Library News - LibGuides at Nova Scotia Health

The following pamphlets were revised or created in September 2020. Please contact pamphlets@nshealth.ca with any questions about patient pamphlets. You can search for pamphlet PDFs by title, keyword, or four digit pamphlet number in the library catalogue, or see the complete listing of active titles in our Print Code Index.

Arabic Translations
AR85-2124 NEW Blood Transfusion (English: WH85-1200, French: FF85-1811)

Cardiovascular System
WG85-2130 NEW Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair (TEVAR)

Digestive System
WI85-0592 Hernia Surgery as an Outpatient

Emergency & Public Health
WA85-2129 NEW Your Emergency Department Visit - Fishermen's Memorial Hospital

French Translations (en français)
FF85-2101 NEW Opération de la paupière (English: WW85-0576)
FF85-2102 NEW Dix choses à savoir au sujet du deuil (English: WD85-0975)
FF85-2103 NEW Anesthésie par bloc nerveux pour supprimer la douleur pendant l’opération (English: PM85-1377)
FF85-2104 NEW Analgésie épidurale après une opération (English: PM85-1378)
FF85-2105 NEW Services de physiothérapie en Nouvelle-Écosse (English: WB85-1438)
FF85-2106 NEW Asthme (English: CB85-1454)
FF85-2107 NEW Delirium après une chirurgie cardiaque (English: WG85-1480)
FF85-2108 NEW Services de pharmacie d’hôpital (English: QV85-1501)
FF85-2109 NEW Après votre intervention (English: WP85-1509)
FF85-2111 NEW Comment appliquer votre onguent stéroïde (English: WP85-1607)
FF85-2112 NEW Opération du ptosis (paupière tombante) (English: WW85-1989)
FF85-2131 NEW Votre visite au service des urgences - Hôpital Fishermen’s Memorial (English: WA85-2129)

Hospitals
WX85-1213 Writing to Transplant Recipients and Their Families
WX85-2056 Patient and Family Ethics Tool - Help with Ethical Issues
WX85-2084 Patient and Family Ethics Tool (rack card)

Nephrology
WQ85-1760 Dalteparin (Fragmin®) to Prevent Clotting During Hemodialysis

Nursing Units
WZ85-1022 Welcome to the Medical Day Unit (MDU) - Victoria General Hospital

Nutrition & Food
LC85-0624 How to Puree Foods

Carmen Dorey

Library Technician, Patient Pamphlets
Nova Scotia Hospital, Central Zone

Recent Posts

Tools to help patient teaching and understanding

In healthcare, it is important to remember that our patients may not understand the information or teaching we share with them. You can help to improve understanding by communicating clearly. This helps everyone — not just those who may struggle to understand health information.There are numerous guides and resources available to help clinical teams support patient and care partner learning. From these, we’ve made a list of communication tools that can best help you strengthen your ‘at the bedside’ teaching just in time for health literacy month this October!Communication ToolsLearn about why it’s important for clinical teams to consider the language they use and its impact on advancing health equity.Resource: Advancing Health Equity: A Guide to Language, Narrative and ConceptsAuthors: American Medical Association, AAMC Center for Health JusticeLink: https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/ama-aamc-equity-guide.pdf Learn how to use gender inclusive language with new clients in a clinical setting.Resource: Gender Inclusive Language – Clinical settings with new clientsAuthors: Trans Care BCLink: https://www.transcarebc.ca/sites/default/files/2024-03/Gender_Inclusive_Language_Clinical.pdf Learn about gender inclusive language in any setting.Resource: Inclusive and Affirming Language TipsAuthors: Egale CanadaLink: https://egale.ca/awareness/affirming-and-inclusive-language/ Watch a short 2-minute video about medical jargon and how to communicate effectively and simply.Resource: Keep It Simple for Safety - Don't Use JargonAuthors: University of Arkansas for Medical SciencesLink: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiBZjpy3ibs&t Read a short, straightforward guide to help improve written communication intended for patients and care partners.Resource: Guidelines for Effective WritingAuthors: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid ServicesLink: https://www.cms.gov/training-education/learn/find-tools-to-help-you-help-others/guidelines-for-effective-writing Learn how to easily sharpen your health literacy skill set with these strategies.Resource: Easy ways to build health literacy into your daily routinesAuthors: Library ServicesLink: https://library.nshealth.ca/blogs/Home/News/Easy-ways-to-build-health-literacy-into-your-daily-routines This free, 20-minute, online learning module can help you learn to identify and use key elements of teach-back and plain language to promote health equity, safety, and quality, and advance organizational health literacy.Resource: Always Use Teach-back! Interactive Learning ModuleAuthors: Abrams MA, Nielsen GA, Wilson A. Always Use Teach-back! Toolkit. 2024. https://teachbacktraining.orgLink: https://teachbacktraining.org/teach-back-interactive-learning-module/ Use tips from this resource to optimize care and improve provider-patient communication with older patients.Resource: Talking With Your Older PatientsAuthors: National Institute on AgingLink: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/health-care-professionals-information/talking-your-older-patients Bookmark this list of plain language substitutes and easy explanations to use in your conversations or written content. Resource: Plain Language ReplacementsAuthors: Library Services’ Patient Education TeamLink: https://library.nshealth.ca/ld.php?content_id=37381737 When patients, families, and support persons understand the information being shared with them, they can make more informed and meaningful decisions about their care and treatment, in collaboration with their healthcare team.Gear up for health literacy month this October by sharing this resource list with your colleagues or team today!Learn more about Health Literacy in the Content Creator Toolkit: https://library.nshealth.ca/Patient-Education-Resources/Health-LiteracyKallen RutledgeLibrarian Educator, Patient Education Pamphlets LeadNova Scotia Hospital, Central ZoneRelated postsEasy ways to build health literacy into your daily routines#main-alert { background-color:#ffffff; border-left: 10px solid; } ...

