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IPPL Clinical Practice and Policy January Round-up: Dynamic Health Updates + Renal Dialysis + Urinary Catheters + Radial Compression Devices + Alzheimer's Awareness Month + Let’s Talk Day
01/07/2025
Library Staff
Nursing, Physicians, Teaching & Learning, Clinical Practice & Policy , Point-of-Care Tools, Paramedicine, Nurse Practitioners, Occupational Therapy, Dynamic Health, Physiotherapy

IPPL Clinical Practice and Policy round-up posts keep you informed about implementation and use of Dynamic Health at Nova Scotia Health, highlight any new priority projects and events, as well as 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 guides, clinical resources on the intranet and clinical learning modules.

Dynamic Health Updates

We receive feedback submissions on an ongoing basis through the Suggest an Edit form and through partnerships with departments and teams. This month, the following customizations have been added:

New Workplace Note

Revised Workplace Note

Reviewed: No Workplace Note

Custom Skills

Clinical Practice Supports

Renal Dialysis, Urinary Catheters and Radial Compression Devices

Clinical Practice Supports for Health Care Providers are subject guides created with clinical leaders, educators and frontline staff for use at the point-of-care and when acquiring or refreshing clinical competencies. Clinical Practice Support subject guides are maintained by Interprofessional Practice and Learning (IPPL) - Clinical Practice and Policy. The goal is to adopt evidence-based clinical resources that can be implemented without re-inventing the wheel. Where novel contexts or gaps exist, we support the creation and maintenance of resources that support nursing and allied health professionals with working to scope and with providing evidence-based, quality patient care.

We are pleased to launch three new Clinical Practice Supports for Nursing:

  • Renal Dialysis
    • Custom Dynamic Health skills from the Renal Care Program, including policies, appendices (with images) and patient education pamphlets.
  • Urinary Catheters
    • Adopted Dynamic Health skills with workplace notes, care directives, patient education pamphlets, NSWOC guidelines and decision aids, and key practice points.
    • Note: The Urinary Catheters page on the Clinical Practice Supports for Nursing guide replaces several outdated policy documents. Read more in this recent memo.
  • Radial Compression Devices
    • Custom Dynamic Health skill for reapplying a Teruma TR band, and background guidance to support competency in this skill. Includes key info like relevant order sets, anatomy, patient education and alternative device (Zoom Hemostop) support.

Health Promotion in January and Dynamic Health Topics

January 2025 marks the promotion of:

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 will get in touch!

Alzheimer's Awareness Month

Let's Talk Day

 

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

Ethics Nova Scotia Health: Ethics support for policy developers
12/16/2024
Library Staff
Nursing, Physicians, Ethics, Nurse Practitioners

Ethics Nova Scotia Health can provide input at any stage of the policy development process. In this blog post, we outline how we help policy developers and working groups with ethics input at different stages of the process.

Ethics support during the initial policy development stage

It may be useful to reach out for ethics support early in the policy development process if you are developing or revising a ‘high stakes’ policy, e.g.:

  • A policy that affects equity-seeking populations
  • A policy that involves curtailing the liberty of patients, or other kinds of value-based tensions

At this stage, our team can assist with assessing policy options from an ethics lens. We can work with you to identify how well these options align with our organizational principles and values, as well as other relevant principles and values. Depending on the complexity of the policy (or the complexity of the related ethics issues), it may also help to include a member of Organizational Ethics and Policy Support on the policy development group.

Ethics support during the policy writing stage

It is not always easy to identify and weigh the principles and values that should inform a policy. We can assist policy working groups to identify and formulate relevant principles and values specific to the policy they are developing.

We can also support your group to facilitate a discussion if there is disagreement about how different values should be weighted within the policy, especially if some of these values are in tension with each other.

To help you determine the type of ethics support that may be most beneficial for your working group, or when to reach out to Ethics Nova Scotia Health for ethics support with a policy, visit:

How can Ethics Nova Scotia Health help you develop policies?

You can learn more about the role of ethics in health policy development in Nova Scotia Health Ethics Network’s (NSHEN) Fireside chat with Policy Manager, Michelle Helliwell. The video comes with a discussion and resource page, for use in facilitating discussions or for further reflection.

Another useful resource is NSHEN’s Ethics and Health Policy: The Nuts and Bolts. While this guide is written for a general audience and is not specific to Nova Scotia Health’s policy development process, it provides useful guidance around ensuring that the policy process is ethics-informed, including:

  • Addressing power dynamics
  • Managing conflicts
  • Identifying and considering relevant principles and values

Ethics review of a policy

If you are sending out a draft policy for feedback, you may want to include Ethics Nova Scotia Health in the collaborating-partners feedback survey.

Organizational Ethics and Policy Support, a core function group with Ethics Nova Scotia Health, meets on the second Friday of each month. At these meetings, we review draft policies from an ethics lens. We summarize both general and section-specific feedback and highlight any potential ethical implications or concerns that the group may have. We are always happy to answer questions and are available to assist with implementing our feedback.

Please submit your policy review request according to our submission deadlines. Requestors can expect to receive feedback about one week after the meeting date.

For ethics input on a policy:

Complete our Ethics Input on Policy request form

Email: ethicssupport@nshealth.ca

For more information about ethics support:

Visit: Ethics Nova Scotia Health

Phone (toll-free): 1-833-392-1413

Lisbeth Witthoefft Nielsen

Ethics Program Manager, Ethics Nova Scotia Health

IPPL Clinical Practice and Policy December Round-up: Dynamic Health Updates + Archived Policy Documents + Focus DH Search Results + World AIDS Day + International Day of Persons with Disabilities + Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women
12/04/2024
Library Staff
Nursing, Physicians, Teaching & Learning, Clinical Practice & Policy , Point-of-Care Tools, Paramedicine, Nurse Practitioners, Occupational Therapy, Dynamic Health, Physiotherapy

Dynamic Health round-up posts keep you informed about implementation and use of Dynamic Health at Nova Scotia Health. They highlight any new priority projects and events as well as updates to our Workplace Notes and Custom Workplace Skills.

Dynamic Health Updates

We receive feedback submissions on an ongoing basis through the Suggest an Edit form and through partnerships with departments and teams. This month, the following customizations have been added:

New Workplace Note

Revised Workplace Note

Reviewed: No Workplace Note

Custom Workplace Skills

Archived Policy Documents

As of November 13, 2024, all outdated, former DHA policy and related documents listed in this memo have been archived. This change is the result of a consultative process involving IPPL leadership, the Policy Office, the IPPL Clinical Practice and Policy Program, and Clinical Nurse Educators with expertise in specific clinical areas where required.

As part of our ongoing commitment to supporting practice and learning, we are actively working to empower staff through a procedure-first approach to creating and managing clinical practice supports, pointing to current procedural guidance in Dynamic Health (when appropriate) or supporting clinical teams with custom solutions where gaps exist, or organizational alignment is required. If you have any questions about the recently archived documents and wish to provide a review with additional notes on any of the Dynamic Health skills that replace outdated guidance, please email the IPPL Clinical Practice and Policy team.

Focused Search Results in Dynamic Health

There’s a lot of evidence-based guidance summarized across Dynamic Health’s Topic Sections – from Diseases & Condition Summaries to Skills. The only content that can be annotated with a Workplace Note is labelled as a Skill. Understanding how to Filter Results can help you make the most of your time searching and ensure you have all the relevant information you need if you plan to adopt one or multiple skills from Dynamic Health.

Let’s say you are looking for skills about taking blood pressure in adults:

  1. From the main page of Dynamic Health, enter “blood pressure” in the search box.
    Do not choose one of the autosuggestions that populate as you type.
    Click the spy glass to run the search.
  2. To the left of the results page, note the Filter Results column. Under CONTENT TYPE check off Skills. Note the filter is applied immediately, resulting in fewer results.
  3. Under PATIENT POPULATION, check off Adult. Note that results are reduced further and that the Skills and Adult filters are highlighted at the top.
  4. Click the X on each filter at the top of the results page to remove them.

Health Promotion in December and Dynamic Health Topics

December 2024 marks the promotion of:

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 Suggest an Edit form with your notes and we will get in touch!

World AIDS Day

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

 

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

IPPL Clinical Practice and Policy November Round-up: Dynamic Health Updates + New Look to Workplace Notes + Fall Prevention Month + National Pain Awareness Week + Diabetes Awareness Month
11/05/2024
Library Staff
Nursing, Physicians, Teaching & Learning, Clinical Practice & Policy , Point-of-Care Tools, Paramedicine, Nurse Practitioners, Occupational Therapy, Dynamic Health, Physiotherapy

IPPL Clinical Practice and Policy round-up posts 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 guides, clinical resources on the intranet and clinical learning modules.

Dynamic Health Updates

We receive feedback submissions on an ongoing basis through the Suggest an Edit form and through partnerships with departments and teams. This month, the following customizations have been added:

New Workplace Note

Revised Workplace Note

Reviewed: No Workplace Note

New Look: Workplace Notes

We are now able to use a bit more style when laying out our workplace notes in Dynamic Health, thanks to a recent system update! We can now add headers, bullets and bolding more easily. We can also embed links within the text of workplace notes.

If a suite of skills is connected to a Clinical Practice Support guide, the note may look like this:

If a skill is standalone and unconnected to a Clinical Practice Support guide, the note may look like this:

There will continue to be diversity of layout of notes, but this style will be applied to all new and updated content moving forward. If you have any feedback, questions, etc., reach out to DynamicHealth@nshealth.ca.

Health Promotion in November and Dynamic Health Topics

November 2024 marks the promotion of:

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 will get in touch!

Fall Prevention Month

National Pain Awareness Week

Diabetes Awareness Month

 

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

Ethics Nova Scotia Health: New structure for ethics support - Part 1
10/28/2024
Library Staff
Nursing, Physicians, Ethics, Nurse Practitioners

In September 2024, Ethics Nova Scotia Health launched its new model for delivery of ethics support. This was done to:

  • better align ethics support with the organization’s movement towards provincial approaches to program delivery and administration.
  • promote greater availability of ethics support across the province.

