In honour of World Mental Health Day on October 10^th, 2022 we are featuring 5 resources that support the mental health of Healthcare workers.

1. Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science. Mental Health Toolkit.

“ARE YOU MENTALLY HEALTHY? By the time Canadians reach 40 years of age, 1 in 2 have—or have had—a mental illness. CSMLS has compiled a Mental Health Toolkit that empowers employees, employers, and organizations to take charge and make positive change within the medical laboratory profession.”

2. Canadian Mental Health Association. Workplace Mental Health.

CMHA facilitates four national programs: Not Myself Today, Workplace Training, Psychological Health and Safety Training, Takeaways Toolkit.

3. Mental Health Commission of Canada. Exploring two psychosocial factors for Health-Care workers: Support for psychological self-care and protection from moral distress in the workplace: Facilitators and Barriers. 2022.

“Psychological health and safety in the workplace is directly tied to our well-being. It is integral to our capacity to be effective, to feel significant, and to find meaning in our work. Those in health care face many challenges to being well at work, challenges that have increased exponentially during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this light, Canada’s health-care leaders and policy makers have an ethical responsibility to support health-care workers in their psychological self-care and protect them from moral distress.”

4. World Health Organization (WHO). WHO guidelines on mental health at work. 2022.

“The recommendations cover organizational interventions, manager training and worker training, individual interventions, return to work, and gaining employment. The guidelines on mental health at work aim to improve the implementation of evidence-based interventions for mental health at work.”

5. Registered Nursing Association of Ontario. Nursing Through Crisis: A Comparative Perspective. 2022.

“The surveys reveal that in the face of inordinate stress, with high work demands and little support from employers or government, nurses have been tested like never before. And, yet, they have continued – nursing through this crisis to give safe and compassionate care to patients, residents and clients. The majority of nurses have now reached their limit. A significant percentage of Canadian nurses across all nursing sectors and domains have experienced severe or extremely severe levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, with higher percentages among hospital nurses and front-line workers. Over 75 per cent of Canadian nurse respondents were classified as burnt out, with higher percentages among hospital nurses and frontline workers compared to other sectors or domains. Some nurses have already left the profession. In the Canadian survey 69 per cent of respondents planned to leave their positions within five years; 42 per cent of those planned to leave the profession either by retiring or by seeking employment in another field. Our findings confirm that the nursing profession is in crisis.”

This month we’ve pulled together 5 online resources for ADHD:

1. CADDAC – Centre for ADHD Awareness, Canada. https://www.caddra.ca/public-information/adults/resources-and-links/

“The Centre for ADHD Awareness, Canada (CADDAC) is a national not-for-profit organization providing leadership in education and advocacy for ADHD organizations and individuals with ADHD across Canada.”

2. Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA)

“ADDA is a worldwide inclusive community of supportive ADHD adults who make it possible to thrive with ADHD in today’s world. We are building a culture that celebrates ADHD and empowers our members to discover and reach their potential. We support adults with ADHD, provide a welcoming and safe environment, deliver reliable information, encourage innovative approaches and model ADHD best practices.”

3. ADDitude

A magazine for parents and adults living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

4. Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) – For Adults

Contains fact sheets, podcasts, and the ADHD information library.

5. National Institute of Mental Health. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Information sheet with links to brochures, multimedia, research and statistics.

Do you have a suggestion for future 5 on 5 topics? Let us know with an email to mhiknet@umanitoba.ca

By request! This month we’re featuring 5 free resources related to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).

1. Addictions Foundation of Manitoba Library 

Membership at the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba’s library is open to all Manitobans (18 years and over), free of charge.  Their William Potoroka Resource Collection is the largest collection of FASD resources in the province, focusing on FASD research, prevention and awareness, and parenting, caregiving and educational strategies. See their website for more information.

2. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: a guideline for diagnosis across the lifespan (2016)

This practice guideline, published in CMAJ, is an update to previous guidelines from 2005.

