Library News

IPPL Clinical Practice and Policy digest posts summarize updates over the past month about:

• Clinical Policies, Care Directives, Guidelines and Learning Modules
  • Get the latest on clinically relevant, local guidance published through policies, care directives, guidelines and/or learning modules.
  • Identify competencies relevant to you/your team’s practice.
• Dynamic Health (DH)
  • Stay informed about implementation and use of Dynamic Health at Nova Scotia Health, including recent updates to Workplace Notes and Custom Workplace Skills.
• Clinical Practice Support (CPS) Subject Guides
  • Learn about recently published and updated CPS subject guides, where you/your team can find relevant resources across DH, policies, care directives, guidelines and learning modules. CPS subject guides also include Key Practice Points and additional educational and guidance resources to support implementation and competency maintenance.

Original posts on the above topics can be accessed by Nova Scotia Health Employees through The Compass > Clinical Resources News.

Policies, Care Directives, Guidelines and Learning Modules

• NEW CARE DIRECTIVE: Sepsis Recognition and Treatment in the Emergency Department Settings
  • CD-EC-095 is supported by and includes a Dynamic Health custom skill. Leadership and Clinical Educators can find this new care directive, DH link and more implementation support resources in the Sepsis Recognition and Treatment in the Emergency Department Settings Clinical Practice Support subject guide.
• NEW POLICY and PROCEDURES: Medication Administration
  • MM-MA-001 has been updated and includes several DH skills. Leadership and Clinical Educators can find this new policy, related procedures, DH links and more support resources in the Medication Administration Clinical Practice Support subject guide.

Dynamic Health Updates

• New Workplace Notes and Reviewed Skills
  • New notes have been created for a range of skills, including but not limited to: Arterial Catheter Site Care, Enteral Nutrition by Bolus, Gastrostomy Tube Care, Leg Ulcer Compression Systems, Liquid Nitrogen for Dermatologic Cryosurgery, Wasting Controlled Substances.
  • View the full list of New Workplace Notes and Reviewed Skills for September 2025.
• Revised Workplace Notes
  • Workplace Note about a range of skills have been revised, including but not limited to: Assessing and Managing Pain, Blood Product and Plasma Administration, CVADs, Feeding Tubes, IM Injections in Newborns, Oral Medication for Infants and Children, Urine Specimen Collection from Indwelling Catheters, Tracheostomies.
  • View the list of Revised Workplace Notes for September 2025.
• Custom Workplace Skills
  • NEW
    • Point-of-Use Cleaning of Flexible Endoscopes
    • Performing the Pediatric Respiratory Assessment Measure (PRAM) in Pediatric Patients with Asthma
    • Performing Burn Wound Debridement for Adults
    • Recognizing and Treating Sepsis in the Emergency Department (ED)

Clinical Practice Support Subject Guides

• NEW
  • Frailty and Elder Care Network
  • Perinatal, Newborn, and Pediatrics
  • Sepsis Recognition and Treatment in the Emergency Department (ED)
  • Tracheostomy Care

Obtaining CE With Dynamic Health for Nursing Practice and Leadership Premiums

It's that time of year again! It's time to start preparing to submit for your Nursing Practice and Leadership Premiums. There are three ways to earn CE using Dynamic Health:

1. Creating a DH Personal Account + Day-to-Day Use

Each time you use a skill in DH can count towards CE, but first you need to make a personal account. Once you’ve made a personal account, make sure you are logged in each time you use DH. Over time, you’ll notice the counter in the top right getting bigger. When you are ready, you can export your activity as CE credits. Regular use of DH will help you accumulate credits that can be converted to Practice Points as per Nursing Collective Agreements.

2. Skill Review and Creating a Workplace Note (WPN)

Priority skills needing review are identified by organizational leadership and clinical educators. You may put your name forward to our Team with the clinical areas you are competent to provide review for, and we’ll reach out when needs arise. This may be to update an existing skill with a workplace note, or to review a skill for potential workplace note or another customization.

3. Creating a Custom Workplace Skill

The need to create a Custom Workplace Skill is determined through our review process, the CPP team, and leadership and clinical educators. For example, if you submit a review for a skill (after it was assigned to you) and our CPP team reviews and determines there are too many differences for a Workplace Note alone, the CPP team may reach out about collaborating on working with us to create a Custom Workplace Skill. Creating this type of skill takes more time and energy, therefore, this activity is worth the most Leadership Points offered.

Learn more and get additional tips by reading the original post at Clinical Resources News on The Compass.

Get in Touch!

Connect with Clinical Practice and Policy about this content update and opportunities to collaborate by emailing AskIPPL@nshealth.ca.

Find guidance about using Dynamic Health, setting up a personal account, exporting CE (Continuing Education) Credits, and more in the Dynamic Health Support guide.

