Non-Certified Practice
Revisions to the BCCDC’s Non-Certified Practice Decision Support Tools (DSTs) have been completed and are now posted in the BCCDC Communicable Disease Control Manual, Chapter 5: Sexually Transmitted Infections. A provincial working group comprised of frontline and nursing leads certified in STI practice convened to discuss and review BCCDC’s proposed changes over a series of teleconferences in 2019-2020.
Summary of changes:
– New DST structure that aims to provide more clarity and consistency across DSTs. This also includes the development of new tables and flowcharts to aid with readability and to assist with decision making.
– Non-Certified DSTs and highlights:
- Candidal Balanitis (Yeast Balanitis)
- Epididymitis: REVISED treatment recommendations based upon age and type of exposure
- Genital Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV): REVISED recommendations for HSV Type Specific Serology (TSS)
- NEW Lymphogranuloma Veneruem (LGV)
- Molluscum Contagiosum
- Pediculosis pubis (Pubic Lice) and expelling contents
- Proctitis
- Scabies
- Syphilis
- Vulvovaginal Candidiasis (VVC)
– New “Differences between Certified and Non-certified STI practice” document to help to illustrate and increase understanding of the differences in scope of practice for RNs and RN(C)s when using both sets of DSTs to support clinical practice. This replaces the document entitled “Non-certified Practice Sexually Transmitted Infection Decision Support Tools Guidelines”.
– New “STI Screening and Testing Guide for RN(C)s” to provide RN(C)s with a quick reference guide to support clinical practice
Please see the administrative circular dated September 23, 2020 for further details regarding DST-specific revisions. If you would like to be notified of updates to the Communicable Disease Manual and are not on one of the above distribution lists, please enter your email address on this page to receive notification when new Administrative Circulars are posted to the BCCDC website.
Certified Practice Competencies
Additionally, the Nurse and Nurse Practitioners Association of BC (NNPBC) have updated the competencies for STI Certified Practice and Contraceptive Management Certified Practice.
The BCCDC STI Nursing Education team and STI Clinical Leadership would like to express their appreciation and gratitude to all of our provincial partners who so generously gave their time and attention in working to ensure that these documents were thoroughly and thoughtfully reviewed.