This post looks at the structure for ethics support and the changes we have made, and the types of ethics support available to health care providers, staff members, volunteers, and patients and families.

Changes to Ethics Nova Scotia Health’s structure

The main change to our structure is the formation of three Core Function Groups:

  • Clinical Ethics Support
  • Organizational Ethics and Policy Support
  • Ethics Education

These groups replace the previous Local Ethics Teams, Zone Ethics Committees, and the Ethics Leads group.

As of October 2024, Ethics Nova Scotia Health's updated structure and community includes about 55 members from all four zones. Each Core Function Group consists of health care providers and staff members from a wide range of programs and services, and community members. These Core Function Groups provide ethics support within Nova Scotia Health, with support from the Ethics Collaborations Team in the Department of Bioethics at Dalhousie University.

Types of ethics support available

While the delivery of ethics support has changed, the types of ethics support available remain the same and include:

  • Clinical Ethics Support offers ethics support pertaining to a specific patient’s care or to a particular clinical situation involving questions of professional ethics.
  • Ethics Education is available for education days or if there is an ethics topic that your team would like to explore. We can tailor the education session(s) to your needs. Some recent topics we have worked on include “ethics issues in health care documentation” and “moral distress.” We also develop ethics education resources, such as a guide for patients and families about Making Health Care Decisions for Someone Else: Acting as a Substitute Decision-Maker (SDM), and our Ethics Tool: Help with Ethical Issues.
  • Organizational Ethics and Policy Support addresses broader, systems-level issues that typically affect larger groups of patients and other stakeholders. Organizational ethics may involve overall direction for programs, zones, and Nova Scotia Health as a whole, where an ethics perspective can contribute to analysis and strategic choices. This can also include support with policy development and/or ethics review of policies. This Core Function Group is available to review draft policies through an ethics lens, as well as offer support in applying our feedback.
    For upcoming deadlines and details on how to submit policies for an ethics review, see our Ethics Review of Nova Scotia Health Policies – Submission Deadlines.

In part 2 of this post, we will take a closer look at ethics support available for policy developers and the process for requesting and obtaining stakeholder feedback on draft policies from Ethics Nova Scotia Health.

If you need ethics support, you can:

Lisbeth Witthoefft Nielsen

Ethics Program Manager, Ethics Nova Scotia Health

IPPL Clinical Practice and Policy October Round-up: Dynamic Health Updates + Auto-generated Checklists + CPS Guides: Transfusion Medicine – Blood Product Administration + Breast Cancer Awareness Month + Occupational Therapy Month + World Psoriasis Day
10/01/2024
Library Staff
Nursing, Physicians, Teaching & Learning, Clinical Practice & Policy , Point-of-Care Tools, Paramedicine, Nurse Practitioners, Occupational Therapy, Dynamic Health, Physiotherapy

IPPL Clinical Practice and Policy round-up posts 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 guides, clinical resources on the intranet and clinical learning modules.

Updates: Workplace Notes and Custom Workplace Skills, Transfusion Medicine – Blood Product Administration Clinical Practice Support (CPS) Guides

We receive feedback submissions on an ongoing basis through the Suggestions for Skills form and through partnerships with departments and teams. This month, the customizations below have been published.

New Workplace Note

Revised Workplace Note

Reviewed: No Workplace Note

Custom Workplace Skill

Auto-generate Checklists with Dynamic Health

Did you know that skills within Dynamic Health have an associated Checklist function that you can use in practice and for instructing new staff and learners? If you’re updating procedures and need associated competency checklists for documentation, save yourself some time and adopt this function. The Checklist function is available for all skills in Dynamic Health, including any Custom Workplace Skills we create.

Let's say you are interested in precepting a fellow health care provider using the Dynamic Health Custom Workplace Skill PACU: Assisting with Endotracheal Extubation in Adults:

  1. Navigate to the skill through Dynamic Health by searching “PACU Extubation” (1), navigating to Skills > Your Workplace, or through the direct Skill link (above).
  2. From the Skill menu, select Checklist (2).
  3. Select the printer icon to the upper right of the Checklist (3).
  4. Select the sections to include in the Checklist (Pre-procedure Steps, Procedure Steps, Post-procedure Steps), or Select All (4).
  5. Select Print (5). Note that the printable version of this checklist contains a form to allow you to record evaluator and examinee names and signatures, date and pass/fail status as appropriate.
  6. Choose to print a physical copy or to export a PDF to your computer, depending on your settings and needs.

CPS Guides: Transfusion Medicine – Blood Product Administration

The Blood Product Administration Policy and Procedure NSHA: CL-BP-030; IWK-625 has been revised, effective as of October 1, 2024. We supported our Transfusion Practice Coordinator and Pathology & Laboratory Medicine colleagues with building a resource guide that helps make accessing blood product administration resources easier and is embedded within the updated policy. All blood product guidelines, product monographs, the Competencies for Safe Transfusion Tool, Adverse Events Algorithm have also been updated to align with the revised policy and procedure.

This project is a great example of collaborating across the organization to build and update a knowledge support resource that is easily accessible to all health care providers that work for or interact with Nova Scotia Health. It’s also a great example of clinical practice guidance and competency being created outside of the content we adopt from Dynamic Health. We’re ready to help you customize solutions where practice or organizational gaps exist versus the content we can access through our Dynamic Health subscription.

Health Promotion in October and Dynamic Health Topics

October 2024 marks the promotion of:

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 will get in touch!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Occupational Therapy Month
World Psoriasis Day

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

IPPL Clinical Practice and Policy September Round-up: Dynamic Health Updates Summary + CE Credits Reminder + Policy Clean-up and Clinical Resources (Intranet) + Fibromyalgia Awareness Week + Arthritis Awareness Month + World Sepsis Day
09/03/2024
Library Staff
Nursing, Physicians, Teaching & Learning, Clinical Practice & Policy , Point-of-Care Tools, Paramedicine, Nurse Practitioners, Occupational Therapy, Dynamic Health, Physiotherapy

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

Revised Workplace Note

Reviewed: No Workplace Note

Custom Skills

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

Nursing Leadership and Practice Points are due to health services managers in October! Make sure you’ve created a Dynamic Health personal account and have exported your points. If you haven’t made a personal account yet, it’s easy to do through the in-app pop-up running in Dynamic Health until the end of October. Learn more about setting up a personal account, earning and exporting CE credits, and consult our table on how Dynamic Health credits and activity convert to Leadership and Practice Points in the Dynamic Health support guide.

Health Promotion in September and Dynamic Health Topics

September 2024 marks promotion of:

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

Arthritis Awareness Month

World Sepsis Day

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

Dynamic Health June Round-up: New Workplace Notes + Custom Skills + Custom Skill Case Studies + Cataract Awareness Month + Migraine Awareness Month + PTSD Awareness Day
06/03/2024
Library Staff
Nursing, Physicians, Teaching & Learning, Clinical Practice & Policy , Point-of-Care Tools, Paramedicine, Nurse Practitioners, Occupational Therapy, Dynamic Health

Dynamic Health round-up posts keep you informed about implementation and use of Dynamic Health at Nova Scotia Health. They highlight any new priority projects and events, as well as updates to our Workplace Notes and Custom Workplace Skills.

Updates: Reviewed Skills, Workplace Notes and Custom Skills

We receive feedback submissions about Dynamic Health skills on an ongoing basis through the Suggest an Edit form and through partnerships with departments and teams.

Reviewed: New Workplace Note

Reviewed: No Workplace Note

Custom Skills

Archived Custom Skills

Using the PronatorPlus (Melior Motus) for Positioning, Repositioning and/or Lateral Transfer

  • The vendor for the PronatorPlus has made the organization aware that they will no longer be providing service, repair, technical support, replacement parts, nor supply of the PronatorPlus. The product is removed from service/use at Nova Scotia Health.

Custom Skill Case Studies: C&S Swab and Clinical Frailty Scale

What are custom skills?

In addition to adding Workplace Notes at the top of skills, Dynamic Health also has the functionality to create standalone custom skills. You’ll find all our Custom Skills in Dynamic Health by selecting Skills (1) > Your Workplace (2) from the main menu.

When should a custom skill be created?

When a need for procedure/skill support relevant to nursing and/or allied health is identified, a custom skill may be offered if it is determined that:

  • Dynamic Health does not have an existing skill that matches the need (content gap), or,
  • Dynamic Health’s content does not align enough with NS Health practice to support use of existing skill content with a Workplace Note.

Case Studies by Purpose

Two custom skills are highlighted below, including context around why a Custom Skill was selected to meet the local need. If you feel you have a unique clinical practice need that would benefit from a Custom Skill, reach out!

Dynamic Health contains more content than just skills. There is some general guidance regarding lab tests, medication, etc. that may differ from unique, local practices and terminology. The Skin and Wound Care Program identified a need to point users to their local guidance about performing a C&S swab. We created this custom skill to direct users to their recommendations when searching. For example, if you search “C&S” or “Wound Swab” across all Dynamic Health, their custom skill is the top result.

Think Frailty was recently published as a subject guide to support education about, and use of, the CFS for patients 65 and older across Nova Scotia Health. To ensure the CFS and related supports were available through the Dynamic Health Skills menu and when users search, we created a custom skill to connect to the scale through the subject guide. Like the C&S example above, you can search a term like “Frailty”, and Custom Skill is the first result.

Health Promotion in June and Dynamic Health Topics

June 2024 marks promotion of:

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 will get in touch!

Migraine Awareness Month

Cataract Awareness Month

PTSD Awareness Day

Dynamic Health Project Team

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

Leah MacDonald
Professional Practice Leader
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, COVID-19 Response

Katie McLean
Librarian Educator
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services

Margaret Poitras
Policy Lead
Policy Office

Ann Slaunwhite
Library Technician
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services

Dynamic Health May Round-up: New Workplace Notes + National Nursing Week and Dynamic Health in Practice + Celiac Disease Awareness Month + Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month + Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month
05/03/2024
Library Staff
Nursing, Physicians, Clinical Practice & Policy , Point-of-Care Tools, Paramedicine, Nurse Practitioners, Occupational Therapy, Dynamic Health, Physiotherapy

Dynamic Health round-up posts keep you informed about implementation and use of Dynamic Health at Nova Scotia Health. They highlight any new priority projects and events, as well as updates to our Workplace Notes and Custom Workplace Skills.