IPPL Clinical Practice and Policy

AskIPPL@nshealth.ca

IPPL Clinical Practice and Policy digest posts summarize updates over the past month about:

• Clinical Policies, Care Directives, Guidelines and Learning Modules
  • Get the latest on clinically relevant, local guidance published through policies, care directives, guidelines and/or learning modules.
  • Identify competencies relevant to your/your team’s practice.
• Dynamic Health (DH)
  • Stay informed about implementation and use of Dynamic Health at Nova Scotia Health, including recent updates to Workplace Notes and Custom Workplace Skills.
• Clinical Practice Support (CPS) Subject Guides
  • Learn about recently published and updated CPS subject guides, where you/your team can find relevant resources across DH, policies, care directives, guidelines and learning modules. CPS subject guides also include Key Practice Points and additional educational and guidance resources to support implementation and competency maintenance.

Original posts on the above topics can be accessed by Nova Scotia Health Employees through The Compass > Clinical Resources News.

NOTE CPP Digest posts will take a break over the summer and resume in September.

Policies, Care Directives, Guidelines and Learning Modules

• NEW CARE DIRECTIVE: Management of Anaphylaxis (Outside Emergency Departments)
  • CD-CL-030 is supported by and includes several Dynamic Health (DH) skills. Leadership and Clinical Educators can find this new care directive, DH links and more support resources in the Management of Anaphylaxis Clinical Practice Support subject guide.
• NEW POLICY and PROCEDURES: Assess, Treat, and Release
  • CD-EC-090 has been updated and includes several DH skills. Leadership and Clinical Educators can find this new policy, related procedures, DH links and more support resources in the Assess, Treat, and Release Clinical Practice Support subject guide.

Dynamic Health Updates

• New Workplace Notes and Reviewed Skills
  • New notes have been created for a range of skills, including but not limited to: Caring for tracheostomy, Educating about pregnancy hypertension, Performing closed bladder irrigation, and Treating head lice and nits.
  • View the list of New Workplace Notes and Reviewed Skills for June 2025.
• Revised Workplace Notes
  • Workplace Notes about a range of skills have been revised, including but not limited to: Administering medication to obstetric patients, Inserting indwelling urinary catheters, Performing postpartum fundal assessment, and Monitoring sepsis transfusion reaction.
  • View the list of Revised Workplace Notes for June 2025.
• Custom Workplace Skills
  • NEW
    • Corking or Capping a Tracheostomy
  • UPDATED
    • Dialysis: Blood Sample Collection from a Hemodialysis Central Venous Catheter
    • Dialysis: Changing a Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) Catheter Dressing
    • Dialysis: Infusion of Alteplase in a Hemodialysis Central Venous Catheter (CVC) during Hemodialysis
    • Dialysis: Performing Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) / Twin Bag Exchange in Adults
    • Dialysis: Performing the Modified Shower Technique for Peritoneal Dialysis Dressing Change
    • Dialysis: Post-Dialysis Lock and Dwell Using Alteplase in Hemodialysis Central Venous Catheter (CVC)
    • Dialysis: Short Dwell Method of Alteplase in a Hemodialysis Central Venous Catheter (CVC)

Clinical Practice Support Subject Guides

• NEW
  • Assess, Treat, and Release
  • Management of Anaphylaxis
  • Respiratory Therapy Skills and Procedures
• UPDATED
  • Blood Product Administration - Transfusion Medicine
  • Occupational Health and Safety: Continuing Care
  • Renal Dialysis - Clinical Practice Supports: Nursing Skills and Procedures

Site Visits and Dynamic Health Scavenger Hunt Winners

Thank you to all staff who spoke with Clinical Practice and Policy during our recent site visits in Eastern and Northern Zones and at each Zone’s Quality Summit! We received a lot of positive feedback, and suggestions or questions that will lead to positive improvements.

A special thank you to all the practice leads, clinical nurse educators and site managers who met with us in person to help navigate throughout specific locations and visit frontline staff on their units.

During our visits, we hosted a digital scavenger hunt for each site. Everyone who completed the scavenger hunt form entered a draw to win a $50 Amazon gift card provided by EBSCO. Remember to check your inbox (and spam/junk folder) or The Compass > Clinical Resources News to see if your name was picked!

Get in Touch!

Connect with Clinical Policy and Practice about this content update and opportunities to collaborate by emailing AskIPPL@nshealth.ca.

Find guidance about using Dynamic Health, setting up a personal account, exporting CE (Continuing Education) Credits, and more in the Dynamic Health Support guide.

IPPL Clinical Practice and Policy

AskIPPL@nshealth.ca

IPPL Clinical Practice and Policy digest posts summarize updates over the past month about:

• Clinical Policies, Care Directives, Guidelines and Learning Modules
  • Get the latest on clinically relevant, local guidance published through policies, care directives, guidelines and/or learning modules.
  • Identify competencies relevant to you/your team’s practice.
• Dynamic Health (DH)
  • Stay informed about implementation and use of Dynamic Health at Nova Scotia Health, including recent updates to Workplace Notes and Custom Workplace Skills.
• Clinical Practice Support (CPS) Subject Guides
  • Learn about recently published and updated CPS subject guides, where you/your team can find relevant resources across DH, policies, care directives, guidelines and learning modules. CPS subject guides also include Key Practice Points and additional educational and guidance resources to support implementation and competency maintenance.

Original posts on the above topics can be accessed by NS Health Employees through The Compass > Clinical Resources News.

