Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is an infection caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. People get it from the bite of an infected black-legged tick (sometimes called a deer tick; in British Columbia, the western black-legged tick). In Canada, these ticks live in parts of southern British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, and the areas where they are found keep growing each year. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and provincial public health units publish maps of risk areas. Registered practical nurses see clients with tick bites and Lyme disease in clinics, public health, long-term care, schools, home care and hospital units. The RPN is expected to remove ticks safely, recognize the typical rash and warning signs, give prescribed antibiotics and monitor for effects, reinforce prevention teaching, and report changes to the RN or primary care provider. Diagnosing and prescribing are outside RPN scope.