Updates: Reviewed Skills and Workplace Notes

We receive feedback submissions about Dynamic Health skills on an ongoing basis through the Suggest an Edit form and through partnerships with departments and teams.

Reviewed: New Workplace Note

Reviewed: No Workplace Note

National Nursing Week and Dynamic Health in Practice

National Nursing Week is May 6-12, 2024, and this year's theme is Changing Lives. Shaping Tomorrow.

Dynamic Health™ in Practice: RSV from EBSCO on Vimeo.
Select the full screen symbol to watch.

Watch in this video as Dynamic Health supports the decision making and skill development needs of a nurse and her nurse resident during their shift as they deliver exceptional care to a young patient suffering from Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and their mother.

In actual practice, Dynamic Health flexes from Changing Lives and providing nurses with current guidance for urgent care, to Shaping Tomorrow and supporting learners with acquiring or updating practice skills through clear procedures and checklists.

Dynamic Health is available to all Nova Scotia Health staff from the Intranet’s Clinical Applications page or Library Services website. Save the friendly URL (https://library.nshealth.ca/dynamic-health) to your desktop or mobile device home screens for easy access. Once you make a personal account, you can also install the app on your mobile device for consistent access without internet connectivity.

Could your care team benefit from getting support from our team with integrating Dynamic Health into your day-to-day work, competency requirements or policy/procedure documents? Reach out to DynamicHealth@nshealth.ca. We’re ready to connect and put this tool to work for you.

Health Promotion in May and Dynamic Health Topics

May 2024 marks promotion of:

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 will get in touch!

Celiac Disease Awareness Month

Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month

Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month

Dynamic Health Project Team

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

Leah MacDonald
Professional Practice Leader
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, COVID-19 Response

Katie McLean
Librarian Educator
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services

Margaret Poitras
Policy Lead
Policy Office

Ann Slaunwhite
Library Technician
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services

STAT!Ref Titles (TDS Health): AHFS Drug Information, AORN Guidelines and More!
04/30/2024
profile-icon Vinson Li
Nursing, Evidence Summaries, Searching, Mobile Apps

TDS Health hosts a variety of resources relevant to various health care disciplines, including STAT!Ref Titles. TDS Health provides:

  • Full text access
  • A search function that can search within the full text
  • A built-in medical dictionary to help you while you read

Accessing TDS Health

From Library Services' homepage, select Search Sources in the top navigation bar. From the dropdown menu, select Databases. Select T, then TDS Health (formerly STAT!Ref).

Accessing STAT!Ref Titles

You can find a list of all the titles offered via STAT!Ref by selecting the STAT!Ref panel on the TDS Health homepage.

Searching tips

TDS Health’s search bar allows you to search within the full text of all available titles. To help you search better:

  • Use keywords rather than entering a full sentence question.
  • If you would like two or more words to be found adjacent to each other, use quotation marks (e.g. "myocardial infarction").
  • Hyphenating terms will make the search find the words in that exact order (e.g. torsades-de-pointes).

Filtering search results

On the search results page, under FILTER BY on the left, you can filter your results.

  • Custom Title Set lets you specify which titles you want to limit your search to. In the popup window, check off the titles you want to search in, then click on the floppy disk icon  in the top right.
  • DATE RANGE lets you limit the publication date range.
  • RELATED TO lets you specify the aspect of your topic you want to focus on. For example, if you searched ‘Tuberculosis’ and checked off ‘Diagnosis’, it will give you information specifically about diagnosing tuberculosis.
  • ADVANCED SEARCH provides three helpful tools:
  1. Suffixes searches for variations of your keywords (e.g. diabetes will also give you diabetic, diabetics, etc.).
  2. Related Terms looks for synonyms for your keywords (e.g. heart attack will also give myocardial infarction).
  3. Headings Only searches only within the Table of Contents.

Viewing an eBook

When viewing an ebook on TDS Health, the Table of Contents is always on the left-hand side for easy navigation between sections. In-text citations appear as superscript numbers; you can click on each number to find the full citation in the reference section.

At the top of the full text, the Tables and Figures tabs provide summaries of all the tables and figures used within the current section.

To search within the current book, click on the dropdown menu to the left of the search bar at the top of the page and select Current Title, then run your search.

TDS Health will highlight all the matching keywords within the text. To navigate between the highlighted keywords, use the Match arrows  at the top of the full text.

The Result arrows  let you navigate between all the results from the search results page.

Using Stedman’s Medical Dictionary

Stedman’s Medical Dictionary provides definitions for medical terms, abbreviations, acronyms, measurements, and more. It is offered through TDS Health and is also embedded into all the other titles on TDS Health.

To define a word within the text, simply highlight the word. A pop-up will appear with a dictionary definition as well as an audio pronunciation.

Getting the TDS Health Mobile App

If you would like to view the titles offered through TDS Health on your mobile phone, you can follow this link to the Mobile Apps and Resources subject guide for more information.

If you have questions about using STAT!Ref through TDS Health, reach out to us at AskLibrary@nshealth.ca or book a one-on-one consultation with a Library Services team member for help using this and other library resources.

Vinson Li

Librarian Educator
Yarmouth Regional Hospital, Western Zone

Dynamic Health April Round-up: New and Revised Workplace Notes and Custom Skills + Patient Handouts in More Languages + Advance Care Planning Day + National Immunization Awareness Week + Rosacea Awareness Month
04/10/2024
Library Staff
Nursing, Physicians, Recreation Therapy, Social Work, Clinical Practice & Policy , Patient Education, Patient Pamphlets, Point-of-Care Tools, Paramedicine, Nurse Practitioners, Occupational Therapy, Dynamic Health

Dynamic Health round-up posts keep you informed about implementation and use of Dynamic Health at Nova Scotia Health. They highlight any new priority projects and events, as well as updates to our Workplace Notes and Custom Workplace Skills.

Updates: Reviewed Skills and Workplace Notes

We receive feedback submissions about Dynamic Health skills on an ongoing basis through the Suggest an Edit form and through partnerships with departments and teams.

Reviewed: New Workplace Note

Reviewed: No Workplace Note

New Custom Skills

Patient Handouts in More Languages, Including French (Canada)

226 Patient Handout titles are now available in multiple languages including French (Canada), Arabic, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Russian and Tagalog. More titles are expected to be available in multiple translations over time. Click on the hyperlinked language after  Get PDF: to access a specific translation.

Example:

Dynamic Health’s Patient Handouts can be used at the point of care (e.g., printed and shared with a patient) when there is nothing applicable within the Nova Scotia Health patient education pamphlet collection or when creating or updating site/unit specific material by putting the information in your own words and citing Dynamic Health.

Find more information about creating patient education pamphlets by visiting: https://library.nshealth.ca/CreatingContent/Pamphlets.

Health Promotion in April and Dynamic Health Topics

April 2024 marks the promotion of:

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 will get in touch!

Advance Care Planning Day

National Immunization Awareness Week

Rosacea Awareness Month

Dynamic Health Project Team

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

Leah MacDonald
Professional Practice Leader
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, COVID-19 Response

Katie McLean
Librarian Educator
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services

Margaret Meier
Policy Lead
Policy Office

Ann Slaunwhite
Library Technician
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services

Dynamic Health March Round-up: New and Revised Workplace Notes and Custom Skills + Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month + National Poison Prevention Week
03/05/2024
Library Staff
Nursing, Physicians, Guidelines, Recreation Therapy, Clinical Practice & Policy , Point-of-Care Tools, Paramedicine, Nurse Practitioners, Occupational Therapy, Dynamic Health

Dynamic Health round-up posts keep you informed about implementation and use of Dynamic Health at Nova Scotia Health. They highlight any new priority projects and events, as well as updates to our Workplace Notes and Custom Workplace Skills.

Updates: Reviewed Skills and Workplace Notes

We receive feedback submissions about Dynamic Health skills on an ongoing basis through the Suggest an Edit form and through partnerships with departments and teams.

We continue to process skill reviews received as a part of our second skill review push up to and including March 8th, 2024.

Reviewed: New Workplace Note

Reviewed: No Workplace Note

New Custom Skills

Health Promotion in March and Dynamic Health Topics

March 2024 marks the promotion of:

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 will get in touch!

Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

National Poison Prevention Week

The Atlantic Canada Poison Centre provides our local guidance on poisoning information. Dynamic Health content may be used in combination with their recommendations.

Dynamic Health Project Team

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

Leah MacDonald
Professional Practice Leader
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, COVID-19 Response

Katie McLean
Librarian Educator
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services

Margaret Meier
Policy Lead
Policy Office

Ann Slaunwhite
Library Technician
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services

Dynamic Health February Round-up: Updates: New and Revised Workplace Notes + Highlights: One Year of Dynamic Health! + World Cancer Day + Wear Red Day + Mental Health Nurses Day
02/06/2024
Library Staff
Mental Health, Nursing, Physicians, Recreation Therapy, Clinical Practice & Policy , Point-of-Care Tools, Paramedicine, Nurse Practitioners, Occupational Therapy, Dynamic Health

Dynamic Health round-up posts keep you informed about implementation and use of Dynamic Health at Nova Scotia Health. They highlight any new priority projects and events, as well as updates to our Workplace Notes and Custom Workplace Skills.

Updates: Reviewed Skills and Workplace Notes

We receive feedback submissions about Dynamic Health skills on an ongoing basis through the Suggest an Edit form and through partnerships with departments and teams.

This month we have a large list of updates due to our recent Skill Review push that closed January 31st, 2024. We continue to process submitted reviews and will report on more next month.

