FREDERICTON (GNB) – School staff across the province will receive training on best practices related to the concussion protocol beginning this fall.

“Concussions can have a significant impact on a student’s cognitive and physical abilities,” said Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Dominic Cardy. “We consulted with experts to update the concussion protocol to reflect the most recent evidence and best practices. It is important that school staff are equipped with the right tools and resources to help students who are dealing with concussions.”

The updated protocol will be introduced to school staff during the 2019-20 school year as an implementation phase. The department will work with school staff to raise awareness on concussions and provide training through online modules and in-person sessions. The updated protocol is expected to come into effect September 2020.

Research indicates a concussion can have significant implications and that proper identification and management can help to optimize results for the concussed. The strategies, built into the updated protocol, will ensure the best possible outcome for students by assisting in “return to school” in the classroom and “return to sport and physical activity.”

The department worked with Public Health and the NB Trauma Program to update the protocol, which will be included in the Safety Guidelines for Physical Education.

“We were happy to contribute subject matter expertise to this important topic,” said Richard Louis, injury prevention specialist with the NB Trauma Program. “By working together, we are also ensuring that all of the protocols and tools used by both public education and public health-care systems in New Brunswick are aligned.”

Resources for parents and students are al​