3. Foundations in FASD

Foundations in FASD is a basic training course offered online, for free, by the Canada FASD Research Network. It is “… intended for everyone that will come into contact with individuals with FASD including all sectors of work, families, individuals with FASD, spouses, and the general public. This foundational level training program provides the perspective of individuals who have FASD, is evidence-based, employs a culturally sensitive approach, and is presented in a way that is responsive to the learner’s needs”.  Additional courses from CanFASD are available for a fee.

4. Looking After Each Other: A Dignity Promotion Project

Looking after each other, affiliated with the Manitoba FASD Coalition, works towards creating a province where people with FASD and women who have used alcohol during pregnancy are fully accepted and their dignity is protected. Resources on their webpage include videos and mini documentaries about FASD, and a language guide for talking about FASD.

5.  Every Day is an Adventure: What Parents and Caregivers Need to Know About Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)

This resource from Healthy Child Manitoba provides information about FASD, and potential strategies for parents of children and teens with FASD. Some content from this document was used (with permission) in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: an Australian toolkit for parents, caregivers and families, which also discusses FASD in adults.

Do you have a suggestion for future 5 on 5 topics? Let us know with an email to mhiknet@umanitoba.ca

August’s 5 on 5 features wound care resources.

1. Oropallo A, et al. Guidelines for Point-of-Care Fluorescence Imaging for Detection of Wound Bacterial Burden Based on Delphi Consensus. (2021).

“Excessive levels of bacteria impede wound healing and can lead to infectious complications. Unfortunately, clinical signs and symptoms of elevated bacterial burden are often unreliable. As a result, point–of–care fluorescence imaging, used to detect critical bacterial burden in wounds, is becoming widely recognized and adopted by clinicians across the globe as an accepted and added component of wound assessment protocol. A Delphi method was employed to establish consensus guidelines describing fluorescence imaging use. A multidisciplinary panel of 32 wound experts (56% MD, 22% podiatrist, 12.5% nurses/nurse practitioners) representing multiple sites of service (e.g., hospital outpatient, inpatient, private office, long-term care) completed two rounds of online questionnaires. The Delphi included key topics, including competencies required to perform imaging, clinical indications for imaging (e.g., signs/symptoms present, procedures warranting imaging), frequency of imaging, and a clinical workflow algorithm. Describing their clinical experiences of imaging impact, >80% reported changes in treatment plans, 96% reported that imaging-informed treatment plans led to improved wound healing, 78% reported reduced rates of amputations, and 83% reported reduced rates of microbiological sampling. The guidelines provided here will help to standardize use of fluorescence imaging among wound care providers and enhance the quality of patient care.”

2. Agency for Clinical Innovation. Organisational models of care for chronic wound. (2021).

An evidence review on “organisational models to deliver chronic wound care and prevention” and recommendations for “wound care organisations in preventing or managing chronic wounds.”

3. Cochrane Reviews on Wound Care

Systematic reviews in the Cochrane Library on various topics related to wounds.

4. Nurses Specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence Canada. Debridement: Canadian best practice recommendations for nurses. (2021).

“A core finding that emerged during the development of these best practice recommendations (BPR) was the inconsistent requirements for nurses to initiate and perform debridement across provinces/territories and health care settings. The apparent need for consistent and standardized debridement practices for nurses was identified as essential to facilitate optimal clinical outcomes and safety for patients and Canadian nurses. This document is intended for the three categories of nurses in Canada, registered nurse (RN), nurse practitioner (NP), and registered/licensed practical nurse (RPN/LPN).”

5. Canadian Patient Safety Institute. Hospital harm improvement resource pressure ulcer. (2021).

Do you have a suggestion for future 5 on 5 topics? Let us know with an email to mhiknet@umanitoba.ca

For July we’re focusing on five free accessibility resources.

1) Dos and don’ts on designing for accessibility

This page, and its associated Dos and Don’ts posters, provide general guidelines and best design practices for making services accessible.

2) Maintaining Accessibility during COVID-19

This page from the Province of Manitoba outlines some service accessibility challenges during the pandemic and how they might be addressed.

3)  Accessibility Toolkit – 2nd Edition

The accessibility Toolkit by Amanda Coolidge, Sue Doner, Tara Robertson, and Josie Gray provides information on how to make online documents and videos more accessible.

