Library News

We understand health care workers' busy schedules and offer a variety of dates and times. There is sure to be a session suitable for you. Register for one or several classes below:

Education and Training opportunities this fall:

• Accessing Full-Text Articles NEW
  This session helps to navigate the different ways to access full text on PubMed®, CINAHL, EBSCO and Embase. It also helps you get the full text of articles to which the library does not have access.
• Anatomy.tv
  Anatomy.tv provides a moveable 3D model of the human body that allows you to explore different layers of various bodily systems. The diagrams include annotations with more information about specific body parts. Learn how to use and navigate this powerful tool to improve your understanding of human anatomy.
• Copyright Focus: Terms of Use & Permissions NEW
  Have you ever wanted to adapt an existing publication rather than ‘reinvent the wheel’? Or have you found the perfect image online, but have no idea who owns it and if it’s free to use? Knowing when and how to get permission to use a copyright-protected resource can seem overwhelming. This hands-on session will help you make copyright-compliant decisions when creating content for Nova Scotia Health.
  Email Copyright@nshealth.ca with copyright-related questions.
• Developing Patient Education Pamphlets
  This 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 the updating process, and how to find, use, and share pamphlets effectively.
• Evidence-based Research: How to Start, Where to Look
  Having a focused research question is the first step to finding evidence-based research. When you know what kind of question you are asking, you can better identify the resources that will give you the answers you need, whether that is a point-of-care tool like Dynamic Health™ or BMJ Best Practice, or a research database like PubMed®. This session is an introduction to the various ways you can locate the answers you need—no matter the question.
• Explore the NEW Nursing Made Incredibly Easy!®
  Are you looking for a refresher in a nursing specialty area or skill? Are you new to the nursing profession or a nursing student who needs help grasping tough topics? The Made Incredibly Easy!® collection helps Nova Scotia Health nursing professionals better understand challenging clinical concepts with interactive access to and simple search capabilities within essential texts, as well as videos, images, nursing care plans, real-life case studies, and chapter games.
• Find it Fast with Library Services
  This 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.
• Health Literacy in Health Care
  This session will explore how low health literacy can impact not only patients, but the entire health care system. You’ll learn about the current Canadian literacy landscape and ways you can mitigate the challenges for your patients (and their support persons) for increased patient-centred care and safety.
• Intellectual Property 101: What does IP mean for Health Care Providers?
  Have you ever wondered what impact Intellectual property has on health care? Do you have a great idea that you think may help patients and you want to know how to protect it? This session will answer your questions in an interactive presentation led by Nova Scotia Health’s Innovation Hub.
• Intro to LMS: Creating an eLearning Course
  This session will introduce you to the process and standards you’ll need to follow to ensure your online course reflects high quality content with optimal readability and performance in Nova Scotia Health’s LMS.
• Patient Education Pamphlets for Administrative Professionals
  This session will explain how to find Nova Scotia Health patient pamphlets, as well as how to order, print and share pamphlets in your service area. The session will also cover how to ensure materials in your area are kept up to date.
  Email Pamphlets@nshealth.ca with pamphlet-related questions.

Check out all available course dates for the fall in our calendar or print and post our fall education flyer. For general inquiries, reach out to AskLibrary@nshealth.ca. We look forward to seeing you in one or several of our sessions!

Amanda Andrews

Librarian Educator, Education & Training Lead
Eastern Zone - Cape Breton, Guysborough, Antigonish

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 Content Creator Toolkit. Please contact Pamphlets@nshealth.ca with any questions. You can search for pamphlets by title, keyword, or four-digit pamphlet number 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 2024. 

Cardiovascular System 
WG85-0594 Carotid Endarterectomy - Halifax Infirmary, QE II
                     Previous title: Carotid Endarterectomy
WG85-1214 Echocardiogram (En français: FF85-1744)

Dartmouth General Hospital 
DG85-0685 Intensive/Coronary Care Unit - Dartmouth General Hospital

Digestive System 
WI85-1186 PEG (Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy) Button
                  Previous title: PEG Button (Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy)

Endocrine System 
WK85-1096 Central Diabetes Insipidus (DI)
                    Previous title: Central Diabetes Insipidus

French Translations (en français)
FF85-1503 CPRE (Cholangiopancréatographie rétrograde endoscopique) (English: WI85-0038; Arabic: AR85-1476)

Gynecology & Reproductive Health
WP85-0171 Birth Control Pills (En français: FF85-2027)
WP85-0255 Birth Control Patches (En français: FF85-2026)
                    Previous title: Birth Control Patch
WP85-0014 Copper Intrauterine Devices (IUDs) (En français: FF85-2021)
WP85-2006 Hormonal (Levonorgestrel) Intrauterine Devices (IUDs) (En français: FF85-2019)
WP85-0112 Depo-Provera® (En français: FF85-2016)
WP85-1600 Possible Ectopic (Tubal) Pregnancy (En français: FF85-1964)

Hospitals
WX85-0466 Your Rights and Responsibilities (letter size English: WX85-1842, En français: FF85-1739, Arabic: AR85-2205) (poster version: MC0040, En français poster: MC0043)
WX85-1842 Your Rights and Responsibilities (letter size)
WX85-1413 Medical Surgical Day Clinic (MSDC) - Cobequid Community Health Centre
                    Previous title: CB85-1413 Medical Surgical Day Clinic - Cobequid Community Health Centre
WX85-2428 NEW What is a Quality Review?

