Revised Rh Practice Guideline - The Rh Program of Nova Scotia would like to highlight that the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) have released a revised Guideline No. 448: Prevention of Rh D Alloimmunization which replaces No. 133 dated January 2018.
The guideline outlines the practice of safely withholding Rho(D) immune globulin before 8 weeks gestation which is consistent with the Nova Scotia guidelines. It is expected that Nova Scotia guidelines be followed as the current standard of care for our jurisdiction. For additional information please refer to the Rh Program of Nova Scotia Guideline for Perinatal Antibody Screening and Rho(D) Immune Globulin Administration.
Parents Peer Support Group – Canadian Mental Health Nova Scotia is offering a free virtual peer support group. This group will meet Thursdays from 11:00am- 12:00pm beginning September 19, 2024 via Zoom.
The Parents Peer Support Group is a safe, nonjudgemental place to connect, share your stories and struggles, and learn from the experiences of other parents.
To register for the session(s), click here. Perinatal care providers across NS are encouraged to share the link with their patients and families.
Smart Parent Launch - The IWK Health Centre and Nova Scotia Health Public Health are excited to have launched the SmartParent pilot program. SmartParent is a free evidence-based text messaging program that sends information to achieve a healthy pregnancy and birth, timed and tailored to the specific stage of pregnancy. We are requesting support from our healthcare and community partners in the pilot program in sharing the details of this valuable prenatal resource with colleagues, patients, and families. Additional information is available for parents on the IWK website and for care providers on the SmartParent website. SmartParent also provides posters which can be downloaded and posted in public spaces and online. Please encourage your perinatal patients and clients to sign up for SmartParent so they can benefit from the information shared throughout this transformational time in their lives. Enrollment can be completed by texting the keyword ‘Baby’ to 12323 or by going to www.smartparent.ca and clicking ‘Enroll Now’.
Nominate a Breastfeeding Champion - To celebrate National Breastfeeding Week 2024 show your appreciation and recognition for best practice by nominating an individual or a team that have implemented strategies to protect, promote and support breast/chest feeding and cue-based, responsive infant and young child feeding. For more information go to the Breastfeeding Committee for Canada website. Complete the nomination form here.
2024 CAPWHN National Conference & CANN Day of Education – The Canadian Association of Perinatal and Women’s Health Nurses (CAPWHN) annual conference will be held on November 14-15, 2024, in Montreal, Quebec. For the first time CAPWHN is partnering with the Canadian Association of Neonatal Nurses (CANN), who will be hosting an additional day of education (in-person and Virtual) on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, featuring sessions on emerging topics and trends in neonatal nursing care and newborn health. The conference theme is The Future is Now: Sustaining Excellence in Perinatal, Neonatal, and Women’s Health Nursing. Registration for both educational events is OPEN and early bird registration is available until October 1, 2024. To register for the both the CANN Education Day and CAPWHN Conference click here.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Resources – The fasdNL Network promotes accurate and credible information and is focused on increasing the awareness of FASD and related issues among individuals, families, and communities. The fasdNL Network believes that such awareness efforts will assist in the prevention of FASD as well as to increase support and functioning for those affected by FASD. fasdNL offers a free toolkit of resources which can be found on the fasdNL website.
Breastfeeding Committee for Canada Symposium 2024 – The BCC is offering a virtual symposium on October 1-4, 2024. This exciting opportunity aligns with National Breastfeeding Week, October 1-7th. The symposium will provide 2 hours of presentations daily from 12:00pm -2:00pm EST. The theme of national Breastfeeding Week and the Symposium is: “Closing the Gap: Breastfeeding for All”. Note: 3.5 CERPS are available.
To register for the Symposium, go to the BCC website.
Professional/health-related upcoming awareness events/days:
September:
- World Patient Safety Day — Sept. 17
- National Physician Suicide Awareness Day — Sept. 17
- World Heart Day — Sept. 19
- National Day for Truth and Reconciliation — Sept. 30
- Orange Shirt Day — Sept. 30
- Nephrology Nurses Week — Sept. 8–14
- Gender Equality Week — Sept. 22–28
- Child Passenger Safety Week — Sept. 15–21
- Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
- Leukodystrophy Awareness Month
- Pain Awareness Month
October:
- Treaty Day — Oct. 1
- International Day of Older Persons/National Seniors Day — Oct. 1
- Rosh Hashanah begins — Oct. 2
- World Cerebral Palsy Day — Oct. 6
- Emergency Nurses Day — Oct. 9
- World Mental Health Day — Oct. 10
- International Day of the Girl Child — Oct. 11
- Yom Kippur — Oct. 11
- Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day — Oct. 15
- Pharmacy Technician Day — Oct. 15
- National Mammography Day — Oct. 18
- Person's Day — Oct. 18
- Brain Cancer Awareness Day — Oct. 24
- World Occupational Therapy Day — Oct. 27
- International Orthopedic Nurses' Day — Oct. 30
- National Breastfeeding Week — Oct. 1–7
- Seniors Week in Nova Scotia — Oct. 1–7
- Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Week — Oct. 6–12
- Sonography Week — Oct. 2–6
- Canadian Malnutrition Awareness Week — Oct. 3–7
- Mental Illness Awareness Week — Oct. 6–12
- Medical Device Reprocessing Week — Oct. 6–12
- Emergency Nurses Week — Oct. 6–12
- Perinatal Nurses Week — Oct. 10–16
- National Infection Control Week — Oct. 14–18
- Respiratory Therapy Week — Oct. 20–26
- Canadian Intensive Care Week — Oct. 21–26
- Canadian Patient Safety Week — Oct. 28–Nov. 1
- Orthopedic Nurses Week — Oct. 28–Nov. 1
- International Brain Tumour Awareness Week — Oct. 26–Nov. 2
- ADHD Awareness Month
- Breast Cancer Awareness Month
- Canadian Islamic History Month
- Cybersecurity Awareness Month
- German Heritage Month
- Healthy Workplace Month
- International AAC Awareness Month
- Latin American Heritage Month
- Mi'kmaq History Month
- Occupational Therapy Month
- Women's History Month
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