Reviewed: New Workplace Note

Reviewed: No Workplace Note

Highlights: One Year of Dynamic Health

February marks one year since we launched Dynamic Health with Nova Scotia Health customizations (Workplace Notes, Custom Skills, etc.). Thank you to all our collaborators, users and supporters. We include analytics below, including data from a system report run on January 26, 2024, that reflects our collective success this past year.

  • 70,609 unique Topic Section views
  • 1,157 Skills assigned and/or reviewed
  • 487 Workplace Notes published
  • 8 Custom Workplace Skills published
  • 5 Skills linked or embedded into new or updated Nova Scotia Health policy and/or LMS
  • 385 attendees at online education sessions
  • 139 post-session recording watches
  • 1,265 Personal user accounts created
  • 157.5 Continuing Education Hours Claimed

Dynamic Health is intended to make using evidence at the point-of-care easy for nursing and allied health care professionals. Using Dynamic Health procedures supports standardizing practice for nursing and allied health across the organization. Our implementation efforts target empowering leaders and staff to engage with evidence-based decision making through easy access to procedure level guidance. Procedures in Dynamic Health are reviewed and edited regularly by the publisher’s editorial team. Additionally, we track all changes from the publisher and cross-reference this information with all customizations made at Nova Scotia Health. Where relevant, we link to organization policy within Workplace Notes and Custom Skills.

The analytics above indicate excellent uptake in year one, with room to grow in terms of utilization of continuing education credits for individual professional development. We’re encouraged by the high number of Skills reviewed and annotated with Workplace Notes versus the more labour-intensive Custom Workplace Skills. Several groups have adopted Dynamic Health for nursing and allied health procedures. Dynamic Health continues to facilitate discussions about which nursing and allied health procedures require policy-level documentation versus practices that benefit from a procedure-first approach.

Health Promotion in February and Dynamic Health Topics

February 2024 marks the promotion of:

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 will get in touch!

World Cancer Day

Wear Red Day

Mental Health Nurses Day

Dynamic Health Project Team

Amanda Revels
Professional Practice Leader
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Western Zone

Leah MacDonald
Professional Practice Leader
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, COVID-19 Response

Katie McLean
Librarian Educator
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services

Margaret Meier
Policy Lead
Policy Office

Ann Slaunwhite
Library Technician
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services

Dynamic Health January Round-up: Updated Workplace Notes + Skill Review Deadlines + Alzheimer's Awareness Month + Let’s Talk Day
01/02/2024
Library Staff
Mental Health, Nursing, Physicians, Recreation Therapy, Social Work, Clinical Practice & Policy , Point-of-Care Tools, Paramedicine, Nurse Practitioners, Occupational Therapy, Dynamic Health

Dynamic Health round-up posts keep you informed about the implementation and use of Dynamic Health at Nova Scotia Health. They highlight any new priority projects and events as well as updates to our Workplace Notes and Custom Workplace Skills.

Skill Reviews Due by January 31, 2024

Our second skill review push is underway. A huge “Thank you!” to all of our volunteer reviewers! Reviewers received their assigned skill(s) to review earlier in December. All reviews must be submitted through the skill review form by January 31, 2024. If you have any questions about the process or would like assistance completing a review, reach out to us at DynamicHealth@nshealth.ca. We’re available by email or Teams to talk things through and provide guidance. Learn more about the Skill Review process on the Dynamic Health Support subject guide.

Health Promotion in January and Dynamic Health Topics

January 2024 marks the promotion of:

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 Suggest an Edit form with your notes and we will get in touch!

Alzheimer's Awareness Month

Let's Talk Day

Dynamic Health Project Team

Amanda Revels
Professional Practice Leader
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Western Zone

Leah MacDonald
Professional Practice Leader
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, COVID-19 Response

Katie McLean
Librarian Educator
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services

Margaret Meier
Policy Lead
Policy Office

Ann Slaunwhite
Library Technician
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services

Dynamic Health December Round-up: Updated Workplace Notes, Care Directive and Policy links + Focusing Search Results + World AIDS Day + International Day of Persons with Disabilities + National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women
12/05/2023
Library Staff
Nursing, Physicians, Recreation Therapy, Teaching & Learning, Clinical Practice & Policy , Point-of-Care Tools, Paramedicine, Nurse Practitioners, Occupational Therapy, Dynamic Health

Dynamic Health round-up posts keep you informed about implementation and use of Dynamic Health at Nova Scotia Health. They highlight any new priority projects and events as well as updates to our Workplace Notes and Custom Workplace Skills.

Updates: Workplace Notes, Links in Care Directives

We receive feedback submissions on an ongoing basis through the Suggest an Edit form and through partnerships with departments and teams. This month, the following customizations have been added:

Focusing Search Results

There's a lot of evidence-based guidance summarized across Dynamic Health’s Topic Sections – from Diseases & Condition summaries to Skills. Remember, only content within the Skills Topic Section can be customized (e.g., through a Workplace Note). Understanding how to Filter Results can help you get the best guidance for your need.

Let’s say you are looking for skills about taking blood pressure in adults:

  1. From the main page of Dynamic Health, enter “blood pressure” in the search box (1). Do not choose one of the autosuggestions that populates as you type. Click the spy glass to run the search.
  2. To the left of the results page, note the Filter Results (2) column. Under CONTENT TYPE check off Skills . Note the filter is applied immediately, resulting in fewer results.
  3. Under PATIENT POPULATION (3), check off Adult.
  4. Note that the number of results is reduced further and that the Skills and Adult filters are highlighted at the top (4). Click the X on each filter at the top of the results page to remove them.

Health Promotion in December and Dynamic Health Topics

December 2023 marks the promotion of:

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 Suggest an Edit form with your notes and we will get in touch!

World AIDS Day

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

Dynamic Health Project Team

Amanda Revels
Professional Practice Leader
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Western Zone

Leah MacDonald
Professional Practice Leader
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, COVID-19 Response

Katie McLean
Librarian Educator
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services

Margaret Meier
Policy Lead
Policy Office

Ann Slaunwhite
Library Technician
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services

Dynamic Health November Round-up: Updated Workplace Notes + Checklists + Call for Skill Reviewers + Fall Prevention Month + Movember + World Diabetes Day
11/06/2023
Library Staff
Nursing, Physicians, Recreation Therapy, Teaching & Learning, Clinical Practice & Policy , Point-of-Care Tools, Paramedicine, Nurse Practitioners, Occupational Therapy, Dynamic Health

UPDATED: May 15, 2024

Dynamic Health round-up posts keep you informed about implementation and use of Dynamic Health at Nova Scotia Health. They highlight any new priority projects and events as well as updates to our Workplace Notes and Custom Workplace Skills.

Updates: Workplace Notes

We receive feedback submissions on an ongoing basis through the Suggest an Edit form and through partnerships with departments and teams. This month, the following customizations have been added:

Checklists

Did you know that Skills within Dynamic Health have associated Checklists you can use in practice and for instructing new staff? Let’s say you were interested in mentoring a colleague using the Dynamic Health skill Changing Peripheral IV Catheter Dressings in Adults.

  1. Navigate to the skill through Dynamic Health by searching “Changing IV Catheter” or through direct link (above).
  2. From the Skill menu, select Checklist.
  3. Note that the printable version of this checklist contains a form to allow you to record evaluator and examinee names and signatures, date and pass/fail status as appropriate.
  4. Select the printer icon to the upper right of the Checklist.
  5. Select the sections to include in the Checklist (Preprocedure Steps, Procedure Steps, Postprocedure Steps.
  6. Select Print.
  7. Choose to print a physical copy or to save a PDF to your computer, depending on your settings and needs.

Calling all Reviewers! Skills Review Push – Fall 2023

What’s a skills review push?

Back in the Winter of 2023, you may have supported Dynamic Health implementation by volunteering to evaluate skills within Dynamic Health. This process involved determining if a skill was part of current practice and if it aligned with Nova Scotia Health resources like policy. This process enabled us to review over 500 skills at the time! There are a lot of skills left in Dynamic Health that need a look! Many could better align with practice at Nova Scotia Health, so we’re asking for your support to do another round of review.

How do I get involved?

Be curious and engage! Explore Dynamic Health and look up skills that:

  • You and/or your colleagues know a lot about
    • Is there a workplace note? Do you have any edits?
    • Does it need a workplace note?
  • You and/or your colleagues have frequent questions about
    • Is it helpful?
    • Is there room for improvement?

After you explore, take a moment to fill out our brief form to indicate your intention to participate as a reviewer: https://library.nshealth.ca/DH-Call-Reviewers. Please express your interest through this form by November 30th, 2023. We will follow up with you directly after this date with the number of skills that you indicated you are willing to take on.

How can I learn more and help spread the word?

You’ll find the recording and slides from our recent Lunch and Learn – Skills Review 101 here: https://library.nshealth.ca/Dynamic-Health-Support/Lunch-Learn#s-lg-box-16713274. Content from this session can be reused to help you in your efforts. Share the following information about the skills review push:

  • Links to relevant skills with workplace notes
  • Call for Reviewers form (above)

Continuing education credit is another great incentive to get involved. Check out our latest update about Practice and Leadership Premiums here: https://library.nshealth.ca/Dynamic-Health-Support/CE-Credits.

Health Promotion in November and Dynamic Health Topics

November 2023 marks the promotion of:

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 will get in touch!

Fall Prevention Month

Movember

World Diabetes Day

Dynamic Health Project Team

Amanda Revels
Professional Practice Leader
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Western Zone

Leah MacDonald
Professional Practice Leader
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, COVID-19 Response

Katie McLean
Librarian Educator
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services

Margaret Meier
Policy Lead
Policy Office

Ann Slaunwhite
Library Technician
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services

Dynamic Health October Round-up: Updated Workplace Note + Leadership Content + Nursing Practice Premiums + Skills Review Lunch and Learn + User Experience Survey + Breast Cancer Awareness Month + Occupational Therapy Month + World Psoriasis Day
10/10/2023
Library Staff
Nursing, Physicians, Recreation Therapy, Teaching & Learning, Clinical Practice & Policy , Point-of-Care Tools, Paramedicine, Nurse Practitioners, Occupational Therapy, Dynamic Health

Dynamic Health round-up posts keep you informed about implementation and use of Dynamic Health at Nova Scotia Health. These posts highlight any new priority projects and events as well as updates to our Workplace Notes and Custom Workplace Skills.