Policies, Care Directives, Guidelines and Learning Modules

• NEW GUIDELINE: Management of Extravasation Events
  • CL-SR-060 is supported by and includes several Dynamic Health (DH) skills. Leadership and Clinical Educators can find this new guideline, DH links and an educational poster for front line staff in the Vascular Access Clinical Practice Support subject guide.
  • Please note: Extravasations of Systemic Therapy for Cancer medications are outside the scope of this guideline.
• LEARNING MODULES: Pathways for Electrocardiography (ECG), Archived and Revised Modules
  • Resulting from the addition of the new Electrocardiography (ECG) page on the Nursing Skills and Procedures Clinical Practice Support subject guide, please note the following changes:
    • Archiving of LMS modules around lead placement and adoption of Dynamic Health skills
    • Creation of two learning pathways: Introductory and Interpretation
  • As of May 20th, 2025, modules listed below have been developed, revised or archived, through the NS Health eLearning system (LMS – Medworxx).

    • New or Revised eLearning (LMS)

      Course Title	LMS Code	Status
      Diabetes 1: Diabetes 101	0137	Revised
      Diabetes 2: Starting Insulin in Hospital	0138	Revised
      Insertion and Care of i-Gel Supraglottic Advanced Airway Device	1065	Revised
      Medication Independent Double Check	0203	Revised
      National Early Warning Score Series: Acute Care	1079	Revised
      Protections for Persons in Care	1285	News
      Transfusion Therapy: Administration and Adverse Events	0543	Revised to align with policy changes
      Transfusion Therapy: Transfusion 1 Blood Basics	0542	Revised to align with policy changes

    • Archived eLearning and Replacement Resources  

      Archived Course Title	LMS Code	Replaced With
      Administration of Epinephrine in the Treatment of Anaphylaxis	0040	Coming soon: Policy: Management of Anaphylaxis Clinical Practice Supports Subject Guide: Management of Anaphylaxis
      Delirium in the Elderly - Acute Care	0136	Delirium: Assessing Adults for Delirium Using 4AT Assessing Neurological Status in Adults
      Enteral Feeds	0166	Enteral - Clinical Practice Supports: Nursing Skills and Procedures
      Infusion Pump Training - Kangaroo e-Pump	0206	Enteral - Clinical Practice Supports: Nursing Skills and Procedures

• NEW POLICY: Allergy Skin Testing
  • CL-AS-010 is supported by and includes several Dynamic Health (DH) skills. Leadership and Clinical Educators can find this new policy and DH links in the Allergy Testing Clinical Practice Support subject guide.

Dynamic Health Updates

• New Workplace Notes and Reviewed Skills
  • New notes have been created for a range of skills, including but not limited to: Implanted Ports, Bolus Injections, PICC lines, Central Venous Catheters, Procedural Sedation, Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy and Post-operative Care.
  • View the full list of New Workplace Notes and Reviewed Skills as of May 2025.
• Revised Workplace Notes
  • Workplace Notes about a range of skills have been revised, including but not limited to: Medication Administration, Changing and Flushing/Locking PICC or CVAD, Removing Sutures, PPE, Blood and Fluid Warmers.
  • View the list of Revised Workplace Notes as of May 2025.
• Custom Workplace Skills
  • Dialysis: Administering Intra-Peritoneal (IP) Medication
  • Dialysis: Blood Culture Collection from a Hemodialysis Central Venous Catheter
  • Dialysis: Performing the Modified Shower Technique for Peritoneal Dialysis Dressing Change
  • Dialysis: Sampling Peritoneal Effluent (Fluid) for Suspected Peritonitis
  • Dialysis: Termination of a Hemodialysis Session in the Event of an Evacuation Procedure
  • Dialysis: Warming Dialysate for Peritoneal Dialysis (Twin Bag or Cycler)
  • Performing In-Vehicle Specimen Collection

Clinical Practice Support Subject Guides

• NEW
  • Electrocardiography (ECG) - Clinical Practice Supports: Nursing Skills and Procedures
  • Medication Administration
• UPDATED
  • Renal Dialysis - Clinical Practice Supports: Nursing Skills and Procedures
  • Vascular Access (CVAD, Peripheral) - Clinical Practice Supports: Nursing Skills and Procedures

Connect with Clinical Policy and Practice about this content update and opportunities to collaborate by emailing AskIPPL@nshealth.ca.

Find guidance about using Dynamic Health, setting up a personal account, exporting CE (Continuing Education) Credits, and more in the Dynamic Health Support guide.

IPPL Clinical Practice and Policy

AskIPPL@nshealth.ca

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 about Dynamic Health skills 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

• Administering an Intradermal Injection
• Administering Subcutaneous Insulin to Adults
• Assessing Adults Receiving Mechanical Ventilation
• Assessing and Caring for Patients With Delirium
• Assisting With Gown Changing in Patients With Peripheral IVs
• Managing and Dispensing Medications on the Sterile Field in the OR
• Preventing Medication Errors: General Principles
• Providing Emergency Care to Patients With Sepsis
• Providing Epidural Catheter Care
• Removing an Epidural Catheter

Revised Workplace Note

• Adding Medications to IV Solutions
• Administering a Subcutaneous Injection to Adults
• Administering a Subcutaneous Injection to Pediatric Patients
• Administering Aerosol Therapy
• Administering Alteplase for Acute Ischemic Stroke
• Administering an Enema
• Administering an IM Injection in Infants to Adolescents
• Administering an IM Injection to Adults
• Administering an IM Injection to Newborns
• Administering Buccal Medication
• Administering Eye Drops
• Administering Intranasal Medication to Pediatric Patients
• Administering IV Bolus or IV Push Medication to Adults
• Administering IV Heparin to Adults
• Administering IV Solution
• Administering Medication Through a Gastric Tube to Children and Adolescents
• Administering Medication Through a Nasogastric Tube
• Administering Medication Through a PICC
• Administering Medication Through an Enteral Tube
• Administering Medication Through Saline Lock
• Administering Medication to Adults Through an Endotracheal Tube
• Administering Medication to Older Adults
• Administering Medication to Pediatric Patients Through an Endotracheal Tube
• Administering Oral Medication to Adults
• Administering Parenteral Nutrition
• Administering Parenteral Nutrition Through Central Venous Access
• Administering Parenteral Nutrition Through Peripheral Venous Access
• Administering Parenteral Nutrition to Pediatric Patients
• Administering Syringe Pump for Medication
• Administering Topical Medication
• Applying Eye Ointment to Adults
• Applying Rectal Ointment
• Calculating Drip Rate for Gravity Flow IV Administration Sets
• Changing Peripheral IV Catheter Dressings in Adults
• Changing Peripheral IV Tubing in Adults
• Implementing Special Observation for Patients With Depression and Risk of Harmful Behaviors
• Inserting a Peripheral IV in Adults
• Inserting a Peripheral IV in Children and Adolescents
• Inserting a Rectal Suppository
• Instilling Medication in the Nose
• Instilling Medication Into the Vagina
• Managing Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy
• Managing Extravasation in Adults
• Managing Extravasation in Pediatric Patients
• Performing Medication Reconciliation
• Preparing IV Solution
• Preventing IV Infiltration
• Preventing IV Therapy Complications
• Preventing IV-Associated Medication or Infusion Errors
• Removing a Peripheral IV Catheter in Adults
• Setting up IV Piggybacks
• Taking a Medication History
• Treating IV Infiltration
• Using a Metered-Dose Inhaler in Adults
• Using a Metered-Dose Inhaler in Pediatric Patients
• Using an Electronic Infusion Pump

No Workplace Note

• Administering Oral Medication to Infants and Children
• Administering Sublingual and Buccal Medications to Pediatric Patients
• Administering Sublingual Medication to Adults
• Using the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale
• Withdrawing Medication From an Ampule

Custom Skills

• Administering Allergy Epicutaneous / Skin Prick Testing in Adults
• Collecting a Parotid Gland Duct/Buccal Specimen

Clinical Practice Supports – New and Updated

Clinical Practice Supports for Health Care Providers is a group of subject guides bringing together clinical skills and procedures in one place for health care provider-focused guidance across Dynamic Health, Policy Office, Learning Modules, established guidelines and current evidence. You can view available guides through our high-level tiled landing page or alphabetically.

• Harm Reduction
  • Implementation supports and resources for authorized Harm Reduction Interventions.
• NEWS2 Early Warning Score
  • A systematic approach to measure six key physiological parameters in patients aged 16 and older. It provides a standardized method for identifying and responding to acute deterioration in a patient's clinical condition while they are hospitalized.
• Skin and Wound Care
  • NS Health Employees can check our latest memo outlining recently updated former DHA policy documents.

Claiming CE for Custom Workplace Skills in Dynamic Health

Custom Workplace Skills that are created by Nova Scotia Health (e.g., Administering Allergy Epicutaneous / Skin Prick Testing in Adults) do not get tracked automatically as CE credits in Dynamic Health. You can still use Custom Workplace Skills for CE credit (.1 per skill) by printing or saving the time stamped checklist and including it in your Practice Points submission each year you submit. For more info visit the Dynamic Health Support guide.

Health Promotion in March and Dynamic Health Topics

March 2025 marks promotion of:

• Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
• National Poison Prevention Week March 16 to 22

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

• Skills/Procedures
  • Assessing the Rectum in Adults
  • Assisting with Colonoscopy
  • Removing and Applying an Ileostomy or Colostomy Appliance
• Disease Overviews
  • Colorectal Cancer
  • Lynch Syndrome
  • Large Bowel Obstruction, Adult
• Care Interventions
  • Colonoscopy Interventions, Adult
  • Colostomy Interventions
  • Large Bowel Resection (Colectomy) Interventions, Adult
• Signs & Symptoms
  • Rectal Pain
  • Hematochezia, Adult
  • Excessive Weight Loss, Adult

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.

