Travel health update

Travel health can be complicated and advice for health professionals is ever-changing. This month Jane Chiodini presents details of work underway to update the RCN Travel Health Nursing competencies, and a new portal to help those involved in Yellow Fever vaccination

RCN COMPETENCY FOR TRAVEL HEALTH NURSING

Hopefully, you are aware of the RCN publication, Travel Health Nursing: Career and Competence Development: RCN Guidance, an important document designed for healthcare professional working in the field of travel health, available at https://www2.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/78747/003146.pdf. Now the RCN is running a survey on people’s views and experience of the document, which will help us to develop a revised version in 2017. The survey is aimed at all nurses, doctors, pharmacists and other related healthcare professionals involved in travel health medicine and your help in completing it would be greatly appreciated – please go to http://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/MUTKH/

The results of the survey will be analysed and reported alongside the findings of in-depth interviews conducted earlier this year with key stakeholders. For additional information please contact Julian Russell, RCN research analyst: julian.russell@rcn.org.uk

NaTHNaC YELLOW FEVER PORTAL

This was launched in October and the very attractive pages make it easier to navigate the many resources including becoming a Yellow Fever Vaccination Clinic (YFVC) or maintaining YFVC status, clinical information and ‘zone news’ which includes all news items related to yellow fever. http://nathnacyfzone.org.uk/. If you are a YFVC, you agree to the Conditions and a Code – ensure you’re fully aware of their content, the regulations are now very specific and they have recently been amended. Additional information includes:

• Additional detail required relating to the professional status of the Responsible Supervising Clinician at the YFVC
• Additional detail required relating to Care Quality Commission registration and inspection rating (where appropriate).
• Expanded descriptions of roles and responsibilities of health professionals and key staff working at a YFVC
• Updated requirements regarding record keeping, audit and medicines management

I’m often asked about training and would urge you to read the Conditions of Designation, particularly regarding the responsibilities of the Registered Supervising Clinician (RSC) 2.8 and on training, points number 3.1 and 3.5. In the section ‘Staff working within a YFVC’ it states: NaTHNaC yellow fever training (either online or classroom) is required of at least one health professional, working at the YFVC or multiple YFVCs, every 2 years. However, we recommend (i.e. this is preferred but optional) all those responsible for administering the vaccine to complete training for their own accountability and good practice.

Yellow fever maps used on the site are taken from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and can be found within the relevant country information but http://nathnacyfzone.org.uk/factsheet/60/yellow-fever-maps will also take you to a page where they are all posted in the one place, which is a handy resource to be aware of.

FROM A TO ZIKA

I recently spoke at the Best Practice in Nursing conference in Birmingham where the excellent clinical programme was compiled by Mandy Galloway and Tina Bishop (our Editor and Editor-in-Chief of this journal). My remit within an hour was a challenge but I made it and have created a page of resources pertinent to the session on my website at www.janechiodini.co.uk/education/conference/bpin

Here you’ll find some interesting links to resources for the gap year traveller, more yellow fever information and the latest on Zika. Of interest, I presented the current information on the advice regarding sexual transmission for Zika and use of condoms as part of that prevention strategy from the World Health Organization, CDC and NaTHNaC – all of whom have slightly different advice. Working in the UK, we would follow the guidance from our national bodies – but keep looking out for updated information as this appears to be a changing picture and you need to make sure you’re aware of the latest advice. A key webpage to keep looking at is http://travelhealthpro.org.uk/news/163/website-updates-and-new-features