Updates: Workplace Notes, Leadership Topic Section and Nursing Practice Premiums

We receive feedback submissions on an ongoing basis through the Suggestions for Skills form and through partnerships with departments and teams. This month, the following customization has been added:

Leadership Topic Section

Dynamic Health has added new leadership content with point-of-care nursing and health professional leaders in mind (managers, supervisors, charge nurses, etc.). It is designed specifically for those looking to take their professional growth and team development to the next level. Each Leadership topic includes an overview, best practices, and strategies. While more than 350 topics are anticipated, all topics will not be released at once – they will be released over time to ensure thoughtful, evidence-based information is included in each one. You’ll find this new Topic Section in Dynamic Health on the main menu:

Dynamic Health CE and Nursing Practice Premiums

When you make a personal account for using Dynamic Health, you can track and collect Continuing Education (CE) credits. Dynamic Health CE credits are worth Nursing Practice Premiums!

Learn more on the Dynamic Health Support Subject Guide, which includes this table Note that participating in our skills review or creating a custom skill is worth points too!

Lunch and Learn + Second Skills Review Push – Join in!

Our Applying Evidence Lunch and Learn events are in full swing! Register for one or all the events here.

An important part of Dynamic Health implementation at Nova Scotia Health is connecting with nursing and allied health professionals across the organization. One way we do this is through periodic skill review “pushes” where we identify a batch of skills that need review and match them to team members throughout Nova Scotia Health. Reviewing a skill can result in a new Workplace Note or creation of a Custom Skill.

Find out more about this key process during the October 25th Lunch and Learn event at noon. Register today!

User Experience Survey – Deadline Extended

We want to check in with Nova Scotia Health nursing and allied health units and teams about their awareness of and user experience with Dynamic Health. We need your help to ask nursing and allied health staff to fill out this short survey – even if Dynamic Health is new to them!

Please share and encourage completion of the survey here: https://library.nshealth.ca/DH-UX

How are Customizations Updated?

We’re often asked about how Dynamic Health customizations (Workplace Notes, Custom Skills) are kept current when evidence, local practice, policies, learning modules, and other guidance changes. It’s a good question, and a valid concern given the volume and fluid nature of information. We make sure local customizations are current through three avenues:

  • Publisher Updates
    EBSCO’s Editorial Team for Dynamic Health sends a report on content changes every two months. We cross-reference this report with our list of workplace notes and skills to determine if we need to edit and/or reach out to key contributors about making a change.
  • Local Monitoring
    We monitor updates from Nova Scotia Health departments and teams, such as The Policy Office, to identify changes that need to be reflected in Dynamic Health. We also rely on input through our Suggestions for Skills form.
  • Built-in Review Cycle
    We template and track every customization we make by date and last reviewer. In alignment with Nova Scotia Health’s Policy Office review cycle, we will follow up with the last author(s) on record of a customization every 4 years to make sure the existing Workplace Note or Custom Skill reflects current practice within the organization.

Health Promotion in October and Dynamic Health Topics

October 2023 marks the promotion of:

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 will get in touch!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Occupational Therapy Month

World Psoriasis Day

Dynamic Health Project Team

Amanda Revels
Professional Practice Leader
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Western Zone

Leah MacDonald
Professional Practice Leader
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, COVID-19 Response

Katie McLean
Librarian Educator
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services

Margaret Meier
Policy Lead
Policy Office

Ann Slaunwhite
Library Technician
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services

 

Dynamic Health September Round-up: Updates Summary + User Experience Survey + Ankle Brachial Policy and Fall Lunch and Learn + Fibromyalgia Awareness Week + Arthritis Awareness Month + World Alzheimer’s Month
09/06/2023
Library Staff
Nursing, Physicians, Recreation Therapy, Clinical Practice & Policy , Point-of-Care Tools, Paramedicine, Occupational Therapy, Dynamic Health

We’re back with Dynamic Health Round-ups after a summer hiatus. Dynamic Health round-up posts keep you informed about implementation and use of Dynamic Health at Nova Scotia Health. They highlight any new priority projects and events, as well as updates to our Workplace Notes and Custom Workplace Skills. Read on to get caught up and ready for Fall!

Updates: Skills, Workplace Notes and Dynamic Health FAQs

We’ve received several feedback submissions over the past two months through the Suggestions for Skills form. As a result of this feedback, we’re happy to highlight new and updated workplace notes on five skills:

In addition to these changes, we’ve also edited how we direct you to official guidance from Pathology and Laboratory Medicine regarding reference ranges. You’ll find this new info added to our FAQ document, Dynamic Health Frequently Asked Questions:

Are lab values within Dynamic Health topics the same as those used at NS Health?
Topic sections, like a specific Skill, may reference lab result ranges that vary from Nova Scotia Health laboratory generated ranges. Always defer to local guidance regarding laboratory results > HERE: https://intra.nshealth.ca/plm/SitePages/Home.aspx.

User Experience Survey

When deciding to implement Dynamic Health organization-wide, we gathered feedback on user experience through an initial survey as a baseline. At close to 8 months since launch, we are seeking more general feedback on the overall usability of Dynamic Health, as well as our local customizations (e.g., Workplace Notes).

Ankle Brachial Measurement and Fall Lunch and Learn

Starting October 4th at noon, we will be hosting a four-part Lunch and Learn series – Applying Evidence: Demystifying Nursing and Allied Health Procedures with Dynamic Health!

The first session in this series will look at the first example of Dynamic Health Skills being used within policy – Ankle Brachial Index Measurement. We’ll hear from Interprofessional Practice and Policy Office leaders about the broader vision for Dynamic Health, as well as from policy authors about the process.

Additional sessions in this series will include an overview of the skill review process, more examples of using the resource across Nova Scotia Health, as well as some practical tips and tricks on implementing Dynamic Health into patient care.

Health Promotion in September and Dynamic Health Topics

September 2023 marks promotion of:

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

Arthritis Awareness Month

World Alzheimer's Month

Dynamic Health Project Team

Amanda Revels
Professional Practice Leader
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Western Zone

Leah MacDonald
Professional Practice Leader
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, COVID-19 Response

Katie McLean
Librarian Educator
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services

Margaret Meier
Policy Lead
Policy Office

Ann Slaunwhite
Library Technician
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services

Learn new skills with Library Services’ Education and Training opportunities
07/31/2023
profile-icon Amanda Andrews
Nursing, Physicians, Teaching & Learning, Patient Education, Copyright, Searching, Clinical Research, Research, Point-of-Care Tools

Are you interested in learning how to access information using Library Services resources or developing patient education pamphlets? Our education sessions teach practical information skills that meet the evolving needs of:

  • Clinicians, staff and researchers who need to efficiently access health sciences literature for research and to inform patient care
  • Clinicians who need to learn how to access new/under-utilized point-of-care tools and other relevant resources

Online education sessions, offered on Microsoft Teams, cover topics such as:

  • Library Services orientation
  • Literature search tips to assist with research
  • Searching specific databases (such as PubMed®, CINAHL, etc.)
  • Developing patient pamphlets
  • Copyright advice

We keep in mind health care workers' busy schedules so new classes are added every three months with a variety of dates and times. There is sure to be a session suitable for you.

View online education and training opportunities

  1. Be sure to check our Learning Opportunities calendar often. You can access the calendar from Library Services’ website by selecting Services at the top of the Library’s home page. From the dropdown menu, select Education and Training Sessions.
  2. Watch for learning opportunities in the Library Services section of Nova Scotia Health News.
  3. Print and post our fall education flyer - coming in September! From the Library Services home page, select Documents & Forms from the left-hand menu. Select Promotion, then the Library Learning Opportunities document for the current season.
  4. Keep an eye out for promotional emails from Library Services.

Online session registration is quick and easy:

  1. From the Learning Opportunities calendar, select the session you are interested in.
  2. Select the Begin Registration button and complete the form.
  3. Before you select Register, it is helpful to have your device set up properly to join the meeting.
    1. Support for joining the meeting is provided on the registration page and in the confirmation email you will receive.
    2. If you have any difficulty, please email Library Services prior to the session date.
  4. Once you have registered, you will receive a confirmation email with the link to join the session.
  5. You will also receive a reminder email before the session date.
  6. After the session, you will receive a Training Evaluation Form. Your feedback is important!

Custom Group Training

Looking for a customized group training session? We have you covered! Our instructors deliver customized education sessions on several topics that support your info needs, at a time that works best for your team. Depending on the type of request, customized group training can be delivered virtually, via Microsoft Teams, or in-person. Let us know what you are looking for by filling out our Custom Group Training form. A Library Services team member will be in touch to arrange your session.

Consultations

Library Services’ team members also provide consultations. Meet one-on-one with a library and information professional for help with your project, publication, research or other info need. Book a consultation online today!

We look forward to meeting you in one or more of these sessions, or in a consultation with a Library team member. As always, please reach out to AskLibrary@nshealth.ca with questions or for further info about Library Services’ Education and Training opportunities.

Amanda Andrews

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

Dynamic Health June Round-up: Emergency Department Custom Skills + Superuser Training Event + Migraine Awareness Month + Cataract Awareness Month + PTSD Awareness Day
05/30/2023
Library Staff
Nursing, Physicians, Recreation Therapy, Clinical Practice & Policy , Point-of-Care Tools, Paramedicine, Occupational Therapy, Dynamic Health

In last month’s Round-up post we explained the difference between Workplace Notes and Custom Skills. Our first project to create Custom Skills focuses on topics relevant to Nova Scotia Health emergency departments.

We collaborated with a group of Clinical Nurse Educators who support emergency care areas throughout the province to create seven new custom skills. This collaboration involved:

  1. Revising existing Skill content to reflect practice across Nova Scotia Health,
  2. Peer review of each skill draft, and
  3. Final revisions and layout in Dynamic Health.

