Sepsis Awareness Month: Meet clinical nurse educator Christina Jabalee and the Emergency Department Sepsis Improvement Package

Christina Jabalee is a registered nurse and clinical nurse educator for sepsis in Nova Scotia Health’s Eastern Zone, working out of Cape Breton Regional Hospital. With a career rooted in emergency nursing, she has seen first-hand the devastating effects of sepsis. “I cared for so many patients who developed sepsis,” she says. “I saw the impact it could have, and that really brought home the importance of early recognition and timely intervention.”

Sepsis is a life-threatening illness caused by the body’s extreme response to infection. Instead of fighting the infection, the body attacks its own tissues and organs. Without rapid treatment, it can lead to shock, organ failure and death. Symptoms may include fever or chills, rapid heartbeat, fast breathing, confusion and feeling very unwell.

In May 2025, Nova Scotia Health introduced a new care directive at Cape Breton Regional Hospital and St. Martha’s Regional Hospital. A care directive is a formal order that authorizes specific members of the healthcare team to provide treatments or interventions without waiting for a direct physician order.

As part of the Emergency Department Sepsis Improvement Package, the new care directive for nurses is rolling out province-wide this fall. It empowers them to administer life-saving antibiotics before a physician assessment, enabling faster treatment for patients showing signs of sepsis and improving chances of recovery.

Christina helped prepare staff for the new care directive with extensive education, weekly leadership check-ins, and ongoing support. “It was a big learning curve at the start,” she says, “but now nurses are becoming more confident. Having a resource nurse on seven days a week has made a huge difference.”

Christina also has worked with Nova Scotia Health Library Services to produce plain-language patient education pamphlets, which are now available across the province. “A lot of people in our communities don’t know what sepsis is,” she explains. “The pamphlet helps them understand the signs, when to seek help, and even what to expect if they’ve experienced sepsis themselves.”

Her work also connects with the Quick Response Team (QRT), launched at Cape Breton Regional in late 2024. Staffed by an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nurse and a respiratory therapist, the QRT provides rapid response to deteriorating patients. Christina says, “QRT aligns with our goal of early identification and timely intervention.” Plans are now underway to expand QRT across the province to Nova Scotia Health regional facilities. 

Christina is also proud of recent changes to the charting system in Eastern Zone emergency departments, which now make sepsis screening a mandatory triage question. “That change alone has created so much more awareness,” she says. “We’re already seeing a significant increase in the number of patients screened.”

For Christina, all of these efforts tie back to one mission: ensuring sepsis is recognized and treated as quickly as possible. “We know early recognition and rapid treatment saves lives,” she says. “From triage to education, from clinical teams to patient awareness — every step we take strengthens our ability to act faster and provide the best possible care.”

September is Sepsis Awareness Month, and Sept. 13 is World Sepsis Day. Nova Scotia Health has made sepsis care a top priority, with a strong commitment to early detection and timely treatment.

Photo of Christina Jabalee.