• Skills/Procedures
  • Responding to Accidental Poisoning
  • Educating About Preventing Accidental Poisoning
  • Managing Patients After Chemical Exposure
• Disease Overviews
  • Acetaminophen Poisoning, Adult
  • Acetaminophen Poisoning, Pediatric
  • Lead Poisoning, Adult
  • Mushroom Poisoning
• Care Interventions
  • Drug Overdose Interventions, Adult
  • Drug Overdose Interventions, Pediatric
  • Chemical Inhalation Injury Interventions, Adult
• Signs & Symptoms
  • Cyanosis, Adult
  • Pruritus, Adult
  • Acute Blood Pressure Decrease, Pediatric

IPPL Clinical Practice and Policy

DynamicHealth@nshealth.ca

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 about Dynamic Health skills 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

• Inserting a Peripheral IV in Adults
• Managing Extravasation in Adults
• Managing Extravasation in Pediatric Patients
• Obtaining a Nasopharyngeal Specimen From Pediatric Patients
• Obtaining a Nasopharyngeal Specimen in Adults
• Obtaining an Oropharyngeal Throat Specimen
• Performing a Head-to-Toe Physical Assessment With Adults
• Using Warming Blanket Therapy for Adults in the Hospital

Revised Workplace Note

• Administering IV Solution
• Assessing Neurological Status in Adults
• Obtaining a Blood Sample for Culture From a Central Venous Catheter in Adults
• Testing for COVID-19

Custom Skills

• Dialysis: Suture Replacement for Hemodialysis Catheter (Registered Nurse Delegated Medical Function)
• Dialysis: Instillation, Withdrawal, Dwell of Alteplase in Hemodialysis Central Venous Catheter (CVC)
• Dialysis: Infusion of Alteplase in a Hemodialysis Central Venous Catheter (CVC) during Hemodialysis
• Dialysis: Post-Dialysis Lock and Dwell Using Alteplase in Hemodialysis Central Venous Catheter (CVC)
• Dialysis: Sampling Peritoneal Effluent (Fluid) for Suspected Peritonitis
• Delirium: Assessing Adults for Delirium Using 4AT

2024 Highlights

February marks two years 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 29, 2025 that reflects our collective success this past year. The change from January 2024 is noted after the metric in brackets.

Dynamic Health

• 188,691 unique Topic Section views (+118,082)
• 1,797 Skills assigned and/or reviewed (+540)
• 638 Workplace Notes published (+151)
• 32 Custom Workplace Skills published (+24)
• 27 policy documents referencing Dynamic Health, Clinical Practice Support guides (New, +27)
• 2,974 Personal user accounts created (+1,709)
• 920.3 Continuing Education Hours Claimed (+762.8)

Clinical Practice Support Guides

In 2024 we established a group of subject guides to bring together skills and procedures in one place – Clinical Practice Supports for Health Care Providers. This group includes pre-existing subject guides from the Library Services collection and adds health care provider-focused guidance across Dynamic Health, Policy Office, Learning Modules, established guidelines and current evidence. We currently host 64 Clinical Practice Support subject guides. You can view available guides through our high-level tiled landing page or alphabetically.

Engagement

We also kicked off promoting our services with our first zone visit to locations in Western Zone. We visited 8 hospitals over 3 days to chat about our support services. Over 150 staff members engaged with us during our visits, participating in a Scavenger Hunt aimed at helping to search for best practice guidance and set up a Dynamic Health account to track and export continuing education credits. We are looking forward to visiting the rest of the organization in 2025!

Collaborator Feedback

If you’ve collaborated with IPPL's Clinical Practice and Policy Team (adoption of Dynamic Health content, publication of a custom skill, package of skills in a Clinical Practice Support guide, etc.), then we want your input on our supports! Please use this form to provide feedback on your experience working with us.

Health Promotion in February and Dynamic Health Topics

February 2025 marks the promotion of:

• World Cancer Day, February 4
• Wear Red Day, February 13
• Mental Health Nurses Day, February 21

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

• Disease & Condition Overviews
  • Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma
  • Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, Adult
  • Colorectal Cancer
• Signs & Symptoms
  • Excessive Weight Loss, Adult
  • Fever of Unknown Origin, Adult
  • Fatigue, Adult
• Skills
  • Managing Cancer Anorexia-Cachexia Syndrome
  • Providing Emotional Support for Newly-Diagnosed Patients With Cancer
  • Assessing for Depression in Patients With Cancer
  • Providing Support to Patients and Families in Grief
  • Managing Constipation in Patients With Cancer
• Patient Handouts
  • Palliative Care for Cancer
  • Cancer Fatigue
  • Skin Cancer - Overview
  • Cancer Pain Syndromes

Wear Red Day

• Disease & Condition Overviews
  • Acute Myocardial Infarction, Female
  • ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI)
  • Heart Failure, Adult
• Signs & Symptoms
  • Cardiac Palpitations
  • Arm Pain
  • Chest Pain, Adult
  • Nausea, Adult
  • Fatigue, Adult
  • Shortness of Breath, Adult
  • Anxiety, Adult
• Skills
  • Emergency Department - Interpreting a Cardiac Rhythm Strip in Adults
  • Auscultating Heart Sounds in Adults
  • Performing a 12-Lead Electrocardiogram in Adults
  • Analyzing and Interpreting a 12-Lead Electrocardiogram in Adults
  • Performing 15-Lead Electrocardiogram in Adults
  • Performing Telemetry Monitoring
• Patient Handouts
  • Getting to the Heart of a Healthful Diet
  • Cardiac Arrest
  • Heart Healthy Physical Activity
  • Tips to Help You Stop Smoking