Infectious Disease
WC85-1954 Animal Visits
WC85-1752 VRE (Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus) (En français: FF85-1857)
WC85-1764 MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) (En français: FF85-1858)
WC85-1765 Why We Screen for Antibiotic-Resistant Organisms (AROs) (En français: FF85-1859)
WC85-2234 CPE (Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae) (En français: FF85-2344)

Medications
QV85-1079 Azathioprine or Mercaptopurine Therapy for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
                   Previous title: Azathioprine and Mercaptopurine Therapy
QV85-1138 Methotrexate (MTX) Therapy for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
                   Previous print code: WI85-1138
QV85-1546 Corticosteroid Therapy for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
                   Previous title: WI85-1546 Corticosteroid Therapy in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
QV85-0421 Implanted Vascular Access Device (IVAD or Port)
                   Previous title: Implanted Vascular Access Device (IVAD or "port")

Musculoskeletal System
WE85-1533 Welcome to Unit 7.2: Orthopaedics - Halifax Infirmary, QE II
                    Previous title: Welcome to 7.2 Orthopaedics

Nephrology
WQ85-2427 NEW Prevnar® 20 (Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine) and Kidney Disease

Nutrition & Food
LC85-0128 Food Sources of Magnesium
LC85-0593 Food Journal

Pain Management
PM85-0666 Discharge Instructions After Your Nerve Block
                    Previous print code: WO85-0666
PM85-1377 Managing Pain After Surgery with a Nerve Block Previous title: Managing Your Surgical Pain with Nerve Blocks (En français: FF85-2103)
PM85-1378 Having an Epidural After Surgery (En français: FF85-2104)

The following pamphlets were archived in August 2024:
WX85-1146 Your Rights Under the Involuntary Psychiatric Treatment Act (En français: FF85-2183)
FF85-2183 Vos droits - En vertu de la loi sur le traitement psychiatrique obligatoire (English: WX85-1146)
WX85-1380 Staying Safe During Your Hospital Stay (En français: FF85-1521)
FF85-1521 Priorité aux patients : Patients externe (English: WX85-1380)
WU85-0231 Getting Ready for Oral Surgery

If 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 Fitzgerald

Librarian Educator
Halifax Infirmary, Central Zone

The team operationalizing usage of Dynamic Health has broadened their scope to include supporting use of evidence at the point of care, across nursing and allied health, and within policies and other guidance materials Interprofessional Practice and Learning (IPPL) leads or collaborates on. This means we’re back with Dynamic Health Round-ups after a summer hiatus with a new name – IPPL Clinical Practice and Policy.

Round-up posts will keep you informed about implementation and use of Dynamic Health at Nova Scotia Health, highlight any new priority projects and events, and updates to our Workplace Notes and Custom Workplace Skills. We’ll also highlight new publications we’re supporting and maintaining including policies, clinical practice support pages, clinical resources on the intranet and clinical learning modules.

Read on to get caught up on what we’ve been up to over the summer months, so you are ready for Fall!

Dynamic Health Updates: Workplace Notes, Custom Skills

New Workplace Note

• Administering High-Flow Nasal Cannula Oxygen Therapy to Infants to Adolescents
• Administering Pump-Assisted Enteral Nutrition to Adults
• Caring for Adults After Cardiovascular Surgery
• Inserting an Orogastric Tube in Adults
• Managing Patients With Brain Death Before Organ Donation
• Managing Postoperative Hemorrhage
• Managing Skin Tears
• Managing Symptoms at the End of Life
• Performing Continuous Bedside Cardiac Monitoring in Adults
• Performing CPR on Pregnant Patients
• Preparing Patients for Abdominal Surgery
• Preventing and Managing Enteral Nutrition Complications
• Preventing Postoperative Delirium
• Providing Enteral Nutrition to Critically Ill Adults
• Providing Enteral Nutrition to Patients in Prone Position
• Providing Postmortem Care of Adults
• Using and Caring for a Jejunostomy Feeding Tube
• Using and Caring for a Nasoduodenal Feeding Tube
• Using and Caring for Percutaneous Duodenal Feeding Tube
• Weighing Patients With a Bed Scale

