%0 Generic %A Drug and Alcohol Findings, %C London %D 2017 %F ndc:28036 %I Drug and Alcohol Findings %N October-December 2017 %T ‘My GP says I drink too much’: screening and brief intervention. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/28036/ %X The advent of brief interventions represented a radical realignment away from aiming for abstinence among a (relatively) few ‘alcoholics’, to reducing harm and preventing more serious problems among the bulk of non-dependent heavy drinkers (1 2). Instead of narrow and intensive, the strategy was (and remains) to spread thin and wide, deploying easily-learnt interventions delivered in a few minutes by non-specialist staff. The targets were no longer to be drinkers forced to or who chose to seek help, but the far greater number whose sub-critical consumption generated no impetus for intervention. They were to be identified by biochemical tests, a few screening questions, or clinical signs, while coming into contact with services for other reasons. The resulting package is variously known as ‘screening and brief intervention’ or ‘identification and brief advice’, a package which could be replicated so widely that even if only a minority responded to a small degree, the result would be a worthwhile improvement in health across a population of drinkers. Individuals would benefit by being diverted from yet more risky drinking, but unlike treatment, the population was the main target, not the individual....... %0 Report %A Health Service Executive, %B %C Dubiln %D 2017 %F ndc:27982 %I Health Service Executive %T Improvement knowledge and skills guide. Development Assessment Tool for all staff. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/27982/ %0 Generic %A Public Health England, %C London %D 2017 %F ndc:27951 %I Public Health England %T Health Matters: preventing ill health from alcohol and tobacco use. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/27951/ %0 Generic %A Royal College of Nursing, %A Association of Nurses in Substance Abuse, %A National Substance Misuse Non-Medical Prescribing Forum, %A Public Health England, %C London %D 2017 %F ndc:28025 %I Public Health England %T Role of nurses in alcohol and drug treatment services. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/28025/ %0 Generic %A Ryan, Sara %A Hislop, Jenny %A Ziebland, Sue %D 2017 %F ndc:27903 %I Wiley %N 5 %P 878-885 %T Do we all agree what "good health care" looks like? Views from those who are "seldom heard" in health research, policy and service improvement. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/27903/ %V 20 %X Context: The aim of this study was to ask whether there are shared ideas about what good health care looks like that apply across different populations and conditions. Do priorities among "seldom heard" groups differ from mainstream views and, if so, how might we understand these differences? Design: Focus groups were recruited with the help of our study patient representatives. Participants discussed and prioritized a set of eight "core components" of good care. We recorded and transcribed the data for thematic analysis. Setting and participants: We recruited people who are seldom heard in health and policy research for separate focus group discussions (one each with illegal drug users, Irish Travellers, migrant workers, young men and learning disabled people). We also ran a reference group of educated, older adults and an online group with people with long-term conditions. Results: There were few differences in what participants thought was important in health care but considerable differences in their expectations that they might personally receive good care. Differences related to participants' previous experiences. The drug users group reported particularly poor experiences and low expectations of good care. Discussion: Differences in what is regarded as an entitlement or privilege in health care underline the persistence of structural and relational differences in how services are experienced. While we can be reassured that core aspects of care are similarly prioritized across different patient groups, including those who are seldom heard, a more intractable challenge remains: how to provide equitable health care for marginalized groups in an unequal society. %0 Generic %A WHO Regional Office for Europe, %C Copenhagan %D 2017 %F ndc:28029 %I WHO Regional Office for Europe %T WHO alcohol brief intervention training manual for primary care. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/28029/ %X Alcohol contributes significantly to the disease and mortality burden in the WHO European Region, and primary health care systems play an important role in reducing the impact of harmful alcohol use. Screening and brief interventions (SBIs) for alcohol are an evidence-informed approach to addressing the needs of the many patients presenting in primary care who may benefit from reducing their alcohol consumption. This manual provides information to plan training and support for primary care practitioners to confidently deliver SBI for alcohol problems to their patients. The manual outlines the background and evidence base for SBI, and gives practical advice on establishing an implementation programme as well as detailed educational materials to develop the knowledge and skills of participants in organized training sessions. Unit 1. Introduction, course overview and group agreement p.22 Unit 2. Attitudes to alcohol p.26 Unit 3. Impact, consumption and harms of alcohol p.34 Unit 4. ABIs: goals, skills and practice change .p.44 Unit 5. Beginning a conversation about alcohol p.53 Unit 6. Screening and feedback using AUDIT p.57 Unit 7. Brief intervention core skills .p.68 Unit 8. Brief interventions – practice session p.77 Post training materials - Evaluation and monitoring p.93 %0 Generic %A Drug and Alcohol Findings, %C London %D 2017 %F ndc:22466 %I Drug and Alcohol Findings %T Drug Matrix cell B1: practitioners - reducing harm. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/22466/ %Z From Drug Treatment Matrix, copyright Drug and Alcohol Findings and the Substance Misuse Skills Consortium. %0 Generic %A Collective Voice, %A NHS Substance Misuse Provider Alliance, %C London %D 2017 %F ndc:27814 %I Collective Voice and the NHS Substance Misuse Provider Alliance %T Improving clinical responses to drug-related deaths. A summary of best practice and innovations from drug treatment providers. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/27814/ %0 Report %A Department of Health, %B %C Dublin %D 2017 %F ndc:27729 %I Department of Health %T Hepatitis C screening. National clinical guideline no. 15. Summary. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/27729/ %X This Summary National Clinical Guideline is relevant to all healthcare professionals, healthcare managers and policy makers working with those at increased risk of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The guideline will also be of value to both statutory and voluntary bodies providing services to those groups at increased risk of HCV infection. It may also be used by those with HCV or in a risk group for HCV and by members of the public. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of liver disease worldwide. Globally, it is estimated that there are 115 million people who have had HCV infection, and 80 million with chronic infection. Transmission of HCV occurs through contact with the blood of an infected person. Risk factors for HCV differ globally. In developed countries like Ireland, injecting drug use (IDU) is the major risk factor. (3.1.4 People who use unprescribed or illicit drugs - page 15) %0 Journal Article %A Lyons, Suzi %D 2017 %F ndc:27752 %I Health Research Board %J Drugnet Ireland %P 27-30 %T New clinical guidelines for opioid substitution treatment. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/27752/ %V Issue 62, Summer 2017 %0 Generic %A Christie, Emma %C London %D 2017 %F ndc:27679 %I Public Health England %T Better care for people with co-occurring mental health and alcohol/drug use conditions. A guide for commissioners and service providers. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/27679/ %X It is very common for people to experience problems with their mental health and alcohol/drug use (co-occurring conditions) at the same time. Research shows that mental health problems are experienced by the majority of drug (70%) and alcohol (86%) of alcohol users in community substance misuse treatment. Death by suicide is also common, with a history of alcohol or drug use being recorded in 54% of all suicides in people experiencing mental health problems. Other evidence tells us that people with co-occurring conditions have a heightened risk of other health problems and early death. We also know that in spite of the shared responsibility that NHS and local authority commissioners have to provide treatment, care and support, people with co-occurring conditions are often excluded from services. This Public Health England (PHE) guide, developed with the support of NHS England, seeks to address this disparity. It should be used by the commissioners and providers of mental health and alcohol and drug treatment services, to inform the commissioning and provision of effective care for people with co-occurring mental health and alcohol/drug use conditions. It also has relevance for all other services that have contact with people with co-occurring conditions, including people experiencing mental health crisis. It is an action for PHE from the Crisis Care Concordati national action plan. It has been co-produced with members of the expert reference group for co-existing substance misuse with mental health issues, and in consultation with experts through experience, service providers, practitioners, commissioners and policy leads. It supports implementation of the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health, including current and forthcoming development of a comprehensive set of evidence-based treatment pathways (EBTPs). It aims to support local areas to commission timely and effective responses for people with co-occurring conditions. It encourages commissioners and service providers to work together to improve access to services which can reduce harm, improve health and enhance recovery, enabling services to respond effectively and flexibly to presenting needs and prevent exclusion. %0 Generic %A Clinical Guidelines on Drug Misuse and Dependence Update 2017 Independent Expert Working Group, %C London %D 2017 %F ndc:27595 %I Department of Health %T Drug misuse and dependence. UK guidelines on clinical management. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/27595/ %X Contents Chapter 1: Introduction 9 Chapter 2: Essential elements of treatment provision 15 2.1 Key points 15 2.2 Assessment, planning care and treatment 15 2.3 Delivery of treatment 27 2.4 Drug testing 28 2.5 General health assessment at presentation and in treatment 31 2.6 Effective communication with primary and secondary care services 35 2.7 Organisational factors for effective drug treatment 35 2.8 Intimate partner violence and domestic abuse 43 2.9 Planning and contracting or commissioning services 44 Chapter 3: Psychosocial components of treatment 47 3.1 Key points 47 3.2 Introduction 47 3.3 Core elements underpinning effective delivery 51 3.4 Making psychosocial interventions effective 52 3.5 Interventions focused on social network and family, friends and carers 56 3.6 Medication and psychosocial interventions 57 3.7 Delivering psychosocial interventions 58 3.8 Resources and further reading 81 3.9 References 81 Chapter 4: Pharmacological interventions 83 4.1 Key points 83 4.2 Prescribing 84 4.3 Choosing an appropriate opioid substitute 88 4.4 Induction onto methadone and buprenorphine substitution treatment 90 4.5 Supervised consumption 101 4.6 Assessing and responding to progress and failure to benefit 104 4.7 Opioid maintenance prescribing 110 4.8 Opioid detoxification 115 4.9 Naltrexone for relapse prevention 118 4.10 Pharmacological management of dependence on other drugs 119 4.11 Resources and further reading 124 4.12 References 125 Chapter 5: Criminal justice system 127 5.1 Key points 127 5.2 Introduction 128 5.3 Criminal justice systems in the community 130 5.4 Prisons and other secure environments 133 5.5 References 160 Chapter 6: Health considerations 163 6.1 Key points 163 6.2 Blood-borne viruses and other infections 163 6.3 Preventing drug-related deaths 174 6.4 Naloxone 178 6.5 Alcohol in drug treatment 183 6.6 Smoking and respiratory function 187 6.7 Oral health 190 6.8 References 194 Chapter 7: Specific treatment situations and populations 197 7.1 General key points 197 7.2 Pain management 197 7.3 Dependence on prescribed and over-the-counter opioids 205 7.4 Misuse of or dependence on gabapentinoids 208 7.5 Hospitalisation 209 7.6 Pregnancy and neonatal care 220 7.7 New psychoactive substances and club drugs 225 7.8 Image and performance enhancing drugs 229 7.9 Coexisting problems with mental health and substance use 231 7.10 Young people 240 7.11 Older people 247 7.12 References 252 Annexes 255 A1: Working group members and other contributors 257 A2: Governance 263 A3: Marketing authorisations 271 A4: Writing prescriptions 277 A5: Interactions 293 A6: Travelling abroad with controlled drugs 303 A7: Drugs and driving 305 A8: Glossary 311 %0 Generic %A Drug and Alcohol Findings, %C London %D 2017 %F ndc:23734 %I Drug and Alcohol Findings %T Alcohol matrix cell D5: Organisational functioning - safeguarding the community. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/23734/ %0 Generic %A Drug and Alcohol Findings, %C London %D 2017 %F ndc:23731 %I Drug and Alcohol Findings %T Alcohol matrix cell B5: Practitioners - safeguarding the community. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/23731/ %0 Generic %A European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, %C Lisbon %D 2017 %F ndc:15311 %I European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction %T EMCDDA Best practice portal. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/15311/ %X The Best practice portal is a resource for professionals, policymakers and researchers in the areas of drug-related prevention, treatment, harm reduction and social reintegration. The portal concentrates on illicit drugs and polydrug use and has a clear European focus. It is continuously updated as information and research on interventions emerges. You can find the latest evidence (what works and what doesn't work) - guidelines, standards and tools (instruments and questionnaires). ‘Best practice is the best application of available evidence to current activities in the drugs field. • underlying evidence should be relevant to the problems and issues affecting those involved(professionals, policymakers, drug users, their families); • methods should be transparent, reliable and transferable and all appropriate evidence should be considered in the classification process; • experience in implementation, adaptation and training should be systematically collected and made available; • contextual factors should be studied by modelling different prevalence levels so as to assess the impact of an intervention on the population; and • evidence of effectiveness and feasibility of implementation should both be considered for the broader decision-making process.' %0 Generic %A Schwartz, R P %A McNeely, J %A Wu, L T %A Sharma, G %A Wahle, A %A Cushing, C %A Nordeck, C D %A Sharma, A %A O'Grady, K E %A Gryczynski, J %A Mitchell, S G %A Ali, R L %A Marsden, J %A Subramaniam, G A %D 2017 %F ndc:27115 %I Elsevier %P 69-76 %T Identifying substance misuse in primary care: TAPS Tool compared to the WHO ASSIST. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/27115/ %V 76 %X BACKGROUND: There is a need for screening and brief assessment instruments to identify primary care patients with substance use problems. This study's aim was to examine the performance of a two-step screening and brief assessment instrument, the TAPS Tool, compared to the WHO ASSIST. METHODS: Two thousand adult primary care patients recruited from five primary care clinics in four Eastern US states completed the TAPS Tool followed by the ASSIST. The ability of the TAPS Tool to identify moderate- and high-risk use scores on the ASSIST was examined using sensitivity and specificity analyses. RESULTS: The interviewer and self-administered computer tablet versions of the TAPS Tool generated similar results. The interviewer-administered version (at cut-off of 2), had acceptable sensitivity and specificity for high-risk tobacco (0.90 and 0.77) and alcohol (0.87 and 0.80) use. For illicit drugs, sensitivities were >0.82 and specificities >0.92. The TAPS (at a cut-off of 1) had good sensitivity and specificity for moderate-risk tobacco use (0.83 and 0.97) and alcohol (0.83 and 0.74). Among illicit drugs, sensitivity was acceptable for moderate-risk of marijuana (0.71), while it was low for all other illicit drugs and non-medical use of prescription medications. Specificities were 0.97 or higher for all illicit drugs and prescription medications. CONCLUSIONS: The TAPS Tool identified adult primary care patients with high-risk ASSIST scores for all substances as well moderate-risk users of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana, although it did not perform well in identifying patients with moderate-risk use of other drugs or non-medical use of prescription medications. The advantages of the TAPS Tool over the ASSIST are its more limited number of items and focus solely on substance use in the past 3months. %0 Report %A Practitioner Health Matters Programme, %B %D 2017 %F ndc:27136 %I Practitioner Health %T Practitioner health matters programme 2015-2016. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/27136/ %X It is well recognised that using the normal healthcare pathways is often difficult for doctors, dentists and pharmacists. Treating these professionals can also be challenging. Practitioners often delay in seeking help and resort to self-management and self-medication. There are many reasons for this delayed approach and cultural issues within healthcare plays its part: admitting to being unwell, feeling stressed, difficulty coping with the workload as well as simply scheduling time off to seek medical help are all factors which contribute to poor practices. Reluctance to recognise and acknowledge a problem with mental health, alcohol or substance use can be even more difficult for practitioners: feelings of shame, guilt, stigma, fears around confidentiality and fears for their future ability to practise result in practitioners not seeking help in these circumstances. This often results in them presenting when their problems are more severe or sometimes when they are in crisis. The Practitioner Health Matters Programme is a service specifically designed to look after the needs of practitioners. It is a strictly confidential service which recognises the complexities of why practitioners may delay in declaring they have a problem and can provide the time, care and support a practitioner may need. The programme focus is to support the practitioner in difficulty rather than reporting them to their employer or regulator allowing them to access the medical help they need to restore them to full health and functioning. %0 Generic %A Sumnall, Harry %A Hamilton, Ian %A Monaghan, Mark %C Oxford %D 2017 %F ndc:26953 %I Minervation Ltd %N 3 March 2017 %T Novel Psychoactive Substances: important information for health professionals. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/26953/ %X Novel psychoactive substances (NPS; also known as new psychoactive substances or popularly, although erroneously, as ‘legal highs’) is the name given to drugs that are newly synthesised or newly available, and which do not fall under the control of United Nations Drug Conventions. These drugs exist as a result of advances in academic, industrial, and psychonautic chemistry and are used for many of the same reasons given for traditional illegal drugs such as cannabis, ecstasy, and heroin. However, many NPS are not detected by routine forensic screens, and so are relatively popular in secure settings such as prisons, or in professions that are subject to random drug screening programmes.......... %0 Generic %A Drug and Alcohol Findings, %C London %D 2017 %F ndc:22525 %I Drug and Alcohol Findings and the Substance Misuse Skills Consortium %T Alcohol Matrix cell B4: Practitioners - psychosocial therapies. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/22525/ %0 Generic %A Laporte, Catherine %A Vaillant-Roussel, Hélène %A Pereira, Bruno %A Blanc, Olivier %A Eschalier, Bénédicte %A Kinouani, Shérazade %A Brousse, Georges %A Llorca, Pierre-Michel %A Vorilhon, Philippe %D 2017 %F ndc:27052 %I n/a %N 2 %P 131-139 %T Cannabis and young users- a brief intervention to reduce their consumption (CANABIC): a cluster randomized controlled trial in primary care. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/27052/ %V 15 %X PURPOSE: Brief intervention to reduce cannabis is a promising technique that could be adapted for use in primary care, but it has not been well studied in this setting. We tested the efficacy of a brief intervention conducted by general practitioners among cannabis users aged 15 to 25 years. METHODS: We performed a cluster randomized controlled trial with 77 general practitioners in France. The intervention consisted of an interview designed according to the FRAMES (feedback, responsibility, advice, menu, empathy, self-efficacy) model, while the control condition consisted of routine care. RESULTS: The general practitioners screened and followed up 261 young cannabis users. After 1 year, there was no significant difference between the intervention and control groups in the median number of joints smoked per month among all users (17.5 vs 17.5; P = .13), but there was a difference in favor of the intervention among nondaily users (3 vs 10; P = .01). After 6 months, the intervention was associated with a more favorable change from baseline in the number of joints smoked (-33.3% vs 0%, P = .01) and, among users younger than age of 18, smoking of fewer joints per month (12.5 vs 20, P = .04). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that a brief intervention conducted by general practitioners with French young cannabis users does not affect use overall. They do, however, strongly support use of brief intervention for younger users and for moderate users. %0 Generic %A Parkman, Tom %A Neale, Joanne %A Day, Ed %A Drummond, Colin %D 2017 %F ndc:26869 %I BioMed Central %N 140 %T Qualitative exploration of why people repeatedly attend emergency departments for alcohol-related reasons. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/26869/ %V 17 %X Background: Understanding why people repeatedly attend Emergency Departments (EDs) for alcohol-related reasons is an important prerequisite to identifying ways of reducing any unnecessary demands on hospital resources. We use Andersen’s Behavioural Model of Health Services Use to explore factors that contributed to repeat ED attendances. Methods: Qualitative interviews were conducted with 30 people who repeatedly attended EDs for alcohol-related reasons (≥10 attendances in the past 12 months). We recruited participants from 6 EDs in London, United Kingdom. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, substance use, contact with specialist addiction and other health services, most recent ED attendance, and previous ED attendances were analysed. Results: Participants reported long-standing health problems, almost all were unemployed, and many had limited education and unstable housing. Most held positive health beliefs about EDs, despite some negative experiences. They reported limited community resources: poor social support, inaccessible primary care services, dislike or lack of information about specialist addiction services, and difficulties travelling to services. In contrast, EDs offered immediate, sympathetic care and free transport by ambulance. Participants’ perceived need for care was high, with physical injury and pain being the main reasons for ED attendance. Conclusions: Push’ and ‘pull’ factors contributed to repeated ED use. ‘Push’ factors included individual-level problems and wider community service failings. ‘Pull’ factors included positive experiences of, and beliefs about, ED care. Community services need to better engage and support people with complex drinking problems, whilst ED staff can be more effective in referring patients to community-based services. %0 Journal Article %@ 0790-9667 %A Ducray, Kevin %A Pilch, M %D 2017 %F ndc:27344 %I Medmedia Group %J Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine %P 183-196 %T Health student regard for substance-using patients as measured by the Medical Condition Regard Scale: a systematic review. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/27344/ %V 34 %0 Journal Article %@ 1365-2648 %A Horgan, Aine %A Sweeney, John %A Behan, Laura %A McCarthy, Geraldine %D 2016 %F ndc:26414 %I Wiley %J Journal of Advanced Nursing %N 12 %P 3081-3092 %T Depressive symptoms, college adjustment and peer support among undergraduate nursing and midwifery students. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/26414/ %V 72 %X AIM: This study aimed to identify levels of depressive symptoms, social and personal college adjustment and peer support among nursing and midwifery students. BACKGROUND: Student mental health is of international concern, particularly among students who are undertaking professional qualifications in health care. DESIGN: Cross-sectional design. METHODS: Data were collected in 2013 using the Centre for Epidemiology Depressive Symptoms Scale, two subscales of the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire; and a subscale of the Peer Support Evaluation Inventory with 417 students in Ireland. RESULTS: Findings indicated that 34% of participants experienced depressive symptoms, 20% were poorly personally adjusted and 9% poorly socially adjusted. Most students had good levels of peer support. Statistically significant relationships were found between all key variables. Students in their second year of study had significantly higher rates of depressive symptoms. Participants who reported having poor relationships with their fathers were at higher risk and had more difficulties personally and socially adjusting to university life and study. The alcohol consumption of participants had a statistically significant relationship with depressive symptoms with higher consumption rates having a positive impact on symptoms. CONCLUSION: The mental health of undergraduates undertaking professional healthcare studies needs to be a key research, educational and clinical priority. High rates of adjustment and mental health difficulties, particularly in the second year of the programme need to be examined and more effective interventions developed. %0 Generic %A Koivula, Riitta %A Tigerstedt, Christoffer %A Vilkko, Anni %A Kuussaari, Kristiina %A Pajala, Satu %D 2016 %F ndc:26624 %I De Gruyter %N 5-6 %T How does older people’s drinking appear in the daily work of home care professionals? %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/26624/ %V 33 %X AIMS - In this article the authors ask how the alcohol use of elderly home care clients affects the daily work of home care professionals and how the professionals act to support the drinking client. METHODS - Semi-structured interviews with 10 home care professionals were conducted from December 2014 to February 2015 in the Helsinki metropolitan area of Finland. Everyday situations during home visits related to the clients’ alcohol use were analysed according to modalities of agency of the home care professionals. RESULTS - The results focus on three themes raised in the interviews: supporting life management of the client, the lack of qualifications in tackling clients’ drinking and the need for multi-professional collaboration. Intoxicated clients complicated the home care nurses’ work and obstructed the implementation of recommendations set out to guide the professionals’ operations. Care work with alcohol-using clients was particularly demanding, and the professionals were concerned about not having enough training in how to encounter elderly clients’ drinking. Multi-professional collaboration with substance abuse services and emergency department personnel was called for to remedy this problem. CONCLUSIONS - More extensive and detailed research is needed for a better picture of how clients’ drinking influences home care nurses’ working conditions and what kind of skills nurses need in different alcohol-related situations. Such research would have the potential to benefit clients and improve the well-being of the employees. %0 Generic %A Drug and Alcohol Findings, %C London %D 2016 %F ndc:22520 %I Drug and Alcohol Findings and the Substance Misuse Skills Consortium %T Alcohol Matrix cell B3: Practitioners - medical treatment. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/22520/ %0 Journal Article %A Kelly, Peter %D 2016 %F ndc:26240 %I Health Research Board %J Drugnet Ireland %P 20 %T Inaugural Irish conference for nurses in addiction services. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/26240/ %V Issue 59, Autumn 2016 %0 Generic %A Drug and Alcohol Findings, %C London %D 2016 %F ndc:26057 %I Drug and Alcohol Findings %T Alcohol Matrix cell B2: Practitioners; generic and cross-cutting issues. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/26057/ %0 Generic %A Platt, Lucy %A Melendez-Torres, GJ %A O'Donnell, Amy %A Bradley, Jennifer %A Newbury-Birch, Dorothy %A Kaner, Eileen %A Ashton, Charlotte %D 2016 %F ndc:25980 %I BMJ Publishing %N e011473 %T How effective are brief interventions in reducing alcohol consumption: do the setting, practitioner group and content matter? Findings from a systematic review and metaregression analysis. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/25980/ %V 6 %0 Generic %A BMA Occupational Medicine Committee, %C London %D 2016 %F ndc:25946 %I British Medical Association %T Alcohol, drugs and the workplace: the role of medical professionals. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/25946/ %X This guide aims to provide practical advice to medical professionals to help you to understand and support working patients and employers to address alcohol and illicit drug use by people that work. This guidance was first published in 2014 and supplements the work published by the Board of Science on alcohol and the use of illicit drugs, and aims to provide practical advice to medical professionals to help them understand and support working patients and employers to address the use of alcohol and illicit drugs by people who work. This second edition was updated and chapter 9 added in response to a Department for Work and Pensions review into how best to support benefit claimants with addictions and potentially treatable conditions back into work. While aimed primarily at medical professionals, this booklet may also assist other health care professionals, managers, human resources specialists and employee representatives. %0 Generic %A Drug and Alcohol Findings, %C London %D 2016 %F ndc:22483 %I Drug and Alcohol Findings %T Alcohol Matrix cell B1: Practitioners - screening and brief intervention. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/22483/ %0 Generic %A Neale, Joanne %A Parkman, Tom %A Day, Ed %A Drummond, Colin %C London %D 2016 %F ndc:25471 %I Alcohol research UK %T Frequent attenders to accident and emergency departments: a qualitative study of individuals who repeatedly present with alcohol-related health conditions. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/25471/ %X Key findings • People who frequently attend Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments for alcohol-related reasons tend to experience alcohol dependence associated with multiple and complex needs, but also report diverse patterns of drinking and other substance use, and varied health and social problems. • Although A&E staff are generally sympathetic to the needs of people with complex drinking and related problems, they do not have the resources or training to provide the kind of personalised support that people who frequently attend A&E for alcohol-related reasons often need. • Assertive outreach – a treatment model that offers intensive, individualised, caseworker support for patients in the community – seems to offer good potential for helping people who frequently attend A&E for alcohol-related reasons. %0 Generic %A NHS England, %C London %D 2016 %F ndc:25545 %I NHS England %T Improving the physical health of people with serious mental illness. A practical toolkit. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/25545/ %0 Generic %A Action on Smoking and Health UK, %A Royal College of Anaesthetists, %A Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, %A Faculty of Public Health, %C London %D 2016 %F ndc:25438 %I ASH %T Briefing: Smoking and surgery. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/25438/ %X This briefing has been designed for health professionals and commissioners, to provide clear advice and examples of good practice in relation to smoking and surgery. Contents: • Summary of the evidence p.1 • Risks associated with smoking and surgery p.1 • Benefits of quitting smoking p.2 • Cost to the NHS p.2 • The role of health professionals p.3 • General Practitioners p.3 • Anaesthetists p.3 • Surgeons p.3 • Why hospitalisation is an opportune time to encourage patients to stop smoking p.4 • Stop smoking interventions and harm reduction p.4 • Behavioural support and stop smoking pharmacotherapies p.4 • Electronic cigarettes p.5 • What should smokers expect from the NHS ahead of surgery p.5 %0 Generic %A Choo, Esther %A Guthrie, K Morrow %A Mello, Michael %A Wetle, Terrie F %A Ranney, Megan %A Tapé, Chantal %A Zlotnick, Caron %D 2016 %F ndc:27623 %I n/a %N 2 %P 193-220 %T "I need to hear from women who have 'been there'": Developing a woman-focused intervention for drug use and partner violence in the emergency department. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/27623/ %V 7 %X OBJECTIVE: Addressing violence and linking women to community services in parallel with drug change goals is critical for women with coexisting intimate partner violence (IPV) and substance use disorders (SUD). Our objective was to develop a Web-based intervention to address violence and drug use among women patients in the ED. METHODS: The intervention was developed in a five-step process: 1) Initial intervention development based on selected theoretical frameworks; 2) In-depth interviews with the target population; 3) Intervention adaptation, with iterative feedback from further interviews; 4) Beta testing and review by an advisory committee of domestic violence advocates; 5) Acceptability and feasibility testing in a small open trial. RESULTS: Themes supported the selection of MI and empowerment models but also guided major adaptations to the intervention, including the introduction of videos and a more robust booster phone call. Participants in the open trial reported high scores for satisfaction, usability, and consistency with essential elements of motivational interviewing. CONCLUSIONS: This qualitative work with our target population of women in the ED with SUD experiencing IPV underscored the importance of connection to peers and empathetic human contact. We developed an acceptable and feasible intervention distinct from prior ED-based brief interventions for substance-using populations. %0 Report %A Health Service Executive; College of Psychiatrists, %B %C Dublin %D 2016 %F ndc:25314 %I The National Clinical Programme for Mental Health Clinical Programme, HSE Clinical Strategy and Programmes Division %T National clinical programme for the assessment and management of patients presenting to Emergency Departments following self-harm. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/25314/ %0 Generic %A Breckon, Jonathan %A Roberts, Isobel %C London %D 2016 %F ndc:25164 %I Nesta and Alliance for Useful Evidence %T Using research evidence: a practice guide. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/25164/ %X Research evidence can help you understand what works, where, why and for whom. It can also tell you what doesn’t work, and you can avoid repeating the failures of others by learning from evaluations of unsuccessful programmes. Evidence also challenges what we might think is common sense. Whether it’s in a police station, a school classroom or the boardroom of a charity, evidence can help you make better decisions. It is helpful not only in frontline service-delivery, but also in creating smarter organisations Contents: Introduction 4 Section A: What is evidence-informed decision-making, and why focus on research? 6 Section B: When can evidence help you? 13 Section C: ‘Horses for courses’ – What evidence should you choose? 18 • Part 1: Different types of research methods, designs and approaches 20 • Part 2: How do you judge the quality of research? 29 Section D: Where should you look for evidence? 38 Section E: How should you communicate your findings? 46 Summary 49 Appendix 1: Rationales for evidence and types of evidence required for policymakers 50 Appendix 2: Experimental designs for evaluating complex interventions 51 Appendix 3: Guidance on evidence quality, designs and methods 52 %0 Journal Article %@ 1532-2793 %A Deasy, Christine %A Coughlan, Barry %A Pironom, Julie %A Jourdan, Didier %A Mannix-McNamara, Patricia %D 2016 %F ndc:25129 %I Elsevier %J Nurse Education Today %P 427-433 %T Predictors of health of pre-registration nursing and midwifery students: findings from a cross-sectional survey. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/25129/ %V 36 %X BACKGROUND: Student nurses/midwives evidence less than exemplary lifestyle habits and poor emotional health, despite exposure to health education/promotion during their educational preparation. Knowledge of the factors that predict nursing/midwifery students' health could inform strategies to enhance their health and increase their credibility as future health promoters/educators. OBJECTIVE: To establish the predictors of nursing/midwifery student emotional health. SETTING: Cross-sectional survey took place at a university in Ireland. PARTICIPANTS: We involved a total sample (n=473) student nurses/midwives. METHODS: Participants completed the General Health Questionnaire, Lifestyle Behaviour Questionnaire and Ways of Coping Questionnaire to determine their self-reported emotional health, lifestyle behaviour and coping processes. Multivariate regression was performed to identify the predictors of student emotional health (dependent variable). The independent variables were demographics, coping, lifestyle behaviour and students' perceptions of determinants of their health. RESULTS: Many respondents reported significant emotional distress (48.71%) and unhealthy lifestyle behaviours including smoking (27.94%), physical inactivity (34.29%), alcohol consumption (91.7%) and unhealthy diet (28.05%). Multivariate regressions indicated that the predictors of emotional distress included gender, year of study, smoking, passive coping and beliefs that their student life was stressful or/and that worry stress and boredom adversely impacted their diet. CONCLUSIONS: Targeting student's beliefs regarding influences upon their health, promotion of positive lifestyles and adaptive coping is necessary to facilitate health gain of future health professionals. %0 Generic %A Yeyashree, Katherisan %A Kathirvel, Soundappan %A Shewade, Hemant D %A Kaur, Harpreet %A Gaul, Sono %C London %D 2016 %F ndc:25453 %I John Wiley & Sons, Ltd %N 1 %T Smoking cessation interventions for pulmonary tuberculosis treatment outcomes. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/25453/ %X Main results: There were no randomised controlled trials that met the eligibility criteria. A number of potentially eligible studies are underway, and we will assess them for inclusion in the next update of this review. Authors' conclusions: There is a lack of high-quality evidence, i.e. RCTs, that tests the effectiveness of cessation interventions in improving TB treatment outcomes. There is a need for good-quality randomised controlled trials that assess the effect of SCIs on TB treatment outcomes in both the short and long term. Establishing such an evidence base would be an essential step towards the implementation of SCIs in TB control programmes worldwide. %0 Journal Article %A Ho, SY %A McElvaney, NG %A Balfem, M %A Doyle, Frank %D 2016 %F ndc:25519 %I Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland %J RCSI Student Medical Journal %N 1 %P 27-32 %T Exploring the views of healthcare professionals on increasing smoking cessation advice for patients. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/25519/ %V 9 %0 Generic %A Marel, Christina %A Mills, Katherine L %A Kingston, Rosemary %A Gournay, Kevin %A Deady, Mark %A Kay-Lambkin, Frances %A Baker, Amanda %A Teesson, Maree %C Sydney %D 2016 %F ndc:26128 %I Australia: Centre of Research Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use, National Drug and Alcohol %T Guidelines on the management of co-occurring alcohol and other drug and mental health conditions in alcohol and other drug treatment settings. