Hepatitis B Nursing: Preventing Liver Cancer in Primary Care

This course is targeted at primary health care nurses who are caring for patients with, or at risk of, chronic hepatitis B or other blood-borne viruses. This includes nurses caring for anyone from high prevalence areas (Asia/Pacific or Sub-Saharan Africa), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and people engaging in high-risk activities (e.g. injecting drugs, men who have sex with men).

In particular, nurses working in community health services, high hepatitis B caseload GP clinics, refugee and migrant services, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander services, gay men’s health services, drug and alcohol services, and youth services will find this course useful.

Module 1
A pre-requisite to attending the face-to-face course, is viewing the recorded webinar Nursing Webinar Series: Hepatitis B Nursing and Culture. This webinar is an eye-opening look at culture, cultural identity and working effectively with people from different cultures.
Participants are also expected to read the ASHM profession-based booklet Hepatitis B: Your Crucial Role as a Primary Health Care Nurse.
Further details will be sent to attendees upon registration.
 

Module 2
Module 2 is a 3 hour, face-to-face course providing nurses with practical skills and knowledge in hepatitis B nursing in the primary care context. Module 2 involves presentations and case discussions.

Speakers: 
Dr Jacqui Richmond
Jacqui Richmond has worked in viral hepatitis for the last 19 years in nursing, education, social and health services research, and policy development. Jacqui currently works at La Trobe University as a Research Fellow and the Burnet Institute as the Education Coordinator for the Eliminate hepatitis C partnership. The broad focus of her work is on building the capacity of the health professional workforce to test, treat and manage the health care needs of people living with viral hepatitis.

Gabrielle Bennett
Gabrielle Bennett is a Registered Nurse/Midwife with experience working in a variety of community settings around the issues of drug use, blood borne viruses, sexual health and primary health care.  She has worked in policy, education, public health and clinical settings.  She has extensive experience in working with marginalised communities and is currently the Victorian Viral Hepatitis Educator at St Vincent’s. 

This activity has been endorsed by APNA according to approved quality standards criteria. Completion of this educational activity entitles eligible participants to claim 3.5 CPD hours.

Learning Outcomes
At the end of this course, participants should be able to:
-    Identify who is at risk of hepatitis B infection
-    Describe how hepatitis B is transmitted
-    Understand hepatitis B testing
-    Understand and interpret hepatitis B test results
-    Understand the approaches to hepatitis B vaccination
-    Describe why regular monitoring for chronic hepatitis B is important
-    Consider the role of the primary health care nurse in hepatitis B management.