Finding Custom Skills

You’ll find all our Custom Skills in Dynamic Health by selecting Skills (1) > Your Workplace (2) from the main menu.

Custom Skills will also be identified in your results when you search Dynamic Health. For example, a search for “Rapid Sequence Intubation” (1), returns a list of relevant results. The Emergency Department Custom Skill is labelled with the Topic Section “Your Workplace Skill”(2).

Check our first series of Emergency Department Custom Skills here:

Superuser Training: June 21

We’re adding one more Superuser Training event before summer! This session will provide more information on how to get started using Dynamic Health in your clinical areas, highlighting key features and functionality such as access, navigation, troubleshooting and feedback.

We’ll also explain the difference between Workplace Notes and customized Workplace Skills.

This session will be delivered over Microsoft Teams on June 21 at 10 a.m. Register here.

Health Promotion in June and Dynamic Health Topics

June 2023 marks promotion of:

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 content under Skills below that you feel needs a Workplace Note, consider being a reviewer! Fill out our Suggestions for Skills form with your notes and we’ll get in touch!

Migraine Awareness Month

Cataract Awareness Month

PTSD Awareness Day

Dynamic Health Project Team

Amanda Revels
Professional Practice Leader
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Western Zone

Leah MacDonald
Professional Practice Leader
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, COVID-19 Response

Katie McLean
Librarian Educator
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services

Margaret Meier
Policy Lead
Policy Office

Ann Slaunwhite
Library Technician
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services

Dynamic Health May Round-up: Updates from Feedback + Custom Skills + Celiac Disease Awareness Month + Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month + Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month
05/01/2023
Library Staff
Nursing, Physicians, Recreation Therapy, Clinical Practice & Policy , Point-of-Care Tools, Paramedicine, Occupational Therapy, Dynamic Health

We've heard from several health care professionals since launch about the interesting ways they are working with Dynamic Health Skills in their area of care. For example, one Clinical Nurse Educator reported using entries about the Mini Mental Health Exam to provide frontline nurses with a refresher.

We’ve also had useful feedback submitted through the Suggestions for Skills form. As a result of this feedback, we’re happy to highlight updated workplace notes on three skills:

We've also added new workplace notes to seven additional skills, based on user feedback received through our first round of reviews:

NOTE Updated content for workplace notes will be shared periodically through these blog posts for your awareness.

Custom Skills: An Introduction

In addition to adding Workplace Notes at the top of skills, Dynamic Health also has the functionality to create standalone custom skills.

The initial goal of our skill review process is to create a Workplace Note that highlights relevant policies, additional support resources (subject guide, patient education, etc.) and any local variations (if needed). If the reviewer reports excessive variations in practice, resulting in a lengthy Workplace Note, the skill is flagged and considered for a Custom Skill. Using the existing skill as a template, the Dynamic Health team collaborates with health care professionals in the relevant area to create a new skill that aligns with the Nova Scotia Health policy and procedure. The new Custom Skill has the same layout and elements as an original Dynamic Health Skill.

Our first project to create Custom Skills is under way, focusing on topics relevant to our emergency departments. Collaborating with a group of Clinical Nurse Educators who support emergency care areas throughout the province, we have drafted seven new Custom Skills. These drafts are currently being reviewed by peers for feedback and will be laid out in Dynamic Health later in May. Check back for our June Round-up to stay up to date on this project and keep an eye out for links to these new Custom Emergency Department Skills. Coming soon!

Health Promotion in May and Dynamic Health Topics

May 2023 marks promotion of:

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 content under Skills below that doesn’t have a Workplace Note, consider being a reviewer! Fill out our Suggestions for Skills form with your notes and we’ll get in touch!

Celiac Disease Awareness Month

Cystic Fibrosis Month

Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month

Dynamic Health Project Team

Amanda Revels
Professional Practice Leader
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Western Zone

Leah MacDonald
Professional Practice Leader
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, COVID-19 Response

Katie McLean
Librarian Educator
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services

Margaret Meier
Policy Lead
Policy Office

Ann Slaunwhite
Library Technician
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services

Dynamic Health April Round-up: Usage Statistics and Top Skills + Content Sections vs. Skills + Immunization Awareness Month + Rosacea
04/03/2023
Library Staff
Nursing, Physicians, Recreation Therapy, Clinical Practice & Policy , Point-of-Care Tools, Paramedicine, Occupational Therapy, Dynamic Health

Since the launch of Dynamic Health in February the collaborative team from Interprofessional Practice and Learning (IPPL), Policy, and Library Services have reviewed and aligned almost 500 skills with the help of health care team members. We also delivered two training sessions to front-line superusers. We would like to thank all those who attended and/or viewed the recordings of these sessions. Your engagement is appreciated and noted! We are seeing great usage statistics for the first month with over 15,000 topic views.

The top 5 Skills viewed since launch are:

  1. Inserting a Nasogastric Tube in an Adult Patient
  2. Treating Adults with Pressure Injuries
  3. Managing Chest Tubes in Adults
  4. Changing a Suprapubic Catheter
  5. Preventing Pressure Injuries in Adult

Learn more about Dynamic Health in our support subject guide or engage with the team about any questions or opportunities by emailing DynamicHealth@nshealth.ca! Find a skill you think needs a review, edit, or note? Fill out our Suggestions for Skills form.

Topic Sections vs. Skills

To understand our usage statistics for Dynamic Health, it’s important to understand what a Topic Section is. A Topic Section is content categorized with a specific purpose in Dynamic Health. Diseases & Conditions, Signs & Symptoms, Tests & Labs, Care Interventions, Skills, Drug Guide, and Patient Handouts are all different and unique Topic Section categories.

Let’s take a closer look by searching for guidance about assessing confusion. Enter the term “confusion” in the main search box, click the  icon (1) and review the results. Note that two results are highlighted in light green and listed first (2). These results are flagged as most relevant to the search. Each result also has a Topic Section category at the top (3). The most relevant results in light green are from the Signs & Symptoms Topic Section category. Note that other results down the list are retrieved from other Topic Sections – Nursing Skills, Care Interventions, etc.(4). Topic Section categories are also listed to the left of your results where you can apply them to your search as filters to narrow down to only Signs & Symptoms and Nursing Skills (5).

NOTE We've been asked about editing or adding a note to content in a Topic Section other than what you’ll find under the Skills category. We can only add local notes, hide content, and create custom content within the Skills Topic Section.

Content in Diseases & Conditions, Signs & Symptoms, Tests & Labs, Care Interventions, Drug Guide, and Patient Handouts, while not customizable locally, go through the same evidence-based, regular review by Ebsco’s Dynamic Health editorial team. This trusted, continually updated content across Topic Sections should always be used in combination with local practice, professional knowledge, and patient preferences.

Evidence as an Adjunct to Local Practice, Professional Knowledge

Dynamic Health’s synthesized content across Topic Sections and rigorous editorial process make it an evidence-based, point-of-care knowledge resource. While practicing evidence-based health care is important, the way you might end up using a guidance resource like Dynamic Health won’t always look the same. Let’s take Dynamic Health’s content and apply it to the 5As of Evidence-based Health Care.

Evidence-based Health Care (or Practice or Medicine) asks health care providers to:

  • Assess the patient
  • Ask a clear, clinical question
  • Acquire evidence to answer the question
  • Appraise the quality of the evidence
  • Apply the evidence to patient care

Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2019

Knowledge resources like Dynamic Health assist with Asking, Acquiring and Appraising by monitoring primary sources as they emerge and critically evaluating them. Findings are synthesized and made available for specific health care audiences, in Dynamic Health’s case, for Nursing and Allied Health professionals. The goal is saving time so the health care provider can focus on Assessing the patient and Applying the evidence, alongside local guidance and expertise.

Health Promotion in April and Dynamic Health Topics

April 2023 marks promotion of:

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 content under Skills/Procedures below that doesn’t have a Workplace Note, consider being a reviewer! Fill out our Suggestions for Skills form with your notes and we’ll get in touch!

Rosacea Awareness Month

National Immunization Awareness Week

Dynamic Health Project Team

Amanda Revels
Professional Practice Leader
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Western Zone

Leah MacDonald
Professional Practice Leader
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, COVID-19 Response

Katie McLean
Librarian Educator
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services

Margaret Meier
Policy Lead
Policy Office

Ann Slaunwhite
Library Technician
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services

 

Dynamic Health March Round-up: More Front-line Superuser Training Added + Suggested Citation Formats + Colon Cancer Awareness Month + National Poison Prevention Week
03/03/2023
Library Staff
Nursing, Physicians, Recreation Therapy, Clinical Practice & Policy , Point-of-Care Tools, Paramedicine, Occupational Therapy, Dynamic Health

Since launching Dynamic Health last month, the collaborative team from Interprofessional Practice and Learning (IPPL), Policy, and Library Services have reviewed and aligned almost 500 skills with the help of health care team members across Nova Scotia Health. We want to thank all those who’ve been a partner in this work to date! Working together on this knowledge-sharing project ensures that our health care teams are engaged in evidence day to day and have access to reliable guidance in one place.

Learn more about Dynamic Health in our support subject guide or engage with the team about any questions or opportunities by emailing DynamicHealth@nshealth.ca! Find a skill you think needs a review, edit or note? Fill out our Suggestions for Skills form.

Front-line Superuser Training Added for March 21st!

We’ve had such a great response for our first Front-line Superuser Training event, we’ll be hosting another event March 21st at 1pm to accommodate those registered on our waitlist. Register here to attend the online Teams meeting that will help you get started with using Dynamic Health in your clinical area. Please note: If you attended the Interprofessional Practice and Learning superuser training for Clinical Nurse Educators held earlier in February you do not need to attend this session. Similar content will be delivered.

Suggested Citation Formats

You asked how we recommend citing content from Dynamic Health, so we’re answering! When citing content from a Dynamic Health section (Diseases & Conditions, Signs & Symptoms, Tests & Labs, Care Interventions, Skills, Drug Guide, Patient Handouts, etc.) use Dynamic Health as the Author, and the section topic as the Title. Ebsco Industries is the Publisher.

