Choosing Wisely Canada Nursing Lists

Choosing Wisely Canada Nursing Lists

Background

Choosing Wisely Canada (CWC) was launched in 2014, supporting a global movement to help health-care professionals and patients engage in conversations about unnecessary tests, treatments and procedures that may cause harm or lack benefit. Through collaboration with national professional societies, CWC identifies practices that are not supported by evidence and provides resources to clinicians and the public to improve practice. The most common of their resources are a series of recommendations for various professions and specialties.

Specialty lists

CNA has partnered with CWC since early 2016. In collaboration with CWC, CNA developed the first non-physician list of recommendations relevant to nurses and their patients. Together, with members of the Canadian Network of Nursing Specialties, CNA has developed the following lists of nursing recommendations:

Additional lists developed by (or in partnership with) nurses:

Campaigns

Through CWC, CNA has supported a number of campaigns focused on reducing specific unnecessary interventions and treatments, including overuse of opioids and antibiotics. Most recently, CNA endorsed CWC’s campaign focused on decreasing unnecessary antibiotic use for asymptomatic bacteriuria in long-term care.

The Using Antibiotics Wisely in Long-term Care campaign included the following two key documents:

  • Are You Using Antibiotics Wisely is a clinician tool that lists nine practice change recommendations that can be adapted for long-term care settings across Canada to improve care.
  • Reflect Before You Collect is a poster that encourages clinicians to reflect before collecting urine for suspected UTIs in older adults.

Additional campaigns CNA has supported: