Harm Reduction Essay

Permission for conducting the research and using the spring 2016 ACHA-NCHA dataset was granted by the School of Public Health at the University of Saskatchewan. The project reviewed and approved by the University of Saskatchewan Research Ethics Review Board (REB). A request to obtain Canadian data for the selected variables for this analysis was sent to the ACHA-NCHA. Information regarding the University of Saskatchewan survey was obtained through collaboration with the Student Health Services office within the university campus.

“Harm reduction is based on the premise that people are responsible for their behaviour, that they maker personal choices that affect their health and well-being, and that they can make safer and better decisions if given useful and honest information” (Mathre, 2002, p. 106). Harm reduction recognizes people’s unhealthy choices while also attempting to reduce the harmful effects that come from these unhealthy behaviours (Marlatt, 1998 as cited in Brown, Luna, Ramirez, Vail, and Williams, 2005). Using a harm reduction approach has a positive effect on drug users, as it helps to reduce the negative consequences that come from using drugs. Although harm reduction aims to reduce the harm from illegal drug using, it is viewed as

My community goal echoes that of Healthy People 2020, to reduce nonfatal unintentional injuries. One nursing role that will affect this health indicator is education and awareness. A reduction in injury may begin with swimming pool/water safety, stranger awareness, or car safety.

Nurses are the largest group of regulated health professionals in Canada (Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions, 2012). Yet, the ongoing struggle of a nursing shortage puts immense strain on the profession. According to a report from the Canadian Institute for Health Institute, for the first time in 2 decades, more regulated nurses left their profession than entered it coupled with fewer individuals choosing the profession. As a result, this causes undue stress for nurses having to deal with and increase patient acuity and a decline in staffing ratios. This leads to an undermining of the quintessential, fundamental, underpinnings of nursing; sympathy, empathy, and the genuine intent to help others.

As the article The Impaired Nurse stated, “Impaired nurses can become dysfunctional in their ability to provide safe, appropriate patient care” (Thomas, C.M., & Siela, D. 2011). As we learned in class the four ethical principles include; beneficence which is the act of doing the most good, non-malfeasance which is the act of doing the least amount of harm, autonomy which focuses on allowing each individual to make their own decisions and justice which focuses on being fair to all involved. Nurses who are abusing substance typically can’t follow these for ethical principles to the best of their ability because they are too focused on themselves. As mentioned in the article Substance Abuse among Nurses, nurses who are abusing substances are not able to complete tasks and function as a typical nurse would (Talbert, J. J. 2009). These types of nurses are not able to apply the four ethical principles to their everyday work environment because they are too focused on the substances they need. These nurses would not be able to function and apply to principle of doing the most good because they will not be doing the best if on substances. As mentioned in both articles, these nurses will spend a good amount of time in the bathrooms hiding and using, take medications from patients, and forget tasks that need complete. Beneficence and non-malfeasance in my opinion could not apply to nurses who are abusing substances because they are not caring for their patients as

Health care professional, patients, families, and policy makers all struggle to understand how health is affected by behavior, economic and social structure and provided the knowledge to improve the health status of individuals and populations. Our health is affected by behaviors, economics, and social structure. Many behaviors and lifestyle patterns affect our health, such as: exposure to violence, vehicular accidents, alcohol, drugs, and infectious agents (Williams/Torrens). According to our textbook (Williams/Torrens), alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use creates several of problems that affect our health and society.

Behavior is reinforced when one or more of the following Guidelines for Success (G.F.S.) are met:

The role and responsibility of the nurse can be overwhelmingly complicated. Professional nursing is a fundamental component of health care, as patients and families view nurses as the foremost caring and trusted member of the multidisciplinary team (Van Wagoner, 2016). Unprofessional practice creates a threat to patient safety and can impact of patients feeling unsafe physiologically, psychologically and culturally ("Disruptive and unprofessional behavior", 2014).

