
Self-Directed Learning: Review the Learning Checklist - Respiratory Virus Specimen Collection for Regulated and Unlicensed Health Care Providers
Practice and Theory Review: Delivered by IPP & L Review of Overview of UHCP Respiratory Viral Testing (i.e. purpose of testing, role of UHCP, RHCPs, pre- and post-patient education, when to seek assistance from HCP) Review of care directives Review of collaboration and assignment for testing within current team	Could occur in groups or independently Could occur at start of preceptorship (e.g. in early a.m.) or on separate day Could be done virtually with team

Component

Delivery

Self-Directed Learning:

Review the Learning Checklist - Respiratory Virus Specimen Collection for Regulated and Unlicensed Health Care Providers

Practice and Theory Review:

Delivered by IPP & L

Review of Overview of UHCP Respiratory Viral Testing (i.e. purpose of testing, role of UHCP, RHCPs, pre- and post-patient education, when to seek assistance from HCP)
Review of care directives
Review of collaboration and assignment for testing within current team

Could occur in groups or independently
Could occur at start of preceptorship (e.g. in early a.m.) or on separate day
Could be done virtually with team

Education Plan for Regulated Health Care Providers: New Graduates, New to Nova Scotia Health

Both of these groups are newly hired to Nova Scotia Health, the graduate being new in a care provider role, while those new to NS Health may or may not have practice experience. All would need to complete all components of the Self-Directed Learning Plan, including a review of all care directives, policies and procedures as these may vary from previous education and practice.

It is recommended that the new to Nova Scotia Health care providers do have time with IPP & L, IPAC or Clinical Leadership to review all the content as listed below, with adequate time for a demonstration, practice and questions (e.g., 2-3 hours).

An experienced nurse who is new to NS 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. A newly graduated care provider is likely to require additional time with a preceptor, in order to attain competence and confidence in their role with respiratory virus specimen collection.

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. The following details the required education for Respiratory Virus Specimen Collection.

Component	Delivery
Self-Directed Learning (2 hours): As per Learning Checklist - Respiratory Virus Specimen Collection for Regulated and Unlicensed Health Care Providers To be completed prior to attending education and/or preceptored/first shift	At home or on-site, requires computer with internet access
Skills Demonstration, Practice and Theory Review: (not always required for experienced RHCPs, mandatory for new graduates/new to Nova Scotia Health RHCPs) Delivered by IPP & L, or Clinical Leadership Review of role of team members and care directive Demonstration of specimen collection, oral/nasal anatomy, proper patient identification, including completion of label, requisition, specimen bagging and storage (as required per site) Review of roles, collaboration and assignment for specimen collection within current team Review of pre and post patient education Review of emergency procedures (e.g. Code)	Delivered in 1 - 3 hours (varies based on care providers) Could occur in groups or independently Could occur at start of preceptorship (e.g. in early a.m.) or on separate day Could be jointly delivered or separate (e.g. IPAC and IPP & L) Could be done virtually, with practice with preceptor
Skills Demonstration and Practice: (not always required for experienced RHCPs, mandatory for new graduates/new to Nova Scotia Health* RHCPs)* Delivered by IPAC, or Clinical Leadership Demonstration and practice of hand hygiene, donning and doffing of PPE
Preceptorship with regulated HCP competent/experienced in swab collection: If new graduate or new to Nova Scotia Health, must complete self-directed learning, IPP & L and IPAC Skills Demonstration and Practice prior to preceptorship Review of site-specific team and roles, process for patient flow, infection control procedures Demonstration of specimen collection via applicable routes: nasopharyngeal and/or throat and nares swabs For each route, observe RHCP safely and completely complete one specimen collection on persons Complete learning checklist	If only one type of swab used at site (i.e., throat/nares OR NP) then training only needs to include that swab. Training for other swab collection can occur when required New graduates are recommended to have 7.5-15.0 hours of preceptorship

Education Plan for Unlicensed Health Care Providers

Component	Delivery
Self-Directed Learning (3.5 hours) As per Learning Checklist - Respiratory Virus Specimen Collection for Regulated and Unlicensed Health Care Providers To be completed prior to attending education and/or preceptored shift	At home or on-site, requires computer with internet access
Skills Demonstration, Practice and Theory Review: Delivered by IPP & L Short review of Overview: Respiratory Virus Specimen Collection by UHCP (i.e. purpose of respiratory viral testing, role of UHCP, regulated HCPs, pre- and post-patient education, when to seek assistance from HCP) Demonstration of specimen collection, oral/nasal anatomy, proper patient identification, including completion of label, requisition, specimen bagging and storage (as required per site)	Could occur in groups or independently Could occur at start of preceptorship (e.g. in early a.m.) or on separate day Could be jointly delivered or separate (e.g. IPAC and IPP & L) Could be done virtually, with practice with preceptor
Skills Demonstration and Practice: Delivered by IPAC Demonstration and practice of hand hygiene, donning and doffing of PPE
Preceptorship with regulated HCP or UHCP competent/experienced in specimen collection: Must complete self-directed learning, IPP & L and IPAC Skills Demonstration and Practice prior to preceptorship Review of site-specific team and roles, process for patient flow Demonstration of specimen collection via applicable routes: nasopharyngeal and/or throat and nares swabs Complete learning checklist	If only one type of swab used at site (i.e., throat/nares OR NP) then training only needs to include that swab. Training for other swab collection can occur when required