Mental Health Nurses Day

• Disease & Condition Overviews
  • Major Depressive Disorder, Adult
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Adult
  • Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Adult
• Signs & Symptoms
  • Anxiety, Adult
  • Depression, Adult
  • Insomnia, Adult
• Skills
  • Assessing Mental Health Status in Adults
  • Collecting a Mental Health History in Adults
  • Mental Health and Addictions: Self Care Education in the Emergency Department
• Patient Handouts
  • Anxiety Disorders
  • Depression and Chronic Illness
• Leadership
  • Self-Awareness in Nursing Practice

IPPL Clinical Practice and Policy

DynamicHealth@nshealth.ca

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

• Assessing Surgical Risk Factors in Older Adults
• Assisting With Testing of Potential Organ Donors After Brain Death
• Caring for EZ-IO Intraosseous Infusion Systems
• Changing a Suprapubic Catheter
• Obtaining a Blood Sample From a Central Venous Catheter in Infants to Adolescents

Revised Workplace Note

• Assessing Urinary Output
• Caring for Adults Receiving Mechanical Ventilation: Respiratory Therapy
• Caring for Patients With a Nasogastric Tube Occlusion
• Collecting a Urine Specimen From an Indwelling Urinary Catheter in Adults
• Collecting a Urine Specimen From an Intermittent Urinary Catheter
• Inserting a Coudé Catheter in Adults With a Penile Urethra
• Inserting a Coudé Catheter in Adults With a Vulvar Urethra
• Inserting an Indwelling Urinary Catheter in Adults With a Vulvar Urethra
• Inserting Indwelling Urinary Catheters in Adults With a Penile Urethra
• Managing an Indwelling Pleural Catheter
• Monitoring for Sepsis Transfusion Reaction
• Obtaining a Blood Sample for Culture From a Central Venous Catheter in Adults
• Performing Suprapubic Catheter Care
• Performing Urinary Catheter Care Following Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP)
• Providing Tracheostomy Care in Pediatric Patients: Respiratory Therapy
• Removing a Suprapubic Catheter

Reviewed: No Workplace Note

• Caring for Indwelling Urinary Catheters in Infants to Adolescents
• Collecting Urine From an Indwelling Urinary Catheter in Pediatric Patients
• Inserting a Foley Catheter in Infants, Children, and Adolescents With a Vulvar Urethra
• Inserting a Foley Catheter in Infants, Children, and Adolescents With a Penile Urethra
• Inserting an Intermittent (Straight) Catheter in Pediatric Patients With a Vulvar Urethra
• Inserting an Intermittent (Straight) Catheter in Pediatric Patients With a Penile Urethra
• Removing an Indwelling Catheter From Children and Adolescents

Custom Skills

• Dialysis: Accessing and Flushing the Non-Tunnelled Central Venous Catheter (CVC) or Quick Connect
• Dialysis: Accessing and Flushing Tunnelled Central Venous Catheter (CVC) or Quick Connect
• Dialysis: Changing a Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) Catheter Dressing
• Dialysis: Dressing Change Procedure for Non-Tunnelled Central Venous Catheter (CVC)
• Dialysis: Dressing Change Procedure for the Tunnelled Central Venous Catheter (CVC)
• Dialysis: Locking the Non-Tunnelled Central Venous Catheter (CVC) Post-Dialysis
• Dialysis: Locking the Tunnelled Central Venous Catheter (CVC) Post-Dialysis
• Dialysis: Performing Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) / Twin Bag Exchange in Adults
• Dialysis: Performing the Shower Technique for Peritoneal Dialysis Dressing Change
• Dialysis: Providing Peritoneal Dialysis Using a Cycler Machine (CCPD, APD)

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:

• Alzheimer's Awareness Month
• Let's Talk Day - January 25th

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

• Disease & Condition Overviews
  • Alzheimer Disease
  • Dementia, Adult
• Signs & Symptoms
  • Cognitive Impairment
  • Confusion
  • Disorientation
• Skills
  • Providing Support to Caregivers of Patients with Dementia
  • Recognizing Signs of Pain and Discomfort in Patients with Dementia in Long-Term Care
  • Administering the Mini-Mental State Exam
• Patient Handouts
  • Alzheimer Disease
  • Alzheimer Disease: Tips for Caregivers
  • Dementia: Know the Warning Signs

Let's Talk Day

• Disease & Condition Overviews
  • Major Depressive Disorder, Adult
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Adult
  • Substance Use Disorder, Adult
• Signs & Symptoms
  • Anxiety, Adult
  • Depression, Adult
• Skills
  • Assessing Mental Health Status in Adults
  • Collecting a Mental Health History in Adults
  • Providing Support to Patients and Families in Grief
  • Communicating With and Counseling Clients Who Are Anxious: Social Work
  • Mental Health and Addictions: Self Care Education in the Emergency Department
• Patient Handouts
  • Anxiety Disorders
  • Depression and Chronic Illness

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 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