Template:

Author. (Current Year). Title of section topic. Publisher. Retrieved Month, Day Year Accessed from URL to section.

Example:

Dynamic Health. (2023). Administering red blood cells to adults. Ebsco Industries. Retrieved February 28, 2023 from https://www-dynahealth-com.libraryproxy.nshealth.ca/nursing-skills/administering-red-blood-cells-to-adults

When citing content from a Nova Scotia Health Workplace Note on a Dynamic Health Skill, use Nova Scotia Health as the Author and cite the date the note was last updated. Add “A note from your workplace on” then the Title of skill, italicized. Follow with the Source “In Dynamic Health.”, then add the Publisher, “Ebsco Industries”. Add the date you retrieved the note and the URL for the skill at the end.

Template:

Author. (Year, Month Day note last updated). A note from your workplace on Title of skill. In Dynamic Health. Ebsco Industries. Retrieved Month Day, Year from URL for skill.

Example:

Nova Scotia Health. (2023, January 24). A note from your workplace on Administering red blood cells to adults. In Dynamic Health. Ebsco Industries. Retrieved February 28, 2023 from https://www-dynahealth-com.libraryproxy.nshealth.ca/nursing-skills/administering-red-blood-cells-to-adults

You are not permitted to download or save images, or other material created by Dynamic Health, for reuse in your own content. You may refer to images, videos, etc. and direct people to view them with a link to a Nova Scotia Health or other authorized access point.

Example in content:

Review Image 2: Position Fingers to Apply Pressure to Radial Artery and Insertion Site (Dynamic Health, 2023) here: https://www-dynahealth-com.libraryproxy.nshealth.ca/nursing-skills/removing-a-radial-arterial-sheath-using-manual-compression

Example in reference list:

Dynamic Health. (2023). Removing a radial arterial sheath using manual compression. Ebsco Industries. Retrieved February 28, 2023 from https://www-dynahealth-com.libraryproxy.nshealth.ca/nursing-skills/removing-a-radial-arterial-sheath-using-manual-compression

If you have questions about Dynamic Health at Nova Scotia Health, please email our team at DynamicHealth@nshealth.ca.

Health Promotion in March and Dynamic Health Topics

March 2023 marks promotion of:

In recognition of these health promotion events, we encourage you to engage with the curated list of Dynamic Health content below.

Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

National Poison Prevention Week

The Atlantic Canada Poison Centre provides our local guidance on poisoning information. Dynamic Health content may be used in combination with their recommendations.

Dynamic Health Project Team

Amanda Revels
Professional Practice Leader
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Western Zone

Leah MacDonald
Professional Practice Leader
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, COVID-19 Response

Katie McLean
Librarian Educator
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services

Margaret Meier
Policy Lead
Policy Office

Ann Slaunwhite
Library Technician
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services

 

NEW! Introducing Dynamic Health™ for Clinical Skills + February Cardiovascular Focus
02/06/2023
Library Staff
Nursing, Physicians, Recreation Therapy, Clinical Practice & Policy , Point-of-Care Tools, Paramedicine, Occupational Therapy, Dynamic Health
Dynamic Health™ is an evidence-based tool designed to help nurses and allied health professionals master skills, obtain fast answers to questions, and foster a culture of evidence-based practice and critical thinking, leading to improved patient outcomes.

Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services and the Policy Office have collaborated to launch Dynamic Health™, a new point-of-care electronic clinical practice resource, on February 6, 2023.

This evidence-based resource is designed to help nurses and allied health professionals find guidance on care interventions and to obtain fast, accurate answers to clinical questions. It also allows Nova Scotia Health to customize certain aspects, including integrating links to policies, LMS modules and other local clinical guidance. We anticipate that this feature will make it easier for clinical staff to find all relevant information that guides practice. Historically, nursing teams used Fundamentals of Nursing (Potter, P & Perry, A) in print as a resource. Dynamic Health offers the same evidence-based guidance, with integrated Nova Scotia Health content and additional resources, such as videos, skills checklists, images and more!

Workplace Notes for Nova Scotia Health

For the first phase of using Dynamic Health at Nova Scotia Health, workplace notes have been added at the top of specific skills. Not all skills will need a workplace note, such as skills that are standard practice. When a skill is identified as needing a note (e.g., if certain competencies are required and/or there are minor variations in procedures), relevant health care professionals and/or departments are consulted for input.

Support Resources and Access Points

  • Check out our Dynamic Health Support subject guide to learn more and get started using this tool to support your practice and team.
  • Dynamic Health will be available on clinical computers through the Intranet (under Clinical Applications) and from anywhere through the Library’s website and Databases A-Z list.
  • Please note, staff will be asked for their username and password when accessing Dynamic Health from outside of the Nova Scotia Health network.
  • There is also a Dynamic Health mobile app, which can be downloaded onto your device and used once you have created an account through a Nova Scotia Health access point.

If you have questions about Dynamic Health at Nova Scotia Health, please email our team at DynamicHealth@nshealth.ca.

February – Cardiovascular-related Topics

February 2023 marks promotion of:

To support awareness for these campaigns, relevant Dynamic Health content is linked below.

Congenital Heart Disease and Cardiovascular Topics

Dynamic Health Project Team

Amanda Revels
Professional Practice Leader
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Western Zone

Leah MacDonald
Professional Practice Leader
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, COVID-19 Response

Katie McLean
Librarian Educator
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services

Margaret Meier
Policy Lead
Policy Office

Ann Slaunwhite
Library Technician
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services

 

Nursing Reference Center Plus has a care plan for that!
12/28/2022
profile-icon Amanda Andrews
Nursing, Searching, Nurse Practitioners

Time is a valuable commodity for all nurses. Now, you can save time with Nursing Reference Center Plus!

Nursing Reference Center Plus (NRC Plus) is an excellent evidence-based information resource. Developed by nurses for nurses, NRC Plus is unmatched in scope and helps to meet nurses’ practice, education, and research needs (EBSCO, 2022).

It is easy to access care plans in NRC Plus. Problem-based care plans help to address patient issues and support patients in reaching their goals. There are fifty different care plan topics available, including Risk for Injury, Fatigue and Nutritional Imbalance and more.

Access NRC Plus

You can access NRC Plus from Library Services’ Databases page. From the Library’s homepage:

  • Click on the Databases tab. Click on the Select a Database… drop-down menu and select Nursing Reference Center Plus from the list.

OR

  • From the top menu bar, click on the Search Sources drop-down menu and choose Databases. This brings you to the Databases A-Z list, where you can search alphabetically for Nursing Reference Center Plus.

Once you’ve accessed NRC Plus:

  • Click on Care Plans on the home page.

OR

  • Select the Diseases tab in the top menu bar. You can then enter search terms for a specific care plan in the search box.

Search for care plans

For example, let's search for ‘risk for injury’:

  1. In the Diseases tab (A), enter ‘risk for injury’ in the search box and click on the Search button.
  2. On the results page, under Material Types, select the checkbox next to Care Plans (B). 3. From the filtered results, select the “Injury: Risk for” care plan (C).

Once you have selected a care plan, you will find a list of Tools (D) along the right-hand side of your screen. These include:

  • E-mail Alert (E): You can save your searches as alerts and have NRC Plus email you any new results. Simply enter your email address and use the drop-down menu to choose how often you would like to receive alerts.
  • Print (F): Click on the Print button to display the care plan in your browser window. To print, simply click on the Print button in the dialog box.

For further assistance with care plan tools and how to use them, please visit the Nursing Reference Center Plus Help section.

Access care plans on the go

NRC Plus offers mobile access for iOS (iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch) and Android devices. You can utilize care plans and all of NRC Plus’ other great content on the go. Follow the detailed mobile app instructions in the Mobile Apps and Resources subject guide to download the NRC Plus app.

NRC Plus will save you time by enhancing your access to evidence-based, nursing-related content. Whether you are interested in care plans, quick lessons, competency checklists, or skills with videos, NRC Plus is an excellent tool to incorporate into your daily work.

For more information on Nursing Reference Center Plus or other nursing-related resources, please reach out to Library Services at asklibrary@nshealth.ca. We are here to help!

References

1. EBSCO (2022). Nursing Reference Center Plus. https://support-ebsco-com.libraryproxy.nshealth.ca/help/?int=nup&lang=en&feature_id=&TOC_ID=Always&SI=1&BU=0&GU=0&PS=0&ver=&dbs=nup.

 

Amanda Andrews

Librarian Educator, Education & Training Lead
Cape Breton Regional Hospital, Eastern Zone

Part 2: Ethics support at Nova Scotia Health
09/19/2022
Library Staff
Nursing, Physicians, Ethics

In part 1 of our post about ethics support at Nova Scotia Health, you learned about the structure for ethics support and the types of support available to staff and physicians. Now, in part 2, we will cover how you access ethics support through Ethics Nova Scotia Health.

Ethics support is available to all staff, health care providers, volunteers, patients, and families at Nova Scotia Health. Our hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30 -4:30pm.

To request ethics support:

  1. Visit our corporate website.
  2. On the website, click on the appropriate link to access a request form. Download the form and fill it in.
  3. Submit the completed form by email to the relevant zone ethics contact.

OR

What to expect when you request an ethics consultation

Ethics requests are confidential. Health care team members, patients, and families do not need permission from the treating physician to request an ethics consultation.

Once you have submitted your request, an ethics administrator or a member of the ethics consultation team will contact you. If you have not filled in a request form, you may be asked to provide more information about the situation. We will then triage your request. If we determine that another service may be better able to address the issue, we will do our best to direct you to the relevant service.

Ethics consultation support can take different forms, depending on the issue and the situation:

  • In some cases, an informal conversation with a health care ethicist may help clarify the ethical concerns and the tensions between values.
  • In other cases, it may be useful to involve several team members in a meeting (online or in-person) with Ethics, to discuss the team's concerns.
  • You may choose to involve Ethics in a more formal meeting with the medical team, patients, and family members.

During your ethics consultation, we can help you:

  • Work through complex decisions
  • Identify tensions between the values in the situation
  • Explore possible options and the consequences of those options

NOTE Ethics does not take over the decision-making authority.