IPPL Clinical Practice and Policy September 2025 Digest: Dynamic Health Updates, New Clinical Practice Support Guides, Obtaining CE With Dynamic Health for Nursing Practice and Leadership Premiums

IPPL Clinical Practice and Policy digest posts summarize updates over the past month about:Clinical Policies, Care Directives, Guidelines and Learning ModulesGet the latest on clinically relevant, local guidance published through policies, care directives, guidelines and/or learning modules.Identify competencies relevant to you/your team’s practice.Dynamic Health (DH)Stay informed about implementation and use of Dynamic Health at Nova Scotia Health, including recent updates to Workplace Notes and Custom Workplace Skills.Clinical Practice Support (CPS) Subject GuidesLearn about recently published and updated CPS subject guides, where you/your team can find relevant resources across DH, policies, care directives, guidelines and learning modules. CPS subject guides also include Key Practice Points and additional educational and guidance resources to support implementation and competency maintenance.Original posts on the above topics can be accessed by Nova Scotia Health Employees through The Compass > Clinical Resources News.Policies, Care Directives, Guidelines and Learning ModulesNEW CARE DIRECTIVE: Sepsis Recognition and Treatment in the Emergency Department SettingsCD-EC-095 is supported by and includes a Dynamic Health custom skill. Leadership and Clinical Educators can find this new care directive, DH link and more implementation support resources in the Sepsis Recognition and Treatment in the Emergency Department Settings Clinical Practice Support subject guide.NEW POLICY and PROCEDURES: Medication AdministrationMM-MA-001 has been updated and includes several DH skills. Leadership and Clinical Educators can find this new policy, related procedures, DH links and more support resources in the Medication Administration Clinical Practice Support subject guide.Dynamic Health UpdatesNew Workplace Notes and Reviewed SkillsNew notes have been created for a range of skills, including but not limited to: Arterial Catheter Site Care, Enteral Nutrition by Bolus, Gastrostomy Tube Care, Leg Ulcer Compression Systems, Liquid Nitrogen for Dermatologic Cryosurgery, Wasting Controlled Substances.View the full list of New Workplace Notes and Reviewed Skills for September 2025.Revised Workplace NotesWorkplace Note about a range of skills have been revised, including but not limited to: Assessing and Managing Pain, Blood Product and Plasma Administration, CVADs, Feeding Tubes, IM Injections in Newborns, Oral Medication for Infants and Children, Urine Specimen Collection from Indwelling Catheters, Tracheostomies.View the list of Revised Workplace Notes for September 2025.Custom Workplace SkillsNEWPoint-of-Use Cleaning of Flexible EndoscopesPerforming the Pediatric Respiratory Assessment Measure (PRAM) in Pediatric Patients with AsthmaPerforming Burn Wound Debridement for AdultsRecognizing and Treating Sepsis in the Emergency Department (ED)Clinical Practice Support Subject GuidesNEWFrailty and Elder Care NetworkPerinatal, Newborn, and PediatricsSepsis Recognition and Treatment in the Emergency Department (ED)Tracheostomy CareObtaining CE With Dynamic Health for Nursing Practice and Leadership PremiumsIt's that time of year again! It's time to start preparing to submit for your Nursing Practice and Leadership Premiums. There are three ways to earn CE using Dynamic Health:1. Creating a DH Personal Account + Day-to-Day UseEach time you use a skill in DH can count towards CE, but first you need to make a personal account. Once you’ve made a personal account, make sure you are logged in each time you use DH. Over time, you’ll notice the counter in the top right getting bigger. When you are ready, you can export your activity as CE credits. Regular use of DH will help you accumulate credits that can be converted to Practice Points as per Nursing Collective Agreements.2. Skill Review and Creating a Workplace Note (WPN)Priority skills needing review are identified by organizational leadership and clinical educators. You may put your name forward to our Team with the clinical areas you are competent to provide review for, and we’ll reach out when needs arise. This may be to update an existing skill with a workplace note, or to review a skill for potential workplace note or another customization.3. Creating a Custom Workplace SkillThe need to create a Custom Workplace Skill is determined through our review process, the CPP team, and leadership and clinical educators. For example, if you submit a review for a skill (after it was assigned to you) and our CPP team reviews and determines there are too many differences for a Workplace Note alone, the CPP team may reach out about collaborating on working with us to create a Custom Workplace Skill. Creating this type of skill takes more time and energy, therefore, this activity is worth the most Leadership Points offered.Learn more and get additional tips by reading the original post at Clinical Resources News on The Compass.Get in Touch!Connect with Clinical Practice and Policy about this content update and opportunities to collaborate by emailing AskIPPL@nshealth.ca.Find guidance about using Dynamic Health, setting up a personal account, exporting CE (Continuing Education) Credits, and more in the Dynamic Health Support guide.IPPL Clinical Practice and PolicyAskIPPL@nshealth.ca...