In the article “What Do Nurses Really Do?”, Suzanne Gordon explores what nurses truly do. She concludes that nurses “save lives, prevent complications, prevent suffering, and save money” (Gordon 2006). Nurses provide care for their patients in the physical and emotional sense. Emotionally caring for a patient and being sensitive to his or her needs result from interacting with patients while performing the skills and using the knowledge that nurses learned in school. Nurses grow in their skills, knowledge, and attitudes through practice. Quality and safety education for nursing incorporates competencies that all nurses must use in their practice. These nursing competencies include evidence-based nursing practice, quality improvement, safety, teamwork and collaboration, patient-centered care, and informatics.

The College of Nurses of Ontario’s mission statement is to “protect the public’s right to quality nursing services by providing leadership to the nursing profession in self-regulation” (CNO, 2012). The College of Nurses recognizes that self-regulation is a privilege granted by proving that they are capable of putting the interests of the public before their own. By establishing a number of requirements for entry to practice, articulating and promoting practice standards, administering quality assurance, and enforcing standards of practice and conduct, the College fulfills it’s

For as long as I can remember, I have been overwhelmed with a desire to care for those in need, and I feel this ultimately led me to the career choice of nursing. I chose nursing as my profession because I truly believe that the desire to help people through nursing is a calling, and I feel drawn toward helping those in need. Nursing is an honorable career, and should not be treated as just a job to earn a paycheck. My mission is to proudly provide nonjudgmental care to those in need regardless of race, spiritual beliefs, lifestyle choices, financial status, or disability. Before entering to the profession of nursing, it is important to explore my personal values and principles that will guide my nursing practice. My philosophy is that nurses have a responsibility to the public to provide safe, holistic, patient-centered care. This paper will explore the values I feel are necessary in relating to patients as well as health professionals, my personal work culture, and society as a whole.

The Health and Social Care Act 2008, Code of Practice for health and adult social care for the prevention and control of infection and related guidance(Department of Health 2009) requires all organisations which provide health and adult social care to have policies, procedures and protocols in place which minimise the risk of infection. This Act came into force in April 2009 for NHS care providers and is used by the Care Quality Commission to assess compliance with the registration requirements on 'cleanliness and infection prevention and control'. Independent health and adult social care will be brought into registration under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 from October 2010 and the Code has been revised to cover all adult health and social care providers.

The responsibility of regulating nursing practice that ensures public safety, health and welfare and accountability to the public for proper governance falls on the State Boards of Nursing (BONs). Substance abuse is the most common disease that affects healthcare workers (Darbro, 2009). The disease of substance abuse disorder is preventable (Darbro, 2009). The intent of this paper is to discuss the ethical issues of nurses with substance abuse disorder, stigma of addiction, challenges that nurses with substance abuse problems face to include acceptance of the disease, treatment, rehabilitation and monitoring, the incidence of addiction among nurses, how to recognize an impaired colleague, nurses’ attitudes about addiction within the profession and the ethical issues that the nurse, employer and society face when dealing with a nurse who is an addict. It was in the 1980s that professional nursing organizations recommended alternative to discipline (ATD) programs to help rehabilitate nurses (Sigma Theta Tau, 2014). In the past 20 years 46 states have gone with this approach as opposed to traditional discipline (Trussman, 2003). In most cases, these ATD programs provide nurses with intense monitoring for 5 years to aid in their recovery so they may return to work and provide safe patient care to the

Nurses play an important role in promoting health within the patient, family, and community (Kemppainen, Tassavainen, & Turunen, 2012). The focus of patient care has been transferred from treating the illness to disease prevention (Mchugh, Robinson, & Chesters, 2010). The implementation of consultation, education, and follow up exams can increase the overall quality of life for an individual (Kemppainen et al., 2012). I will discuss the various roles of a nurse in health promotion along with the multiple work environments in which they can be implemented within. I will also reveal the maintenance plan of my own personal health regimen.

In today's modern society alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse has become one of the most complex, life-threatening issues. Most depressed individuals usually indulge themselves in bars or pubs with their alcohols to escape from their stressful life. It has become increasingly alarming how alcohol does not only attract the adults, but also teenagers these days. "Research has shown that approximately 14 million Americans (7.4%) of the population meet the diagnostic criteria for alcohol abuse or alcoholism" ("Facts about Alcohol"). Alcohol addicts may encounter social impact such as loss of respect from others who may see the problem as self- inflictive and easily avoided. Repeated use of alcohol over a period of time can result in