• Assessing Neurological Status in Adults
• Assessing Urinary Output
• Assisting With Voluntary Admission to a Psychiatric Unit
• Collecting a Urine Specimen From an Indwelling Urinary Catheter in Adults
• Collecting a Urine Specimen From an Intermittent Urinary Catheter
• Conducting a Post-Fall Assessment in Long-Term Care
• Inserting a Coudé Catheter in Adults With a Penile Urethra
• Inserting a Coudé Catheter in Adults With a Vulvar Urethra
• Inserting an Indwelling Urinary Catheter in Adults With a Vulvar Urethra
• Inserting Indwelling Urinary Catheters in Adults With a Penile Urethra
• Performing Negative Pressure Wound Therapy
• Performing Suprapubic Catheter Care
• Removing a Suprapubic Catheter

Revised Workplace Note

• Administering Oxygen Therapy: Respiratory Therapy
• Administering Pump-Assisted Enteral Nutrition to Adults
• Administering Subcutaneous Chemotherapy
• Assisting With Chest Tube Insertion in Infants to Adolescents
• Changing Chest Tube Dressing in Adults
• Inserting a Small-Bore Feeding Tube
• Inserting EZ-IO Intraosseous Infusion Systems
• Monitoring Pulmonary Artery Pressure in Adults
• Performing Urinary Catheter Care Following Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP)
• Providing Emergency Care of Open Fractures
• Removing EZ-IO Intraosseous Infusion Systems

Reviewed: No Workplace Note

• Identifying Postoperative Depression
• Managing Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting in Adults
• Providing Perineal Care for Postpartum Patients
• Removing Nasal Packing

Custom Workplace Skills

• Administering Allergy Patch Testing in Adults and Pediatrics
• Administering Allergy Skin Prick Testing in Adults
• Performing the Shower Technique for Peritoneal Dialysis Dressing Change

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:

• World AIDS Day - December 1
• International Day of Persons with Disabilities- - December 3
• National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women - December 6

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

• Disease & Condition Overviews
  • HIV/AIDS, Adult
  • HIV/AIDS/Pediatric
• Signs & Symptoms
  • Fatigue, Adult
  • Fever, Adult
  • Lymphadenopathy, Adult
• Skills
  • Promoting Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy Regimen
  • Educating About HIV Infection
• Patient Handouts
  • HIV Infection and AIDS
  • HIV Antibody

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

• Disease & Condition Overviews
  • Trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome)
  • Intellectual Disability, Adult
  • Intellectual Disability, Pediatric
• Signs & Symptoms
  • Hemiplegia
  • Atonic Seizure, Adult
• Skills
  • Helping Patients Cope with Chronic Illness and Disability
  • Communicating With and Counseling Clients With Visual Impairment: Social Work
  • Communicating With and Counseling Clients who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: Social Work
• Patient Handouts
  • Intellectual Disability

National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

• Disease & Condition Overviews
  • Intimate Partner Violence
• Signs & Symptoms
  • Pelvic Pain, Female
  • Depression, Adult
• Skills
  • Screening for Intimate Partner Violence in Adults
  • Screening and Reporting Abuse for Adults in Ambulatory Care
  • Communicating With Patients Who Are Anxious
• Patient Handouts
  • Intimate Partner Violence - Recognizing Abuse

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 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

• Administering Intradermal Allergy Skin Testing
• Performing Point-of-Care Blood Glucose Testing

Revised Workplace Note

• Administering COVID-19 Vaccine
• Administering Parenteral Nutrition
• Administering Parenteral Nutrition via Central Venous Access
• Administering Parenteral Nutrition via Peripheral Venous Access
• Assisting With Paracentesis
• Managing Acute Hemolytic Transfusion Reactions
• Managing Transfusion-Associated Circulatory Overload (TACO) in Adults
• Performing a 12-Lead Electrocardiogram in Pediatric Patients
• Providing Fluid Resuscitation or Massive Transfusion Using a Rapid Infusion Device
• Vaccinating Adults
• Vaccinating Children
• Vaccinating Infants

Reviewed: No Workplace Note

• Managing Dyspnea in Patients With Cancer

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:

• Administering Parenteral Nutrition via Central Venous Access

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

• Providing Emergency Care to Patients With Sepsis

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:

• Fall Prevention Month
• National Pain Awareness Week - November 3-9
• Diabetes Awareness Month

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

• Disease & Condition Overviews
  • Hip Fracture
  • Orthostatic Hypotension, Adult
  • Subdural Hematoma, Adult
• Signs & Symptoms
  • Muscular Weakness, Adult
  • Waddling Gait
• Skills
  • Using a Fall Risk Assessment Tool
  • Implementing a Fall Prevention Plan
  • Educating Older Adults About Fall Prevention: Physical and Occupational Therapy
  • Assessing Fall Risk in Adults: Physical Therapy
• Patient Handouts
  • Exercises to Help Prevent Falls (available in English and Spanish)
  • How to Prevent Falls (available in multiple translations)

