Nursing Reference Center

The Nursing Reference Center (NRC) is a database of evidence-based point-of-care material, continuing education information, nursing best practices and includes access to the most up to date nursing journals available. The NRC is accessible through Alberta Netcare Portal. Within the NRC, users can get answers to questions quickly, strengthen their nursing skills, and read full-text journal articles at anytime. The NRC is accessed from the default Alberta Netcare home page, under Clinical eTOOLS.

The Nursing Reference Center (NRC) is a database of evidence-based point-of-care material, continuing education information, nursing best practices and includes access to the most up to date nursing journals available. The NRC is accessible through Alberta Netcare Portal.

Within the NRC, users can get answers to questions quickly, strengthen their nursing skills, and read full-text journal articles at anytime.

The NRC is accessed from the default Alberta Netcare home page, under Clinical eTOOLS.

Types of resources to be found on the Nursing Reference Center:

Quick Lessons

Quick lessons are two page information sheets on a specific disease including signs and symptoms, assessment, treatment and red flags.

View a Quick Lesson

Evidence-Based Care Sheets

Evidence-Based Care Sheets provide evidence in terms of what is known about a disease or condition and the best way to treat the patient. The evidence is coded as to its strength/source so the reader can evaluate it and determine its applicability to his/her practice.

View an Evidence-Based Care Sheet

Drug Information for Nurses

The NRC should be considered a second source of drug information with information from PIN being the source of truth for Canadian drug information.

The NRC contains Searchable drug information covering trade and generic drugs, drug classes, IV therapy tips and home care tips from Davis’s Drug Guide for Nurses and AHFS Drug Information Essentials.

Research Instruments

Descriptions of clinical assessment tools, psychological tests, attitude measures and more.

The analysis also includes purpose and variables measured, the number of items and questions, the sample population, methodology, how to obtain the instruments and the source of the instrument.

View a Research Instrument Document

Latest Medical News

Direct feed of breaking news on diseases, drugs, and treatments from HealthDay News.

Nursing Skills and Procedures

Nursing Skills and Procedures includes clinical papers outlining the necessary steps to achieve proficiency in a specific nursing task.Documents outline how the nurse should perform the skill, and provide additional information including a definition of each skill, why the skill should be performed and more.

View a Nursing Practice and Skill Document

Skill Competency Checklists

Skill Competency Checklists accompanying each Nursing Skill and Procedure that can be used to track each skill as the nurse demonstrates competency.

View a Skill Competency Checklist

Patient Education

Evidence-based patient education handouts are provided in English and Spanish with optional upgrades for additional languages. Content is written at a 3rd-7th grade reading level and contains detailed medical illustrations for easy patient understanding. Nurses can add personalized care notes and signature fields for patient acknowledgement of key information.

Books

The NRC has quick and easy access to the full-text versions of renowned nursing textbooks and manuals.

Featured books include Davis's Comprehensive Handbook of Laboratory & Diagnostic Tests with Nursing Implications; Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary; Davis's Drug Guide for Nurses; AHFS Drug Information Essentials and more.

Cultural Competencies

Cultural Competencies provide guidelines on effective communication and how to provide appropriate care to patients of diverse cultural backgrounds.

View a Nursing Culturally Competent Care Document

Continuing Education Modules

The continuing education modules have been created by Cinahl Information Systems. Cinahl Information Systems is accredited with distinction by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET).

Legal Cases

Synopses of malpractice cases including the contentions of each side, the damages claimed and the outcome; as well as a bibliography with standards of care and similar legal cases.

View a Legal Case Document

NRC training

Training on the NRC can be found on the Ebsco website.
NRC Quick Reference: http://support.ebsco.com/uploads/kb/en_nrc_pocketguide_helpsheet.pdf
NRC User Guide: http://support.ebsco.com/uploads/kb/en_nrc_searching_userguide.doc
eDemo: http://www.ebscohost.com/uploads/discovery/flash/POC_Flash2.htm

If you would like to request additional training for yourself or your staff, please contact the eHealth Support Team

Alberta Netcare Learning Centre