NSH = Nova Scotia Health, PFA = Patient Family Advisor
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It helps keep the emails, documents, and other sensitive info you may send/receive safe and confidential within NSH's secure email system
It gives you access to things like a Microsoft Teams account, SharePoint sites, e-Learning courses on the LMS system, and other areas only accessible by those with an NSH email account
It makes it easy for you and your team to schedule meetings and other events in your Outlook Calendar, keeping all your meetings and events in one secure location.
It allows staff and other PFAs to find your email address in the NSH Email Directory, helping them contact you in your PFA role
It prevents the need to obtain and share your personal email address within the organization
It helps keep you connected to what's happening in the organization with things like the "NSH News" newsletter, announcements, event invitations, contests, and other organization-wide emails
PFAs are set up with an email account by a staff member on their team. If you haven't been given an NSH email account yet, please speak with the contact person on your team. If they are unsure of the process, they can email [email protected] for more info.
Once you have an NSH email account, you will start receiving emails sent to everyone in the organization and everyone in your "zone" (Northern Zone, Central Zone, etc). Some of these emails might not apply to you in your role as a PFA.
TIP: Ask your team to let you know of any important emails or meeting invites you should look out for by sending you an email to your personal email account, or texting/calling you.
When choosing a password, choose something with digits, punctuation, lower and upper case letters, at least 8 characters, and no personal information. The longer a password, the stronger it is. Avoid using family names, pets, birthdays, addresses, phone numbers, dictionary words, and names of places/organizations, as these can be easily guessed. Also avoid using the same password for multiple accounts (like email, social media, banking, etc).
Your password will expire every 90 days for security reasons. The email system will ask you to choose a new password every 90 days.
You are responsible for all access associated with your password, so do not share it with anyone. If using a public computer (such as a library or hotel), make sure to uncheck the "Remember Me" or "Save Password" option when logging in, and make sure to log off and close the browser window when you're done.
For security purposes, email accounts that haven't been signed-into in over 4 months are automatically shut down. How often you check your email may depend on the team you're working with, how often they send you emails, and how often you meet. It's important to sign into your email account every so often to make sure it isn't shut down, such as once per month.
TIP: Set a reminder for yourself to check your NSH email account every month, especially if you don't use the email account very often.
"Phishing" emails are one of the most common types of cyberattacks, where people are convinced to give out information for bad purposes. If you receive a suspicious/phishing email, please send it to [email protected] without clicking any links or opening any email attachments.
For more information on preventing "phishing" attacks, please see the following tips:
Spotting malicious email messages
Don't take the bait: Recognize and avoid phishing attacks
Cyber security tips for remote work
There may be times when you need help from the IT Service Desk (NSH's tech support team), such as forgetting your password or fixing an issue with your email account. To do this, the IT Service Desk will need to confirm your identity by asking you some pre-set questions that only you know the answer to (such as your favourite colour or the first car you drove). These are called "Challenge Questions" and they need to be given to the IT Service Desk ahead of time so they have them on file when you call them for tech support.
Please note: You only need to set up your challenge questions once. The IT Support Desk cannot help you unless you have already set up your challenge questions with them, so make sure you set up your Challenge Questions as soon as possible.
Here's how to set up your Challenge Questions.
Set up your Challenge QuestionsFirst, speak with the contact person on your team to see if they can help.
If you are still having issues, call the IT Service Desk at 1-866-224-2555. They will only be able to help you if you've already set up your Challenge Questions.
If still having issues, email [email protected] and a member of the Quality team will reach out to help you.
These instructions are for those who want to use the more advanced features in Outlook Mail. You likely won't need to use these features in your day-to-day role as a PFA.
Search for an emailSet up an email signatureSet up automatic repliesThese instructions are for those who want to use the more advanced features in Outlook Calendar. You likely won't need to use these features in your day-to-day role as a PFA.
Search for an eventSchedule a meeting