Post by anna on Jun 16, 2015 15:28:44 GMT
Reflect on the Dual Diagnosis workshop & describe what your greatest learning was & how you will implement this into your practice (approx. 500 words)
One of the main realisations I had when going through the dual diagnosis presentation was that I had always assumed part of my role was to discourage people from using alcohol and other drugs, as it is potentially detrimental to their mental and physical health. Of course, while I do not want to encourage patients to continue in these behaviours, I now think I have a little bit more insight into some alternative ways of caring for patients who a have dual diagnosis, and for some people, aiming to use decrease substance use is not always a realistic goal while they are acutely unwell, have ongoing stressors present in their life and/or perceive that substances are helpful to them in some way.
I have given more consideration to the range of reasons why people use alcohol and other drugs, and through reflection thought that in many cases the reasons people use substances may not actually change or disappear, and it is important to identify and work towards goals in collaboration with patients, rather than trying to impose our views as healthcare professionals. As registered nurses, it is our role to address all aspects of our patients' care. I think that perhaps we do not often take the time, or do not have the knowledge to comprehensively care for patients with dual diagnoses. Self-education with regards to a variety of substances is something I have identified as requiring more input, so I can further understand patients' needs. This goal can be worked towards by talking to patients, nursing colleagues and members of the multidisciplinary tea, along with self-directed online learning.
Patients we care for (on an inpatient unit) are often in the pre-contemplation stage of change, and therefore not even considering decreasing or discontinuing use. Additionally, it appears that many of our patients utilise the effects of substances as coping mechanisms to deal with life stressors. It is not realistic to expect a patient to be motivated to decrease substance use while they have no better way of coping with stressors. Something I have taken away from this presentation that I can use in clinical practice is to increase the discussions I have with patients with regards to coping mechanisms, education (within my scope of practice) reflecting substance use, harm minimisation strategies, and facilitating the learning of more adaptive tools and referring to other appropriate services, such as Addiction Medicine and Psychology while an inpatient and following discharge.
It is important to remember that in delivering patient-centred care, every patient's needs are different. It is important for nurses and other healthcare professionals to avoid imposing their views, values and judgements and work WITH the patient to define goals and a care plan to minimise the risk of harm to the patient or others.
One of the main realisations I had when going through the dual diagnosis presentation was that I had always assumed part of my role was to discourage people from using alcohol and other drugs, as it is potentially detrimental to their mental and physical health. Of course, while I do not want to encourage patients to continue in these behaviours, I now think I have a little bit more insight into some alternative ways of caring for patients who a have dual diagnosis, and for some people, aiming to use decrease substance use is not always a realistic goal while they are acutely unwell, have ongoing stressors present in their life and/or perceive that substances are helpful to them in some way.
I have given more consideration to the range of reasons why people use alcohol and other drugs, and through reflection thought that in many cases the reasons people use substances may not actually change or disappear, and it is important to identify and work towards goals in collaboration with patients, rather than trying to impose our views as healthcare professionals. As registered nurses, it is our role to address all aspects of our patients' care. I think that perhaps we do not often take the time, or do not have the knowledge to comprehensively care for patients with dual diagnoses. Self-education with regards to a variety of substances is something I have identified as requiring more input, so I can further understand patients' needs. This goal can be worked towards by talking to patients, nursing colleagues and members of the multidisciplinary tea, along with self-directed online learning.
Patients we care for (on an inpatient unit) are often in the pre-contemplation stage of change, and therefore not even considering decreasing or discontinuing use. Additionally, it appears that many of our patients utilise the effects of substances as coping mechanisms to deal with life stressors. It is not realistic to expect a patient to be motivated to decrease substance use while they have no better way of coping with stressors. Something I have taken away from this presentation that I can use in clinical practice is to increase the discussions I have with patients with regards to coping mechanisms, education (within my scope of practice) reflecting substance use, harm minimisation strategies, and facilitating the learning of more adaptive tools and referring to other appropriate services, such as Addiction Medicine and Psychology while an inpatient and following discharge.
It is important to remember that in delivering patient-centred care, every patient's needs are different. It is important for nurses and other healthcare professionals to avoid imposing their views, values and judgements and work WITH the patient to define goals and a care plan to minimise the risk of harm to the patient or others.