Patient Education Pamphlets created, updated, or archived in August 2025

Writing in plain language matters. In Canada, it’s reported that nine million people have limited literacy skills, with over half of Canadians reading below a high school level. This is just one of the reasons why it is important to offer additional support to patients and families with easy-to-read, straightforward patient pamphlets. For more information about creating or updating patient pamphlets, please visit the Patient Education Resources Toolkit. Contact Pamphlets@nshealth.ca with any questions. You can search for pamphlets by title or keyword in the pamphlets catalogue, or view the complete listing of active titles in our Print Code Index.The following pamphlets were updated or created in August 2025. Arabic TranslationsAR85-2153 Ethics Tool - Help with Ethical Issues [Arabic] (English: WX85-2056, French: FF85-2142, Simplified Chinese: CH85-2168)AR85-2512 NEW Getting Ready to Start Your Insulin Pump [Arabic] (English: WK85-2491)Cardiovascular System WG85-1393 What is a MIBI (Sestamibi) Test? Previous title: What is a MIBI? QE IIChinese (Simplified) TranslationsCH85-2168 Ethics Tool - Help with Ethical Issues [Simplified Chinese] (English: WX85-2056, En français: FF85-2142, Arabic: AR85-2153)Digestive System WI85-0225 Living With Advanced Liver DiseaseWI85-0601 Waiting for Your Liver Transplant (En français: FF85-1123)Emergency & Public Health WA85-2509 NEW Sepsis Endocrine System WK85-1037 My Diabetes RecordFrench Translations (en français)FF85-2082 Programme de gestion du sang périopératoire (GSP) (English: WH85-1396) Previous title: Service de gestion du sang périopératoireFF85-2183 Vos droits en vertu de la Loi sur le traitement psychiatrique involontaire (English: WX85-1146) Previous title: Vos droits - En vertu de la loi sur le traitement psychiatrique obligatoireFF85-2142 Outil d'éthique - Aide pour les enjeux d’éthique (English: WX85-2056, Arabic: AR85-2153, Simplified Chinese: CH85-2168) FF85-2107 Délirium après une chirurgie cardiaque (English: WG85-1480)FF85-2202 Interaction des contraceptifs avec les médicaments – sugammadex et/ou aprépitant (English: WP85-2076) Previous title: Interaction des contraceptifs avec le sugammadex (Bridion™)FF85-1786 Après l’extraction des dents ou l’extraction des dents de sagesse (English: WU85-0646)FF85-2505 NEW Parler de vos objectifs de soins et choisir un niveau d'intervention (English: WX85-2208)FF85-2515 NEW Préparation pour l’utilisation de votre pompe à insuline (English: WK85-2491, Arabic: AR85-2512)Geriatrics WT85-2519 NEW Geriatric Assessment Clinic - Soldiers’ Memorial HospitalGynecology & Reproductive HealthWP85-2285 High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy - South Shore Regional HospitalHospital InformationWX85-2056 Ethics Tool - Help with Ethical Issues (En français: FF85-2142, Arabic: AR85-2153, Simplified Chinese: CH85-2168)WX85-2514 NEW Find Patient Education Resources OnlineLaboratory PathologyQY85-1976 24-Hour Urine Collection - South Shore Regional HospitalQY85-1971 Stool Collection for Ova and Parasites - South Shore Regional HospitalMedicationsQV85-2262 Benzodiazepines for Alcohol WithdrawalQV85-2269 Disulfiram for Alcohol Use Disorder Previous title: Disulfiram for Alcohol DependenceNutrition & FoodLC85-0510 Vegetarian VarietyLC85-2513 NEW Counting Carbohydrates and the Glycemic IndexLC85-2518 NEW Prehab: Eating Well Before SurgeryPain ManagementPM85-1654 Halifax Pain Self-Management Program Physiotherapy & RehabilitationWB85-1672 Active Cycle Breathing Technique (ACBT) (En français: FF85-2200)Urogenital SystemWJ85-2501 Urine Testing After SurgeryWJ85-2510 NEW Mid-stream Urine Collection - Valley Regional Hospital and Yarmouth Regional HospitalThe following pamphlets were archived in August 2025:WD85-2038 Understanding Grief - Palliative Care Unit: Aberdeen HospitalIf a pamphlet that has been archived is still needed, please let us know as soon as possible and we will work with you to make it available again. Kendell FitzgeraldLibrarian EducatorCentral Zone...