4) Make your PowerPoint presentations accessible to people with disabilities

This page from Microsoft Support provides information on best practices for what to fix in your PowerPoint slides, how to find it, why to fix it, and how to fix it.  Information is relevant to PowerPoint for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Windows 10 app and the Web.

5) Otter.ai

Otter allows you to record and transcribe audio, which is useful for providing written transcripts for videos. There is a variety of pricing levels available, including a free version.

Do you have a suggestion for future 5 on 5 topics? Let us know with an email to mhiknet@umanitoba.ca

We’ve gathered the 5 free resources below to mark Hypertension Month.

1) 2020 – 2022 Hypertension Hightlights:A Practical Guide informed by the Hypertension Canada Guidelines for the Prevention, Diagnosis, Risk Assessment, and Treatment of Hypertension

“This booklet highlights the most critical and widely relevant aspects of the Hypertension Canada Guidelines. Beginning with proper measurement techniques for diagnosis and advancing through treatment and follow up, this booklet serves as a practical guide for health care professionals.”

2) Your Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure With DASH

“This booklet, based on the DASH research findings, tells how to follow the DASH eating plan and reduce the amount of sodium you consume. It offers tips on how to start and stay on the eating plan, as well as a week of menus and some recipes”

3) Pescatello, LS and colleagues for the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee. Physical Activity to Prevent and Treat Hypertension: A Systematic Review. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2019. 51(6): p 1314-1323.
doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000001943

“This systematic umbrella review examines and updates the evidence on the relationship between physical activity (PA) and blood pressure (BP) presented in the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Scientific Report.”

4) Supporting smoking cessation: A guide for health professionals (2019)

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners has published this  “practical, succinct and evidence-based resource for use by a wide range of healthcare professionals working in a variety of contexts. The recommendations are based on research evidence and informed by guidelines from other countries with similar populations.”

5) Hypertension Canada’s Recommended Blood Pressure Monitoring Devices Listing 

Hypertension Canada’s Recommended BPM Devices List identifies home blood pressure monitoring devices that have been validated for accuracy.

Do you have a suggestion for future 5 on 5 topics? Let us know with an email to mhiknet@umanitoba.ca

1. Canadian Association of Public Health Dentistry – Resources for professionals

2. The Canadian Dental Hygienists Association – Position papers, Statements & Guidelines

3. Canada Communicable Disease Report – Oral Health in Canada Issue (Nov/Dec 2020)

4. World Health Organization – Oral Health

5. US Department of Health and Human Statistics – Oral health resources for families

March 24th is World TB Day – here are a few of the free resources related to tuberculosis that are available to you.

1.  Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living – Tuberculosis

Manitoba Health Senior’s and Active living’s website provides information about tuberculosis in general, as well as the Manitoba Tuberculosis Program, the Manitoba Tuberculosis Protocol, and forms for treatment prescriptions.

2.  Nursing guide for managing side effects to drug-resistant TB treatment (2018)

This guide from the Curry International Tuberculosis Center  at the University of California, San Francisco & the International Council of Nurses  “is designed as a reference and job aid, so nurses can quickly:

1. Identify symptoms that may indicate a side effect related to DR-TB treatment or antiretroviral medication;
2. Assess for severity as well as other potential contributors; and
3. Intervene appropriately in order to minimize patient discomfort, reduce side effect progression, and ultimately support successful treatment completion.”

The guide has been translated into various languages, including French.

3. Recommendations for TB Management among Populations Experiencing Homelessness (2020)

This document from Fraser Health “is intended to provide guidance on promising practice for local public health practitioners who are managing or preventing outbreaks in homeless/under housed populations”

4. Ending Stigma as Part of Patient-Centered Tuberculosis Care

This page from the Rutgers Global Tuberculosis Institute (New Jersey Medical School) features a webinar recorded in 2020 and links to related resources.

5.  Effective Interviewing for Tuberculosis Contact Investigation Video and Checklist

This page from the Rutgers Global Tuberculosis Institute (New Jersey Medical School) features a training video and checklist for interviewing patients that are newly diagnosed with TB.