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/26128/ %X These Guidelines aim to provide alcohol and other drug (AOD) workers with evidence-based information to assist with the management of co-occurring, or comorbid, AOD and mental health conditions. They represent an update and revision of the first edition of these Guidelines published in 2009. Population estimates indicate that more than one-third of individuals with an AOD use disorder have at least one comorbid mental health disorder; however, the rate is even higher among those in AOD treatment programs. Additionally, there are a large number of people who present to AOD treatment who display symptoms of disorders while not meeting criteria for a diagnosis of a disorder. The high prevalence of comorbidity means that AOD workers are frequently faced with the need to manage complex psychiatric symptoms that may interfere with their ability to treat clients’ AOD use. Furthermore, clients with comorbid mental health conditions often have a variety of other medical, family, and social problems (e.g., housing, employment, welfare, legal problems). As such, it is important that AOD workers adopt a holistic approach to the management and treatment of comorbidity that is based on treating the person, not the illness (see Chapter B1). The first step in responding to comorbidity is being able to identify the person’s needs (see Chapters B2 and B3). Despite high rates of comorbidity among clients of AOD services, it is not unusual for comorbid mental health conditions to go unnoticed. This is mostly because AOD workers are not routinely looking for them. It is a recommendation of these Guidelines that all clients of AOD treatment services should be screened and assessed for comorbidity as part of routine clinical care. Once identified, symptoms of mental health conditions may be effectively managed while the person is undergoing AOD treatment (see Chapters B5 and B6). The goal of management is to allow AOD treatment to continue without mental health symptoms disrupting the treatment process, and to retain clients in treatment who might otherwise discontinue such treatment. Comorbidity is not an insurmountable barrier to treating people with AOD use disorders. Indeed, research has shown that clients with comorbid mental health conditions can benefit just as much as those without comorbid conditions from usual AOD treatment. Some clients with comorbidity may require additional treatment for their mental health problems (see Chapter B6). Some interventions have been designed for the treatment of specific comorbidities; however, these interventions generally have not been well researched. Where there is an absence of specific research on comorbid disorders, it is recommended that best practice is to use the most effective treatments for each disorder. Both psychosocial and pharmacological interventions have been found to have some benefit in the treatment of many comorbidities. Consideration should also be given to the use of e-health interventions, physical activity, and complementary and alternative therapies, as an adjunct to traditional treatments. In addition to mental health services, AOD workers may need to engage with a range of other services to meet clients’ needs, including housing, employment, education, training, community, justice, and other support services. A broad, multifaceted, and co-ordinated approach is needed in order to address all of these issues effectively, and it is important that AOD services and workers develop links with a range of local services (see Chapter B4). %0 Report %A National Health & Social Care Professions Office, %B %C Dublin %D 2016 %F ndc:26965 %I Health Service Executive %T Health and social care professions education and development strategy 2016 – 2019. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/26965/ %X Health and Social Care Professions (HSCP) is a term used to encompass a diverse, highly educated and skilled range of professionals with significant contributions to make to the health, care, wellbeing and quality of life of the population. HSCP are well positioned and have the skills to support the goals outlined in the HSE Corporate Plan 2015 - 2017. The aim of this current HSCP Education and Development Strategy is to support achievement of the Corporate Plan and the People Strategy 2015-2018. %0 Generic %A Zeng, Linmiao %A Yu, Xiaolian %A Yu, Tingting %A Xiao, Jianhong %A Huang, Yushang %C London %D 2015 %F ndc:25450 %I John Wiley & Sons, Ltd %N 12 %T Interventions for smoking cessation in people diagnosed with lung cancer. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/25450/ %X Authors' conclusions: There were no RCTs that determined the effectiveness of any type of smoking cessation programme for people with lung cancer. There was insufficient evidence to determine whether smoking cessation interventions are effective for people with lung cancer and whether one programme is more effective than any other. People with lung cancer should be encouraged to quit smoking and offered smoking cessation interventions. However, due to the lack of RCTs, the efficacy of smoking cessation interventions for people with lung cancer cannot be evaluated and concluded. This systematic review identified a need for RCTs to explore these. %0 Journal Article %A Dunne, Mary %A Nelson, Mairea %D 2015 %F ndc:24636 %I Health Research Board %J Drugnet Ireland %P 19 %T Nursing in contexts of marginalised health. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/24636/ %V Issue 55, Autumn 2015 %0 Generic %A No One Left Out: Solutions Ltd, %C London %D 2015 %F ndc:24711 %I Westminster City Council %T Creating a psychologically informed environment. implementation and assessment. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/24711/ %X A Psychologically Informed Environment (PIE) “... is one that takes into account the psychological makeup – the thinking, emotions, personalities and past experience - of its participants in the way that it operates.” It’s an approach to supporting people out of homelessness, in particular those who have experienced complex trauma3 or are diagnosed with a personality disorder. It also considers the psychological needs of staff: developing skills and knowledge, increasing motivation, job satisfaction and resilience. Many of the clients homeless services work with seem to have difficulty managing their emotions, appear impulsive and do not consider the consequences of their actions. Some may be withdrawn, isolated and reluctant to engage or exhibit anti-social behaviour. The purpose of a PIE is to help staff understand where these behaviours are coming from and therefore work more creatively and constructively with challenging behaviours. A PIE has 5 key elements: 1. Relationships 2. Staff support and training 3. The physical environment and social spaces 4. A psychological framework 5. Evidence generating practice %0 Report %A Health Service Executive, %B %C Dublin %D 2015 %F ndc:24172 %I Health Service Executive %T Child and adolescent mental health services standard operating procedure. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/24172/ %0 Report %A Hope, Ann %B %C Galway %D 2015 %F ndc:24166 %I Galway Healthy Cities: Galway City Alcohol Strategy to Prevent and Reduce Alcohol-Related Harm (2013-2017). %T Research evidence to prevent alcohol-related harm: what communities can do in Ireland. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/24166/ %X A practical guide that supports communities to tackle alcohol-related harm has been developed by Galway Healthy Cities Alcohol Forum. It guides communities through evidence-based solutions that can be undertaken in local areas– and provides clear references so that people can know what is proven to work to improve health and social problems. The booklet – Research evidence to prevent alcohol-related harm: What communities can do in Ireland - translates the science into a format that can be easily understood starting with the policy areas with the strongest scientific evidence and providing practical community action opportunities. Dr Hope stressed that “key areas of supply, such as price, availability and marketing; and demand, such as early intervention need to be addressed to prevent and reduce alcohol problems”. The HSE recently announced a new policy on alcohol-related education and communications programmes, which formally separates HSE public health advice from partnership with the alcohol industry, a decision which was supported by the evidence provided in this new guide. Cate Hartigan concluded: ‘The overall approach to alcohol action across the health and community sector is informed by our collective responsibility to protect health, and to promote evidence-based alcohol policy. This new guide is an excellent example of how we can work together to reduce alcohol-related harm, and support a population to be more informed on how alcohol affects our health and wellbeing, our work and relationships, our children and our society’. %0 Report %9 Other %A O'Dwyer, Patricia %A Cahalane, Sheila %A Pelican-Kelly, Susanne %B %C Cork %D 2015 %F ndc:24247 %I Child and Family Agency South Lee Cork %T Evaluation of the contribution of the child protection public health nurse to inter-professional working in child protection. An integrated health and social care model of child protection. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/24247/ %0 Generic %A The Royal College of Emergency Medicine, %C London %D 2015 %F ndc:24281 %I The Royal College of Emergency Medicine %T Alcohol: a toolkit for improving care. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/24281/ %X The aims of the toolkit are: 1. Promotion of best practice in the area of alcohol management - methods of screening and complete management of the patient with alcohol related illness and injury in EDs. 2. Advancement of safe and effective care in this area - advising on approaches on how to care for this subset of patients and sharing best practice with the use of medications. 3. Education and training of Emergency Medicine doctors - by provision of guidelines and advocating training. %0 Generic %A NHS Choices, %C London %D 2015 %F ndc:24134 %I NHS Choices %T The effects of drugs. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/24134/ %0 Generic %A McEwen, Andy %C London %D 2015 %E Bauld, Linda %E Hermon, Yvonne %F ndc:24129 %I National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training and Public Health England %T Smoking cessation: a briefing for midwifery staff. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/24129/ %X Smoking in pregnancy poses significant health risks to the mother and to the baby. For the mother, smoking in pregnancy carries with it all the health risks associated with smoking but with some additional pregnancy-related health risks, including ectopic pregnancy, placenta praevia and pre-eclampsia; pregnant women are also at increased risk of deep vein thrombosis. %0 Report %A The Office of the Nursing and Midwifery Service Director, %B %C Dublin %D 2015 %F ndc:25684 %I Health Service Executive %T Clinical supervision framework for nurses working in mental health services. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/25684/ %X Clinical supervision has emerged both internationally and in Ireland as a means of using reflective practice and shared experiences to support continuous professional development. The HSE published national supervision guidance (HSE HR Circular 002/2015) to support and strengthen the quality of care and staff engagement with the goal of improving and maintaining safe, quality, effective and efficient care for services users3. This Clinical supervision framework for nurses working within the Mental Health services compliments these HSE National supervision guidelines and specifically directs the development and delivery of a clinical supervision system for the nursing profession working in Mental Health services. Clinical supervision is a process of professional support and learning in which nurses are assisted in developing their practice through regular discussion time with experienced and knowledgeable colleagues4. Butterworth and Faugier5 describe clinical supervision as a major force in improving clinical standards and enhancing the quality of care. Supervision promotes personal and professional development in a supportive relationship that occurs between equals . It is increasingly being recommended as a means of supporting professional practice and is fundamental to safeguarding standards, developing professional expertise, and improving the delivery of quality care. Clinical supervision fits well in the clinical governance framework, whilst helping to ensure better outcomes for service users and improving nursing practice. There is potential for clinical supervision to contribute to the development of a more articulate and skilled workforce which in turn can contribute positively to organisational objectives. %0 Generic %A Abdulrahim, D %A Bowden-Jones, O %A Novel Psychoactive Treatment UK Network, %C London %D 2015 %F ndc:24292 %I NEPTUNE %T Guidance on the clinical management of acute and chronic harms of club drugs and novel psychoactive substances. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/24292/ %X For the purposes of this document, ‘club drugs’ is a short-hand term used for convenience to refer to a group of psychoactive substances typically used in dance venues, house parties, music festivals and sometimes in a sexual context. The term therefore describes a diverse group of substances with different actions. They include substances with primarily stimulant effects, those with primarily hallucinogenic effects, as well as some central nervous system depressants and synthetic cannabinoids. Club drugs include substances well established in the UK such as MDMA (ecstasy), as well as the rapidly expanding range of novel psychoactive substances (NPS) such as synthetic cannabinoids, synthetic cathinones and a range of other amphetamine-type stimulants. Some club drugs are sold on the illicit market, whilst others are sold as so-called ‘legal highs’. This document provides guidance on the clinical management of harms resulting from acute intoxication and from the harmful and dependent use of club drugs and NPS. It categorises club drugs broadly according to their clinical effects: depressant; stimulant; hallucinogenic. In addition, the synthetic cannabinoids are treated as a separate category, largely for reasons relating to their clinical management but also because they do not fit neatly into that threefold categorisation. The guidance is based on available evidence and clinical consensus. It is a response to the current gap in knowledge and experience in the management of these drugs across the UK and beyond. Guidance is aimed in particular at clinicians in a range of settings, specifically: • specialist drug treatment services • hospital emergency departments (EDs) • general practice/ primary care • sexual health clinics This document provides guidance, not guidelines. Together with the recommendations of its reviews, technical appraisals and standards, national guidelines produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) determine the wider principles within which treatment and care should be provided within drug services, EDs, primary care, sexual health and mental health services in the UK. However, these guidelines do not relate specifically to NPS. NEPTUNE guidance must be used within the wider principles of national guidelines. Non-UK readers of this document should contact their local, regional or national poisons information service for up–to-date advice and guidance on the management of acute club drug intoxication and withdrawal. %0 Journal Article %@ 2047-9018 %A Chandrakumar, Sreejith %A Adams, John %D 2015 %F ndc:24715 %I n/a %J Nursing Standard %N 9 %P 36-40 %T Attitudes to smoking and smoking cessation among nurses. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/24715/ %V 30 %X This article presents a literature review on smoking rates among nurses and the nursing role in promoting smoking cessation worldwide. Findings included wide variations between countries in smoking rates among nurses, and the important influence of peers and family members on smoking behaviours. Several studies indicated that nurses would value more education on techniques to promote smoking cessation. %0 Report %A Higgins, A %A Morrissey, J %A Doyle, L %A Bailey, J %A Gill, A %B %C Dublin %D 2015 %F ndc:25683 %I Health Service Executive %T Best practice principles for risk assessment and safety planning for nurses working in mental health services. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/25683/ %X The clinical role and responsibilities of the nurse has developed significantly to meet the changing nature and context of mental health care. Risk assessment and safety planning constitutes a significant component of the role of every nurse working in a recovery focused way in contemporary services and is particularly significant for those working in specialist and advanced practice roles in areas such as Liaison, Self Harm, Suicide Crisis Assessment and Community Mental Health. These principles are a resource for all nurses and provide a benchmark for the delivery of care. This document and these principles relate to the specific area of risk assessment and safety planning of an individual’s care. It is internationally accepted that risk and safety planning is an integral part of a standardised, comprehensive mental health bio psychosocial assessment of care which every individual will have when accessing mental health services. However, the profession requires a more in-depth knowledge and expertise in the area of risk assessment and safety planning. How risk is defined, classified and responded to needs to be evidence-based and consistent across all clinical settings and locations where care is being delivered nationally. %0 Report %9 Other %A McMonagle, Helen %A Hogan, Mark %A Morrissey, Anne Marie %A Mills, Fiona %A McMonagle, Caroline %A Tolan, Sinead %A O Domhnaill, Sean %A Butler, Mary %B %C Letterkenny %D 2015 %F ndc:23832 %I Alcohol forum %T Alcohol-related brain injury a guide for professionals. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/23832/ %X Our over-arching aim of this guide is to improve the overall quality of care individuals with Alcohol- Related Brain Injury (ARBI) receive during their contact with services. By encouraging a chain of intra and inter-professional dialogue around ARBI we hope to cultivate a multi-disciplinary cross-tier approach to the identification, assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of this disorder. %Z Please contact the Alcohol Forum for full guide info@alcoholforum.org %0 Journal Article %@ 0332-3102 %A Murphy, JFA %D 2015 %F ndc:24716 %I Irish Medical Organisation %J Irish Medical Journal %N 9 %T Assaults on medical, nursing and paramedical staff. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/24716/ %V 108 %0 Generic %A Galvani, Sarah %A Livingston, Wulf %A Morgan, Hannah %A Wadd, Sarah %C London %D 2014 %F ndc:26967 %I Alcohol research UK %T Substance use and sight loss: a guide for professionals %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/26967/ %X This was an exploratory study of the relationship between substance use – alcohol and other drugs – and sight loss. Its origins lay in practice-based concerns about the extent to which service provision met the needs of people with sight loss who were experiencing problematic substance use. A preliminary review of the international literature found limited evidence relating to medical or clinical associations between sight loss and substance use but almost no literature that explored the experiences of those living, or working with, sight loss and substance use. Therefore, this study sought to answer three key research questions: • What does current evidence reveal about the nature and extent of the relationship between substance use and sight loss? • What is the role substance use plays in the lives of people with sight loss? • What are the experiences of professionals working with people who have sight loss and substance problems? Key findings: • People with sight loss are more likely than their sighted peers to abstain from drinking alcohol. Analysis of two UK datasets showed that they are also more likely to drink fewer units of alcohol per week. • An international review of the literature found very little evidence for substance use leading directly to sight loss. • There was evidence that substance use may be a risk for sight loss conditions such as ‘tobacco-alcohol amblyopia’ or ‘toxic amblyopia’ where heavy substance use is combined with other risk factors including smoking or poor nutrition. • Among the people we spoke to who were living with sight loss and current or past substance use, some had been told by sight loss professionals that their alcohol or other drug use caused their sight loss. • For some people their substance use was a way of coping with the negative experiences of sight loss. • Among the professionals we spoke to, the number of people they worked with who had sight loss and substance problems was small but those who did posed considerable professional challenges. • In general, professionals in sight loss and substance use services felt they were not adequately equipped with the knowledge, professional guidance or organisational policy frameworks, to help them to identify and respond confidently when working with someone with both sight loss and substance problems. • Professionals identified partnership working as key to providing support and to stopping people falling through the gap in services. Joint training and resources for staff and individuals are recommended. %0 Generic %A Public Health England, %C London %D 2014 %F ndc:23131 %I Public Health England %T Young people’s hospital alcohol pathways. Support pack for A&E departments. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/23131/ %X This document shows how local pathways can work for young people who present to A&E with alcohol-related conditions. It builds on similar publications by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)1 and Alcohol Concern. The pack includes a set of key questions for local professionals in the UK to help them develop effective care pathways within A&E and into other relevant services. It will be most relevant for A&E clinicians, hospital managers, substance misuse and young people’s commissioners. It may also have wider interest for local authority children’s services and organisations that are part of the pathway, such as substance misuse services and other young people’s support agencies. %0 Generic %A Drug and Alcohol Findings, %A Substance Misuse Skills Consortium, %C London %D 2014 %F ndc:23725 %I Drug and Alcohol Findings %T Drug matrix cell B5: Practitioners - safeguarding the community. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/23725/ %0 Generic %A Drug and Alcohol Findings, %A Substance Misuse Skills Consortium, %C London %D 2014 %F ndc:23726 %I Drug and Alcohol Findings and the Substance Misuse Skills Consortium %T Drug matrix cell C5: Management/supervision - safeguarding the community. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/23726/ %0 Generic %A Drug and Alcohol Findings, %A Substance Misuse Skills Consortium, %D 2014 %F ndc:23727 %I Drug and Alcohol Findings and the Substance Misuse Skills Consortium %T Drug matrix cell D5: Organisational functioning - safeguarding the community. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/23727/ %0 Generic %A Drug and Alcohol Findings, %A Substance Misuse Skills Consortium, %C London %D 2014 %F ndc:22530 %I Drug and Alcohol Findings and the Substance Misuse Skills Consortium %T Drug Matrix cell B3: Practitioners - medical treatment. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/22530/ %0 Generic %A Health and Safety Authority, %C Dublin %D 2014 %F ndc:24476 %I Health and Safety Authority %T Guide to the European Union (Prevention of Sharps Injuries in the Healthcare Sector) Regulations 2014. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/24476/ %X The purpose of this guide is to provide practical information on the implementation of the European Union (Prevention of Sharps Injuries in the Healthcare Sector) Regulations 2014, hereafter referred to as ‘’the Regulations’’. The information is aimed at employers, managers, employees, safety representatives, health and safety practitioners and other interested parties in the healthcare sector. %0 Journal Article %@ 1393-8088 %A Latham, Linda %D 2014 %F ndc:22248 %I Medmedia Group %J World of Irish Nursing & Midwifery %N 5 %P 55-56 %T Alcohol misuse and the family. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/22248/ %V 22 %X Nurses are ideally placed to spot the signs of alcohol abuse and should be prepared to open a conversation about the issue with family members. Starting a conversation about alcohol misuse, whether it be with a spouse, a family or with friends, is a culturally awkward endeavour in Ireland. Despite the fact that Irish society tolerates a high level of alcohol consumption, it is a conversation that should be encouraged well before children start experimenting with alcohol. This conversation should be initiated tentatively by nurses, whether at work, in the community or in their own homes. Some estimates suggest that nurses misuse drugs and alcohol at nearly the same rate (10-15%) as the rest of the population. The American Nurses Association estimates that 6-8% of nurses use alcohol or drugs to an extent that is sufficient to impair professional performance. It may be very uncomfortable for us to consider that a nurse can be high functioning and high achieving though suffering from a substance-use disorder such as alcoholism. Therefore, it makes sense that the conversation starts with us..... %0 Generic %A National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, %C Sydney %D 2014 %F ndc:27681 %I National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre %T Supporting pregnant women who use alcohol or other drugs - a guide for primary health care professionals. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/27681/ %0 Generic %A National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, %C London %D 2014 %F ndc:24143 %I National Institute for Health and Care Excellence %T Drug misuse overview. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/24143/ %0 Generic %A Public Health England, %C London %D 2014 %F ndc:22793 %I Department of Health %T A framework for personalised care and population health for nurses, midwives, health visitors and allied health professionals. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/22793/ %X This framework has been developed to underpin the UK national programme to maximise nurses, midwives, health visitors (HVs) and allied health professionals (AHPs) impact on improving health outcomes and reducing inequalities. The framework supports and shapes health promoting practice and embeds personalised care and population health across all ages, care places and with individuals, families and communities. It is a resource to support practitioners’ access to best evidence for practice and to support nurse managers and commissioners to develop services which use the knowledge and skills that nurses, midwives, HVs and AHPs use to deliver the best health outcomes for the populations they serve. There are six key areas of population health activity in the framework. In each population health activity area are one or more worked examples on national health priority areas that illustrate how the framework should be used. • Wider determinants of health • Health improvement • Health protection • Healthcare public health • Health, wellbeing & independence • Lifecourse [Alcohol section on page 32-36; also contains references to smoking throughout the document] %0 Generic %A NHS Choices, %C London %D 2013 %F ndc:24130 %I NHS Choices %T Addiction overview. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/24130/ %0 Generic %A Hill Rice, Virginia %A Hartmann-Boyce, Jamie %A Stead, Lindsay F %C London %D 2013 %F ndc:16588 %I John Wiley & Sons, Ltd %T Nursing interventions for smoking cessation. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/16588/ %V 7 %0 Journal Article %A Editorial Board, %D 2013 %F ndc:20048 %I Bord Altranais agus Cnáimhseachais na hÉireann: Nursing And Midwifery Board Of Ireland %J Regulation Matters %P 2-3 %T Fitness to practise inquiries 2006 – 2010. Drug and alcohol abuse cases – what can be learned? %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/20048/ %V 4 %X From 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2010, 115 Fitness to Practise inquiries were carried out by the Irish Nursing and Midwifery Board. These inquiries were analysed in order to identify patterns and trends and, in particular, to look at what registrants and employers might learn from that analysis. Of the 115 inquiries between 2006 and 2010, 28 cases involved drug abuse and 11 cases involved alcohol abuse. This represents one-third of all cases. In all of these cases, there were also allegations of professional misconduct. Combined alcohol and drug abuse was rare. %0 Journal Article %A Holloway, Aisha S %A Webster, Brian J %D 2013 %F ndc:20792 %I Elsevier %J Nurse Education Today %N 9 %P 992-997 %T Alcohol education and training in pre-registration nursing: A national survey to determine curriculum content in the United Kingdom (UK). %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/20792/ %V 33 %0 Journal Article %A Latham, Linda %D 2013 %F ndc:20901 %I n/a %J World of Irish Nursing & Midwifery %N 5 %P 37-38 %T Complexity of care: management of alcohol issues by the practice nurse. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/20901/ %V 21 %X Practice nurses are ideally placed to identify the signs of harmful alcohol consumption which impacts on all areas of health. %0 Generic %A NHS Choices, %C London %D 2013 %F ndc:24132 %I NHS Choices %T Alcohol misuse overview. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/24132/ %0 Journal Article %@ 1354-5752 %A Power, John %A McManus, Olivia %D 2013 %F ndc:20383 %I RCN Publishing Company %J Emergency Nurse %N 2 %P 18-22 %T Development of a short-stay unit in an emergency department. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/20383/ %V 21 %X In 2009, the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, established a nine-bed, short-stay unit in its emergency department. This article explains the rationale for the model of care delivery adopted, and the importance of developing and working with integrated care pathways. It also discusses four areas essential to the effective running of the unit: interdisciplinary collaboration, training for clinical nurse leaders, management of change and leadership. %Z The journal of the RCN Accident and Emergency Nursing Association %0 Report %9 Other %A School of Nursing and Midwifery, NUI Galway, %B %C Dublin %D 2012 %F ndc:18851 %I National Office for Suicide Prevention %T Research evaluation of the suicide crisis assessment nurse (SCAN) service. