HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM THE SALPN COUNCIL & STAFF
Wishing you and your family a healthy, safe, and happy holiday season.

Thank you for serving the public and especially now during these trying and uncertain times. 

LPNS are authorized by the SALPN to provide immunizations. This is an additional competency that requires education.

The SALPN does not require an LPN to take a specific education course. The type of education needed will vary based on what type of immunization is being administered.

For the Influenza vaccine, many employers have developed an education package that should allow the LPN to have achieved the necessary competencies for this skill. We anticipate that this will be the same for the Covid-19 vaccine.

For more comprehensive education that should prepare the LPN to have the competencies to administer most immunizations, the Canadian Paediatric Society offers a full program that is delivered online.

The competencies required for immunizations are listed in the SALPN Competency Profile, Section W-4. This should be reviewed along with the Practice Guideline Immunizations before you start to provide any immunizations.

Note: no matter how the LPN achieves the competencies, there must be:  

• Employer policy that allows for LPNs to administer immunizations, including physician orders 
• An adverse event management policy for the unit/facility 
• The LPN must be trained on the adverse event management policy

THERE IS NO LONGER A REQUIREMENT FOR A PHYSICIAN OR NURSE PRACTIONER TO BE ON SITE  

If you are going to be involved in a peer immunizer program, please contact practice@salpn.com to discuss additional requirements. 

I am pleased to provide you with an update on the Professional Scope of Practice for LPNs related to Point-of-Care (POC) testing.

The SALPN has reviewed the extensive documentation supplied by Heather Keith from the Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority (NITHA). In this material, there is sufficient evidence of a quality training program developed in association with the Public Health Agency of Canada and the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg for the use of the Gene-Xpert machine by LPNs. Other information supplied was from the SHA, which mirrored much of what Ms. Keith provided.

Because the use of this machine (in a clinical setting) falls under The Medical Laboratory Licensing Act and/or The Medical Laboratory Licensing Regulations, the SALPN is confident that the safety of the public will be maintained. LPNs are authorized to do point of care testing using the Gene-Xpert machine.

In the future, we will consider all POC testing done by LPNs as within the Professional Scope of Practice under the following conditions: 

1. Ensure that the device is approved by Health Canada for the purpose and plan to use it.
2. Ensure the nursing activity the LPN will be performing is within the Professional Scope of Practice for LPNs and that they are able to meet all relevant standards of practice.
3. Follow the clinical guidelines identified by public health or relevant agency related to the use of this device.
4. LPNs do not diagnose diseases or disorders, so they will need an identified process to refer clients with positive COVID-19 test results to an appropriate health professional for further follow-up. 

An update to the SALPN Competency Profile will be done in the new year to reflect this change.

Topic: The Public Health Agency of Canada presents COVID-19 Vaccine Foundations for Health Care Providers.

Module 1 – Health Canada COVID-19 Vaccine Approval and the Role of NACI in COVID-19 Vaccine Planning

Speakers:    

Dr. Megan Bettle, Health Canada, and Dr. Caroline Quach, Chair of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI)

Objectives:

• To describe the Health Canada vaccine approval pathway for vaccines, including changes under the interim order and the status of current rolling submissions
• To underscore the guidance delivered and expected from the National Advisory

Module 2 – COVID-19 Vaccines in Canada

Speakers:    

Dr. April Killikelly and Dr. Marina Salvadori, the Public Health Agency of Canada

Objectives:

• To compare the platform technologies used by candidate vaccines against SARS-COV-2/COVID-19
• To discuss mRNA vaccines in development by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna

Module 3 – COVID-19 Vaccine Administration and Immunization Clinic Planning

Speakers:    

Dr. Bryna Warshawsky, the Public Health Agency of Canada

Objectives:

• To describe the infection prevention and control requirements for safely providing COVID-19 vaccines given the ongoing circulation of SARS-CoV-2T
• To highlight key messages regarding vaccine storage and handling requirements
• To provide planning parameters and strategies for organizing mass immunization clinics

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