National Pain Awareness Week

• Disease & Condition Overviews
  • Peripheral Neuropathy
  • Phantom Limb Pain
• Signs & Symptoms
  • Acute Pain, Adult
  • Flank Pain, Adult
  • Abdominal Pain, Adult
• Skills
  • All Clinical Practice Supports - Pain assessment and documentation > HERE:
    https://library.nshealth.ca/Clinical-Practice-Nursing/Pain
• Patient Handouts
  • Neuropathic Pain (available in English and Spanish)
  • Acute Abdominal Pain (available in English and Spanish)
  • Managing Chronic Low Back Pain (available in English and Spanish)

Diabetes Awareness Month

• Disease & Condition Overviews
  • Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, Adult
  • Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Adult
• Signs & Symptoms
  • Hypoglycemia, Adult
  • Hyperglycemia, Adult
• Skills
  • Educating About Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in Adults
  • Educating About Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Adults
  • Caring for the Diabetic Foot
  • Managing Hypoglycemia in Conscious Adults
  • Managing Hypoglycemia in Unconscious Adults
• Patient Handouts
  • Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease: What's the Link?(available in English and Spanish)
  • Taking Care of Your Diabetes When You Are Sick(available in English and Spanish)
  • Type 1 Diabetes(available in multiple translations)
  • Type 2 Diabetes(available in multiple translations)

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 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

• Caring for Patients With Postoperative Ileus
• Communicating With Patients Who Are Depressed
• Inserting a Nasopharyngeal Airway in Adults
• Managing Pain in Adults
• Managing Pain in Older Adults
• Managing Post-Cardiac Arrest Syndrome
• Performing Venipuncture in Adults
• Recognizing Signs of Pain and Discomfort in Patients With Dementia in Long-Term Care
• Triaging Patients With Communicable Diseases During a Pandemic

Revised Workplace Note

• Administering Fresh Frozen Plasma
• Administering IV Rho(D) Immunoglobulin
• Administering Platelets
• Administering Red Blood Cells to Adults
• Administering Red Blood Cells to Newborns
• Administering Red Blood Cells to Pediatric Patients
• Assessing Pain in Older Adults
• Managing a Hypocalcemia Transfusion Reaction
• Recognizing and Responding to Anaphylactic or Allergic Transfusion Reactions
• Using Blood Filters
• Administering IV Immunoglobulin
• Supporting Caregivers of Patients With Cancer
• Warning Third Parties of a Threat by an Adult Patient (Duty to Warn)

Reviewed: No Workplace Note

• Assessing Clinical Competence
• Caring for Patients in the OR Receiving Regional Anesthesia
• Inserting a Urinary Catheter During Labor
• Preventing Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Postoperative Patients
• Removing a Foreign Body From the Nose
• Using a Numeric Pain Rating Scale

Custom Workplace Skill

• PACU: Assisting with Endotracheal Extubation in Adults

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:

• Breast Cancer Awareness Month
• Occupational Therapy Month
• World Psoriasis Day

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

• Disease & Condition Overviews
  • Breast Cancer, Female
  • Breast Cancer, Male
• Signs & Symptoms
  • Breast Nodule
  • Arm Edema
  • Nipple Discharge, Adult
  • Breast Dimpling
• Skills
  • Caring for Patients After Mastectomy
  • Educating Patients About Mammography
• Patient Handouts
  • How to Perform a Breast Self-examination
  • Breast Cancer in Women
  • Breast Cancer in Men

Occupational Therapy Month

• Disease & Condition Overviews
  • Lower Extremity Amputation, Adult
  • Hip Osteoarthritis
  • Spinal Cord Injury, Adult
• Signs & Symptoms
  • Activity Intolerance, Adult
  • Muscular Weakness, Adult
  • Muscle Atrophy, Adult
  • Waddling Gait
• Skills
  • Positioning and Exercising a Residual Limb: Physical and Occupational Therapy
  • Shrinking and Shaping a Residual Limb: Physical and Occupational Therapy
  • Measuring for a Manual Wheelchair: Physical and Occupational Therapy
  • Educating Older Adults About Fall Prevention: Physical and Occupational Therapy
• Clinical Practice Supports
  • Occupational Therapy Practice
• Patient Handouts
  • How to Choose and Use a Wheelchair
  • Exercises to Help Prevent Falls
  • Phantom Limb Syndrome

World Psoriasis Day

• Disease & Condition Overviews
  • Psoriasis
• Signs & Symptoms
  • Scaly Skin, Adult
  • Papular Rash, Adult
  • Pruritus, Adult
• Skills
  • Using Ultraviolet Light Therapy
  • Administering Topical Medication
  • Assisting With Therapeutic Bath
• Patient Handouts
  • Psoriasis

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

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

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

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

Dynamic Health Updates: Workplace Notes, Custom Skills

New Workplace Note

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

Revised Workplace Note

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

Reviewed: No Workplace Note

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

Custom Skills

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

Policy Clean-Up and Clinical Resources (Intranet)

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

Nursing CE Credits Due in October

Health Promotion in September and Dynamic Health Topics

September 2024 marks promotion of:

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

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

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

Fibromyalgia Awareness Week

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

Arthritis Awareness Month

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

World Sepsis Day

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

IPPL Clinical Practice and Policy

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

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

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

Margaret Poitras
Policy Lead
Policy Office

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

Ann Slaunwhite
Library Technician
Interprofessional Practice and Learning, Library Services