Revised Workplace Note

• Administering a Mental Status Exam
• Administering Intradialytic Parenteral Nutrition
• Administering IV Epinephrine Infusion
• Administering Medication Through a Nasogastric Tube
• Administering Medications Through an Enteral Access Device
• Assessing Pain in Adults: Physical Therapy
• Assessing Pressure Injury Risk in Adults
• Assisting With Chest Tube Removal in Adults
• Assisting With Endotracheal Extubation in Adults
• Changing Chest Tube Dressing in Adults
• Handling Hazardous Drugs at the Bedside
• Inserting and Verifying Placement/Positioning of Small Bore Feeding Tubes
• Managing a Hypocalcemia Transfusion Reaction
• Managing Airway Obstruction Emergencies in Adults
• Managing an Obstructed Airway in Infants
• Managing Malignant Hyperthermia in the OR
• Managing Psychotropic Medication Adverse Effects
• Managing the Emergency Response (Code Blue) Team
• Performing 1-Person Adult CPR
• Performing 1-Person Child CPR
• Performing 1-Person Infant CPR
• Performing 2-Person Adult CPR
• Performing 2-Person Child CPR
• Providing Tracheostomy Care in Pediatric Patients: Respiratory Therapy
• Using a Bag Valve Mask in Newborns
• Using a Bag-Mask-Valve in Infants to Adolescents
• Using a Nasogastric Tube for Gastric Decompression in Adults
• Using an Automated External Defibrillator in Pediatric Patients in a Health Care Setting
• Using Automated External Defibrillators on Adults in the Hospital

Reviewed: No Workplace Note

• Discharging Pediatric Patients From the PACU
• Performing pH Testing of Gastric Secretions
• Performing Radial Arterial Puncture in Pediatric Patients: Respiratory Therapy
• Preventing and Managing Aspiration in the PACU
• Preventing Complications of Prolonged Bed Rest
• Removing a Foreign Body From the Eye
• Removing a Tick
• Troubleshooting Chest Tubes and Closed Chest Drains

Custom Skills

• Changing a Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) Catheter Dressing
• Using Goals of Care and Levels of Intervention

Policy Clean-Up and Clinical Resources (Intranet)

The IPPL Policy and Practice Team continues to work through our policy document cleanup, focusing on former DHA guidance documents in OP3. To date we have issued updates on Chest Tubes and Nasogastric Tubes. We’re finishing up our Pain Assessment and Documentation items and will soon be focused on Urinary Catheters. Watch for updates on the Intranet’s Clinical Resources page, under Memos and Updates.

Nursing CE Credits Due in October

Health Promotion in September and Dynamic Health Topics

September 2024 marks promotion of:

• Fibromyalgia Awareness Week
• Arthritis Awareness Month
• World Sepsis Day (September 13)

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’ll get in touch!

Fibromyalgia Awareness Week

• Disease & Condition Overviews
  • Fibromyalgia
• Signs & Symptoms
  • Chronic Low Back Pain, Adult
  • Myalgia, Adult
  • Insomnia, Older Adult
• Skills
  • Managing Pain in Adults
  • Educating About Sleep Hygiene Techniques in Adults
• Patient Handouts
  • Fibromyalgia

Arthritis Awareness Month

• Disease & Condition Overviews
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis, Adult
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis, Older Adult
  • Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
• Signs & Symptoms
  • Arthralgia Adult
  • Bony Crepitation
• Skills
  • Educating About Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Managing Pain in Older Adults
• Patient Handouts
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

World Sepsis Day

• Disease & Condition Overviews
  • Sepsis, Adult
  • Sepsis, Infant to Adolescent
  • Sepsis, Newborn
• Signs & Symptoms
  • Fever, Adult
  • Disorientation
  • Confusion
  • Acute Blood Pressure Decrease, Adult
• Skills
  • Managing Sepsis in Adults
  • Identifying Sepsis in Adults
  • Providing Emergency Care to Patients with Sepsis
  • Emergency Department - Providing Care to Adult Patients with Sepsis
• Patient Handouts
  • Sepsis
  • Neonatal Sepsis

IPPL Clinical Practice and Policy

Gloria Connolly, RN, BScN, NCA, WOCC(c), GNC(c)
Clinical Nurse Educator
Interprofessional Practice and Learning

Leah MacDonald, RN, BSc, BScN
Professional Practice Leader
Interprofessional Practice and Learning, ERIN Network

Katie McLean
Librarian Educator
Interprofessional Practice and Learning, ERIN Network Hub, Library Services

Margaret Poitras
Policy Lead
Policy Office

Valorie Shaddick, BNRN, CCNP, CVAA (c)
Clinical Nurse Educator
Interprofessional Practice and Learning

Ann Slaunwhite
Library Technician
Interprofessional Practice and Learning, Library Services