One of Employee Engagement’s recent contributions to the budget process was to discontinue future worksite flu shot clinics, which generally run each fall. As an alternative, Workplace Health will encourage units to arrange peer nurse immunization. PNIs will be trained to deliver flu immunization and will have all of the supplies required to offer immunization to colleagues in their own departments/units. Workplace Health will continue to offer flu clinics at small and rural sites, but will not schedule clinics at VGH, UBCH, LGH, RH.
We are already preparing for the upcoming flu season, and are working to develop as many Peer Nurse Immunizers (PNIs) as possible. Over the past years, there has been a Peer Nurse Immunizer program for influenza vaccination in various areas across VCH. Last year, Workplace Health formalized the PNI program by providing education and support to PNIs who had been approved by their Managers to provide the program in their work area(s). PNIs are the most convenient way for staff to be immunized as the “clinic” is right on the unit.
This is what Claude Stang, Director, Emergency, Critical Care, Medicine and Patient Flow – Richmond Hospital and a supporter of PNIs last year said:
“I think PNIs are the best way to go. Making immunization easily accessible to staff who work in an area with unpredictable work demands certainly improves uptake of the vaccine. Many days, the vaccine would be administered early in the morning to outgoing night shift staff and incoming day shift staff, as this time of the day worked best as it generally wasn’t as busy.”
A successful Peer Immunization Program includes:
- Support of the Peer Immunizer by his/her manager
- Training for the Peer Immunizer by an RN from Workplace Health with specialization in immunization. These 2-hour sessions will be available via webinar and teleconference, and “archived” on CCRS to maximize the opportunity for PNIs to complete the required education.
- Ongoing support for the Peer Nurse Immunizers by Workplace Health.
Would YOU like to be a Peer Nurse Immunizer this year?
To qualify, you must be:
- An RN, RPN or LPN employed at VCH full time, part time or casual
- RPNs and LPNs must first meet the College of RPN and College of LPNs requirements for immunization by completing the BCCDC Immunization on-line course
- A champion of health care staff being immunized for influenza as a patient safety initiative
If you qualify, here are the next steps:
- Please clear it with your manager by June 7th
- Your manager will submit your name to me by August 31st. The ideal arrangement is at least two per unit, so that you can support each other.
- Determine the best way to arrange the Peer Immunizer clinic within your area or facility.
Managers who are interested in this year’s PNI program will be invited to a teleconference where managers who had PNIs last year will share their successes and challenges with the program.
There are a variety of ways in which PNIs can organize a clinic, such as:
- Once or twice during a shift, at set times, in the staff room or other convenient location
- As time permits, whenever anyone wants a shot
- At staff meetings or in-service sessions
- Working for blocks of time to run clinics for 2 or 4 hours, if this works best for your particular unit
- A combination of any of the above
I look forward to working with this year’s Peer Nurse Immunizers!