registered nurse canada

- Canadian Blood Services -
The Blood Transfusion Service for the Canadian Health Care System

The Canadian blood services manages the Canadian blood supply for the Canadian health care system. Blood plasma, platelets and stem cells are among the blood products maintained and distributed by this non-profit Canadian organization.

canadian blood services

The (CBS) is a non-profit organization created in 1998 as a successor to the Canadian Red Cross Blood Program.

A Non-profit Organization

The Canadian Blood Services is governed by a board of directors, which is made up of licensed health care professionals as well as non-licensed persons. They are a non-governmental organization. In the Canadian health care system the provinces carry the responsibility for administration of health care so the provincial and territorial Ministers of Health make available some operational funding. The federal government, through Health Canada, carries the mandate for the regulation of the blood supply system.

nurse cap

Only a registered nurse can initiate the administration of blood and blood products.

The nursing scope of practice for a licensed practical nurse does not include the initiation of a blood transfusion.

In some provinces the LPN is required to have knowledge of common blood transfusion products and the ability to set up the equipment and monitor the infusion, but the licensed practical nurse cannot initiate the blood transfusion.


Entry level nursing competency tested on the
Canadian Registered Nurse Exam, which is the nursing entrance test for a nursing license in Canada.

The registered nurse:

CH-54 administers blood and blood products safely

The CBS territory is in seven different distinct regions whose head office can be found in Ottawa. They have over 4,000 permanent staff and 17,000 volunteers across the country.

Further, the organization is in charge of the One Match Stem Cell and marrow Network that arranges to make available human organs for transplant as well as tissue donations for Canadians.

In order to serve all Canadians, they operate 41 permanently located collection sites. In addition, they operate more than 20,000 mobile clinics annually.

The Canadian Blood Services seeks to collect at least 880,000 units of blood annually. In addition to being used for blood transfusion this donated blood is used to isolate specific blood components that are commonly used in transfusion procedures such as:

Each year the organization also searches for ways to improve their tissue and organ donations in order to facilitate human transplantation throughout Canada.

Improving Communication and Accessibility for Blood Donation

With the health and welfare of the Canadian public at the forefront of their actions the CBS has started a special program to help donors who are either hard of hearing, or deaf, to donate blood.

Working with the government the Canadian Blood Services collaborated with medical groups and Health Canada to acquire American Sign Language or LSQ interpreters for the entire duration of the donation process.

canadian symbol Informed consent laws require that a person receive an explanation of the risks and benefits of any procedure in a language that they understand.

Deaf or hard of hearing donors can now give blood fully informed of the risks of the procedure.

Various businesses have joined the CBS Partners for Life program usually after a successful blood donor challenge from another business. The Partners for Life program takes the donor's support to the next level as they pledge their commitment to the blood system year around.

The Canadian Blood Service is a non-profit organization and is not an arm of the government. Its very existence solely depends on volunteers and, of course, the generosity of the Canadian public in order to achieve its humanitarian tasks.


More information about transfusion procedures are available on the transfusion medicine section of the Canadian Blood Services website.



[?] Subscribe and Keep Up to Date with Site Changes and News About Nursing in Canada

XML RSS
Add to Google
Add to My Yahoo!
Add to My MSN
Subscribe with Bloglines

Discussion forum about the current nursing shortage in Canada.


Make a comment about the Nightingale Pledge revision.

Subscribe to the e-zine and get a FREE E-course on How to Become a Nurse in Canada

Email

Name

Then

Don't worry -- your e-mail address is totally secure.
I promise to use it only to send you NursEzine Matters.

William writes:

"Bev: I just want to take a moment of your time to let you know that your e-learning e-mails have been most informative and very helpful. Thanks very much for sharing."




Copyright© 2009
This website is a private commercial enterprise and is owned and operated by Beverly Hansen OMalley.

It is not in any way affiliated with, endorsed by, or supported by the government of Canada or any nursing regulatory organization in Canada.

Listed with Canadian Culture Canada's Supportive Network and Resource Directory - Canadian People working together!


Return to top