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Substance - Use Nursing & Primary Health Care

   

Added on  2020-03-02

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Running Head: SUBSTANCE-USE NURSING & PRIMARY HEALTH CARE: VICTORIA AUSTRALIASubstance-use Nursing & Primary Health Care: Victoria AustraliaName:Institutions and Affiliation:Instructor:Date:

SUBSTANCE-USE NURSING & PRIMARY HEALTH CARE: VICTORIA AUSTRALIASubstance-use Nursing & Primary Health Care: Victoria AustraliaA substance-use nurse has different attributes. They are independent, engage in multifaceted activities, patient-facing and have a structured approach to the provision of drug-and-substance treatment services (Johnston, 2017). In regard to independence, these nurses can independently provide pain management services and also single-handedly regulate the treatmentprocess of individuals addicted to drugs and substances. Secondly, substance-use nurses are patient-facing as they focus on directly engaging each individual patient in one-on-one teachings on the dangerous effects of drug use and addiction. They thus provide patient-centred care that istailor-made for the patients and those at risk, knowing well that treatment options vary among persons (Wilkinson et al, 2015). Thirdly, these nurses are multifaceted and therefore able to manage different interacting factors that influence care for substance and drug use addicts. They can work as social workers, handle mental health problems and also effectively administer medical treatment of cases. Partly as a social worker, a Substance Abuse Nurse plays a role in supporting individuals that have little else than addiction in their lives. Further, a substance-use nurse plays a structured role and thus has a well-planned approach to the treatment of their patients (Roden & Jarvis, 2012). Through their structured care, they are able to administer and regulate treatment, teach the public, patients and their families on dangers of drug and substance abuse. Their structured care enables them provide the appropriate physical and/or emotional support to these groups. Primary healthcare involves providing integrated and accessible healthcare services particularly by clinicians that are accountable in addressing numerous personal healthcare needs, creation of sustainable partnership with their patients and further, practicing within the context ofboth family and the community. Substance abuse nursing meets the threshold to be a role of

SUBSTANCE-USE NURSING & PRIMARY HEALTH CARE: VICTORIA AUSTRALIAprimary health care as it involves effective treatment of patient's substance use problem and therefore addressing their "personal health care need" as envisaged in primary healthcare requirements (Roden & Jarvis, 2012). In line with their attributes, substance-use nurses works within the context of family and the community. This therefore indicates that substance abuse nursing is a role in primary healthcare.A substance-use nurse provides primary healthcare services to individuals, families and the community which are mainly aimed at preventing, managing and controlling drug and substance abuse (Thomas & Staiger, 2012). Their clientele’s main characteristics include; persons requiring drug-use related psychological counselling; individuals seeking substance use withdrawal and rehabilitation services and further, those that require pharmacotherapy to managetheir drug and substance addiction. A case of Victoria state in Australia, a substance abuse nurse serves a clientele of about 40, 000 people annually who are under the state’s specialist drug, alcohol and other substance use treatment programs(Wilkinson et al, 2015). The nurse can provide these services within the community-based treatment centres. In Victoria the clientele include; the youth-a population that is most vulnerable to dug and substance use; the aboriginal population, whose health outcomes are worse than those of non-indigenous Australians; all citizens within Victoria that need these services as directed by the Victorian Severe Substance Dependence Treatment Act of 2010 (Thomas, & Staiger,2012). According to the Act the state’s specialist drug, alcohol and other substance use treatment centres should offer compulsory treatment to residents with severe substance dependence. Further, the clientele would include groups and persons that require family and peersupport services to aid their peers in the treatment process.

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