- 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