Education and training opportunities this fall with Library Services

Did you know?Library Services' Education and Training team provides all staff, physicians and researchers with education and supports to effectively discover and use health information.We keep in mind health care workers' busy schedules, offering sessions on a variety of dates and times. There is sure to be a session suitable for you. Register for one or several classes below, offered from September through December:Accessing Full TextIt can be challenging enough to find the journal articles that you need, but then accessing the full text of the article can also be difficult. Library Services pays for several subscriptions to give you access to many articles. This session will help you access them. The session will also help you get the full text of articles to which Library Services doesn't provide access.Developing Patient Education PamphletsThis session highlights how easy-to-read and up-to-date patient education materials can support patient care and safety. Learn how to get started, what is involved in developing and updating pamphlets, and how to find, use and share pamphlets effectively.Find it FastThis session focuses on navigating core library tools and resources, including the catalogue, ejournals and ebooks, and databases. Learn how to access library resources and services through this virtual tour.Finding Free-to-use Images: Public domain, open licenses, and more!In this hands-on session, you’ll work with a sample search to find free-of-charge or open-licensed photographs, illustrations, and more in Google Images, Microsoft products, as well as reputable online sources. You’ll learn to interpret how images are licensed and how to cite them appropriately.Introduction to CovidenceCovidence is now available through Nova Scotia Health’s institutional license. Covidence is an online software that allows research teams to collaborate through each stage of a knowledge synthesis project (e.g. systematic reviews).Introduction to Knowledge SynthesisLibrary Services has a new, free service to support researchers in their knowledge synthesis projects (e.g. systematic reviews, scoping reviews, etc.). This session will outline how the service works, who can access it, and what the librarians can do for your team.Managing Citations with Zotero NEWTired of manually formatting references or losing track of your sources? In this session, we’ll cover how to install Zotero, collect references from websites, databases, and PDFs, organize your library with folders, and generate in-text citations and bibliographies in multiple styles.Using Generative A.I. NEWGenerative A.I. (also called Gen A.I.) is a term for any A.I. that creates text, images, video, and audio to meet and/or respond to your prompts. Gen A.I. is growing increasingly popular, with some of the most well-known Gen A.I. tools being ChatGPT, Microsoft CoPilot, and DALL-E. This session will give a general overview of generative A.I., including what to consider before, during, and after you use a Gen A.I. tool.Check out all available course dates this spring in our learning opportunities calendar or by scanning our Library Education QR code. You can also print and post our fall education flyer.If you have questions, please reach out to AskLibrary@nshealth.ca. We look forward to seeing you in one or several of our sessions!Amanda AndrewsLibrarian Educator, Education & Training LeadEastern Zone - Cape Breton, Guysborough, Antigonish...

Patient Education Pamphlets completed in September 2020

Carmen Dorey