Online ethics resources and tools

Ethics Nova Scotia Health resources: https://www.cdha.nshealth.ca/ethics-support/ethics-resources

Nova Scotia Health Ethics Network (NSHEN): www.nshen.ca

Clinical ethics resources:

Resources for health policy developers and reviewers:

  • Ethics and Health Policy: The Nuts & Bolts is a general guide on developing health policies. It guides you through the various stages of health policy development. NOTE This guide is written for a general audience. It does not speak to the specifics of Nova Scotia Health's policy development and approval processes.

Ethics education resources:

If you have any general inquiries about Ethics Nova Scotia Health, please contact czethics@nshealth.ca. To request ethics support, please reach out to Ethics Support for your health zone: https://www.cdha.nshealth.ca/ethics-support/contact.

Lisbeth Witthoefft Nielsen

Ethics Resource Coordinator, Ethics Nova Scotia Health, Central Zone

with the Ethics Collaborations Team
Department of Bioethics, Dalhousie University

 

Part 1: Ethics support at Nova Scotia Health
09/06/2022
Library Staff
Nursing, Physicians, Ethics

There are various resources available to help health care providers and staff work through the ethical issues they encounter as part of their work. In this first part of a two-part post, we start by looking at the structure for ethics support at Nova Scotia Health, and the types of support available to you.

The Nova Scotia Health Ethics Framework outlines the structure for ethics support, including who is responsible for supporting research ethics, and clinical and organizational ethics. The framework also describes the role of Ethics Nova Scotia Health’s Local Ethics Teams, Zone Ethics Committees, and the Ethics Leads Group.

Who to contact for ethics support depends on the nature of your request:

Ethics Support – Four types at Ethics Nova Scotia Health

Clinical ethics consultation relates to a specific patient’s care or to a particular clinical situation that involves questions of professional ethics. This type of consultation may address ethical concerns relating to a current or ongoing situation, or serve as a debrief after an event. Situations are often complex and include more than one ethical concern or question. Themes that regularly come up in clinical ethics consultations include substitute decision-making, informed choice, and disagreement around goals of care.

Organizational ethics consultation relates to broader, systems-level issues that typically affect larger groups of patients and other stakeholders. This type of ethics consultation also includes overall direction for programs, zones, and the Nova Scotia Health organization as a whole; where an ethics perspective can contribute to analysis and strategic choices.

Sometimes, ethical issues related to a specific patient’s care may be the result of organizational structures and processes. If you are not sure what type of consultation would be best for you, please ask us.

Ethics support in health policy development and review is available to people or groups involved with revising or developing new health care policies. Ethics Nova Scotia Health regularly provides stakeholder feedback on draft policies, and offers support in applying the feedback. If you are working on a policy that is contentious, we recommend involving Ethics early in the process. We can help your working group:

  • Identify the principles and values that should guide the policy
  • Analyze tensions between those guiding principles and values

Consult our Quick Reference Guide: Policy Development and Ethics to learn how we can support you.

Ethics education sessions with Ethics Nova Scotia Health provide health care providers with an opportunity to improve their knowledge and skills with respect to the ethics of complex health care situations. We have education modules and presentations on many key topics, including moral distress, informed choice, professional boundaries, and hope in health care. If there is an ethics topic that your team would like to explore, we will tailor an education session(s) to your needs.

In Part 2 of this post, we will cover how you can access ethics support through Ethics Nova Scotia Health.

Lisbeth Witthoefft Nielsen

Ethics Resource Coordinator, Ethics Nova Scotia Health, Central Zone

with the Ethics Collaborations Team
Department of Bioethics, Dalhousie University

 

New ebooks available in the collection
07/05/2021
profile-icon Amanda Andrews
Nursing, Physicians, Guidelines, Teaching & Learning, Searching, Funding, Clinical Research

Library Services has several new ebooks on our virtual shelves. A selection of these ebooks have been added thanks to the generosity of the Dr. Chauhan Memorial Trust Fund (Cape Breton, Guysborough, Antigonish Strait region).

 

Dr. Chauhan Memorial Trust Fund purchases

With funding from the Dr. Chauhan Memorial Trust Fund, Library Services has added the following titles to support the practice of physicians, nurses, and allied health providers. Many of the titles are highly recommended by Doody's Review Service. 

Click on a title below to view the item's record in our catalogue, then simply click 'View ebook' to open.

 

Additional ebooks added to the collection

Looking for more ebooks like the ones we've selected? Try finding related titles using the Subject (MeSH) (Medical Subject Headings) links in each record:

  1. Click on the ebook's title or the blue arrow to the left of the title to show the full catalogue record.
  2. Click on one of the Subjects (MeSH) for more items on the same topic.

As Nova Scotia Health staff and physicians, you have access to more than 11,000 ebooks! If there is an ebook or other resource that you think Library Services should add to the collection, please let us know. On your computer, click on the 'Request' drop-down arrow at the top of this web page, then click on 'Suggestions for Library Purchase' and complete and submit the electronic form. On your mobile device simply click on the grey button in the upper right corner of your screen to find the 'Request' drop-down menu.

Thanks again to the generosity of the Dr. Chauhan Memorial Trust Fund. As always, if you have any questions, please connect with Library Services.

Amanda Andrews

Librarian Educator
Cape Breton Regional Hospital, Eastern Zone

Finding qualitative studies in CINAHL and APA PsycInfo®
09/02/2020
profile-icon Amanda Andrews
Mental Health, Nursing, Clinical Practice & Policy , Searching, Clinical Research

The field of research is vast. Deciding what type of study design to help answer your research question can be complicated. This post will outline what qualitative studies are, when to use them, and most importantly, how to find them in CINAHL Complete and APA PsycInfo®, formerly known as PsycINFO®. 

Qualitative studies are a valuable type of research which tend to be popular in the social sciences because they give insight into people’s behaviour. “Research following a qualitative approach is exploratory and seeks to explain ‘how’ and ‘why’ a particular phenomenon, or behavior, operates as it does in a particular context.” (simplypsychology.org, 2020)

In comparison to quantitative studies, which tend to focus on numeracy and systematic techniques, qualitative studies are directed more towards emotion, observation and opinion. There are several types of qualitative studies, such as focus groups, case studies and observation. 

Finding qualitative studies in CINAHL Complete

Let’s search CINAHL Complete for studies that answer the following research question: ‘How do young people cope with stress?’

  1. Start at the Databases A-Z page.
  2. Navigate to ‘C’ (by clicking on ‘C’ or simply by scrolling down) and click on CINAHL Complete. If you're connecting from home, you may be prompted to enter your Nova Scotia Health login. This is the same username and password you use to log in to your work email or computer.
  3. Using the search bar on the landing page, enter the search terms ‘stress’ and ‘coping.’
  4. There are 2 ways to limit results to qualitative studies:

I. In the Search Options, scroll down to Clinical Queries on the right-hand side and select:  

  • Qualitative - High Sensitivity, the broadest search. It will include all relevant material, but may also include materials that are less relevant.
    OR
  • Qualitative - High Specificity, the most targeted search. It will include only the most relevant result set, but may miss some other relevant materials.
    OR
  • Qualitative - Best Balance, will retrieve the best balance between sensitivity and specificity.

II. Scroll down to Publication Type on the right-hand side to choose publication types that use qualitative methods. 

  1. Click on the ‘Search’ button at the top and apply filters to the results as needed.

 

Finding Qualitative Studies in APA PsycInfo®

  1. Start at the Databases A-Z page.
  2. Navigate to ‘A’ (by clicking on ‘A’ or simply by scrolling down) and click on APA PsycInfo. If connecting from home, you may be prompted to enter your Nova Scotia Health login. This is the same username and password you use to log in to your work email or computer.
  3. Using the ‘Advanced Search’, enter the search terms ‘stress’ and ‘coping.’
  4. There are 2 ways to limit results to qualitative studies:

I. Scroll down to Methodology, located on the landing page. Select interview, qualitative study, or focus group to limit your results to a particular qualitative study type.

II. You can also use subject terms in the main search bar. Terms used could include qualitative research, grounded theory, interviews and observation methods to narrow your results to qualitative studies.

  1. Click on the ‘Search’ button at the top and apply filters to the results as needed.

Qualitative studies can be useful when seeking an understanding of motives, opinions and behaviours. You can also apply these tips when using other databases which allow you to refine results by methodology and publication type.

If you require further info on accessing qualitative studies, be sure to reach out to AskLibrary@nshealth.ca or book a one-on-one-consult with a librarian. We’re here to help!

Amanda Andrews

Librarian Educator
Cape Breton Regional Hospital, Eastern Zone

Resource Spotlight: CINAHL® (Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature) Complete
07/17/2019
profile-icon Katie McLean
Nursing, Nutrition & Diet Therapy, Rehabilitation, Recreation Therapy, Social Work, Searching

UPDATED: July 17, 2019. Original Post: February 1, 2017.

If you’ve ever tried to loosen a screw with a nail file or pop a wine bottle cork using a screwdriver, you know it’s easier when you have the right tool for the job. It’s the same when looking for information. It helps to search in a database that is built for your specific subject and/or discipline. If your research and/or practice area is nursing, rehabilitation, social work, dietetics or another allied health discipline, consider using CINAHL® Complete. 

CINAHL® retrieves information about articles from more than 5,000 journals, from 1937 to the present. Since the focus of the database is nursing and allied health literature, articles are tagged with preferred terms that reflect the language used in these disciplines. These tags, a form of controlled vocabulary, are called CINAHL® Subject Headings. Searching with CINAHL® subject headings will return more relevant results.

This short tutorial will help you get started using CINAHL® subject headings:

 

For more guidance on searching in CINAHL® Complete, view the tutorials on EBSCO’s CINAHL® Databases Training site or contact Library Services. 

Lana MacEachern

Library Technician
Aberdeen Regional Hospital, Northern Zone

Katie McLean

Librarian Educator, Education & Outreach
Dickson Building, Central Zone

Field is required.