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/18851/ %X Contents • Executive summary • Introduction • Aims and objectives • Methodology • Part 1. Focussed literature review • Part 2. Qualitative evaluation of SCAN • Part 3. Quantitative evaluation of SCAN • Part 4. Economic evaluation of SCAN • Integrated findings from evaluation of SCAN • Recommendations • References • Appendix 1 This research evaluates the impact of the fast track priority referral and assessment system for individuals experiencing a suicidal crisis, known as Suicide Crisis Assessment Nurse (SCAN) Service; operated in Cluain Mhuire and Wexford. The research utilised a mixed method, exploratory sequential design. A focused literature review concluded that any suicide prevention strategy needs to be investigated comprehensively and methodically to ascertain the potential benefits of risk assessment and collaborative working between primary and secondary care. Without SCAN, all professionals recognised that referral and/or admission to mental health services was often a ‘default’ position; necessitated more by lack of appropriate community based facilities than by clinical need. Clinicians were frustrated by the delays and uncertainty that regularly accompanied the process of referral/admission, whilst navigating a cumbersome process and the de facto development of a possibly inappropriate psychiatric history could be the outcome for clients. GPs, clients and CMHTs described SCAN as providing a valuable, accessible and timely gateway between primary care and mental health services; allowing for expedited admission, referral for on-going mental health intervention in the community or management in primary care. Alongside this gateway role, SCAN was found to have a therapeutic value that was identified as pivotal by clients; apparently contributing to the perception that they were being ‘taken seriously’. Recommendations: • GP training sessions in suicide/self-harm should be embedded into continuous professional development programmes provided by their primary care organisation. • Clear guidelines/protocols need to be in place to identify what are, and are not, appropriate referrals to SCAN and how the referral process should be managed. • Clear guidelines/protocols need to be in place to identify who is responsible for follow up following SCAN assessment • The full range of demands on SCAN staff need to be acknowledged and top level management commitment to appropriate governance, support and supervision needs to be maintained and regularly reviewed. • The maintenance of adequate staffing levels for SCAN needs to be prioritised, including appropriate administrative support. %0 Generic %A Drug and Alcohol Findings, %D 2012 %F ndc:18404 %I Drug and Alcohol Findings %T Effectiveness Bank Bulletin [Brief advice from the practice nurse to cardiovascular patients] %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/18404/ %V 19 Sep %X Improving lifestyle and risk perception through patient involvement in nurse-led cardiovascular risk management: a cluster-randomized controlled trial in primary care. Koelewijn-van Loon M.S., van der Weijden T., Ronda G. et al. Preventive Medicine: 2010, 50, p. 35–44. General practice patients in the Netherlands at risk of cardiovascular disease did not further reduce their risks (including drinking and smoking) in response to brief advice from the practice nurse intended to be delivered in accordance with motivational interviewing principles. Summary: Most patients at risk of cardiovascular diseases could benefit from various non-pharmacological risk-reduction options such as giving up smoking, exercising more, eating more healthily, and cutting their alcohol intake. However, it is not clear if programmes intended to foster these lifestyle changes are effective in the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases. A systematic review of trials found no significant effects, though a recent trial showed that a nurse-coordinated programme achieved healthier lifestyle changes among patients at high risk. The IMPALA study used a new intervention to reduce cardiovascular risk, in which general practice nurses play a central role. Key elements are risk assessment, risk communication, use of a patient decision support tool, and adapted motivational interviewing. Risk communication and the patient decision support tool inform patients about their risk of cardiovascular disease and options for risk reduction, and are also used to correct inappropriate risk perceptions. Motivational interviewing is used to help patients articulate their views and personal values regarding cardiovascular risk reduction and to build motivation for lifestyle change. In this study the intervention was delivered by practice nurses trained over two days and occupied two 20-minute face-to-face consultations (intended to give patients time to reflect on the information received in the first consultation) plus a further 10-minute telephone or face-to-face consultation to initiate the follow-up. An earlier study found no impact a year after intervention but it was thought there might have been some shorter-term impacts, a possibility tested by the featured study. The study randomly allocated 25 general practices to the IMPALA intervention or to a control group whose nurses were trained for just two hours in risk assessment and apart from this merely applied usual care. One practice had to leave the study leaving 13 allocated to the intervention and 11 to the control group. Altogether they recruited 615 adult patients to the study who were eligible for cardiovascular risk assessment due to their blood pressure, cholesterol level, smoking, diabetes, family history or obesity. All but 67 were followed up 12 weeks later. They averaged about 57 years of age and 45% were men. %0 Generic %A Carson, Kristin V %A Verbiest, Marjolein EA %A Crone, Mathilde R %A Brinn, Malcolm P %A Esterman, Adrian J %A Assendelft, Willem JJ %A Smith, Brian J %C London %D 2012 %F ndc:16651 %I John Wiley & Sons, Ltd %N 3 %T Training health professionals in smoking cessation. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/16651/ %X The objectives were to determine the effectiveness of training health care professionals in the delivery of smoking cessation interventions to their patients, and to assess the additional effects of training characteristics such as intervention content, delivery method and intensity. Authors' conclusion: Training health professionals to provide smoking cessation interventions had a measurable effect on the point prevalence of smoking, continuous abstinence and professional performance. The one exception was the provision of nicotine gum or replacement therapy, which did not differ between groups. %0 Generic %D 2012 %F ndc:17784 %I Drug and Alcohol Findings %T Effectiveness Bank Bulletin. [Clinical guidelines & nurses' screening for alcohol and other substance use] %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/17784/ %V 28 Mar %X Does implementation of clinical practice guidelines change nurses' screening for alcohol and other substance use? Tran D.T., Stone A.M., Fernandez R.S. et al. Contemporary Nurse: 2009, 33(1), p. 13–19. Hospital nurses in Sydney in Australia were trained to implement a new screening and intervention policy aiming to upgrade the identification of hazardous drinkers and other substance users among medical and surgical inpatients. Disappointing results highlight the need to do more than inform and exhort if practice is to change. Summary To improve nurses' screening of patients for substance use problems during routine admission procedures, a large metropolitan health service in Sydney in Australia developed a clinical guideline titled Substance Use Screen Policy which was distributed to all its facilities and implemented through an in-service education programme. Half-day workshops covered topics such as managing withdrawal, intoxication and overdose. Training in brief interventions included 'safe' levels of smoking or drinking, smoking cessation techniques, illicit drug use, access to needle exchange programmes, and patient education pamphlets. Nurses who could not attend were given education packages with workshop handouts. The featured study investigated the effectiveness of this dissemination effort. Data for the study was derived from medical record audits conducted in selected medical and surgical wards of two metropolitan hospitals prior to and three months following implementation of the guideline. According to the new policy, records for newly admitted patients should document whether they had been asked about smoking, drinking and drug use, their substance use, withdrawal symptoms, any related treatment given, and whether any further actions or plans had been agreed. A preliminary audit found that only 20% of admission records had complete substance use histories. Implementation of the guideline was expected to raise this to 50%. %0 Journal Article %@ 1878-013X %A Conlon, Mary %A O'Tuathail, Claire %D 2012 %F ndc:17929 %I Elsevier Science %J International Emergency Nursing %N 1 %P 3-13 %T Measuring emergency department nurses’ attitudes towards deliberate self-harm using the Self-Harm Antipathy Scale. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/17929/ %V 20 %X The emergency department is an important gateway for the treatment of self-harm patients. Nurses’ attitudes towards patients who self-harm can be negative and often nurses experience frustration, helplessness, ambivalence and antipathy. Patients are often dissatisfied with the care provided, and meeting with positive or negative attitudes greatly influences whether they seek additional help. A quantitative design was utilised to measure emergency department nurses’ attitudes towards deliberate self-harm. The ‘Self-Harm Antipathy Scale’, a validated questionnaire, was administered to a random sample of nurses in four emergency departments in the Republic of Ireland. A total of 87 questionnaires were returned (87% response rate). Results reveal that nurses show slightly negative antipathy overall, indicating positive attitudes towards self-harming patients. Attitudes were significantly different in accordance with a nurse’s age. Education and social judgment also contribute to the way nurses view, interact and make moral decisions regarding self-harm patients. Evidence indicates there is need to improve the training, supervision and support of nurses caring for patients who self-harm, and that practical strategies should be implemented to manage the alienation process and inform practice. %0 Generic %A Health Information and Quality Authority, %C Dublin %D 2012 %F ndc:24404 %I Health Information and Quality Authority %T National standards for safer better healthcare. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/24404/ %X The National Standards for Safer Better Health will provide the building blocks for a standards-driven health service, creating a common understanding of quality and safety. The standards will give healthcare providers a structure to systematically and continuously improve the safety and quality of services delivered. The National Standards will: • place patients at the heart of the care process • be a benchmark for change for safety • give patients a clear expectation of the standard of care they can expect to receive • ensure services will be clear on what is expected of them • provide a strategic approach to improving safety, quality and reliability in our health service %0 Generic %9 Other %A Office of the Nursing & Midwifery Services Director, %C Dublin %D 2012 %F ndc:17389 %I Health Service Executive %T A guiding framework for education and training in screening and brief intervention for problem alcohol use: for nurses and midwifes in acute, primary and community care settings. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/17389/ %X This guiding framework supports the development and evaluation of education and training in screening and brief intervention utilising a step by step skills based approach. The framework was developed in partnership with the Office of the Nursing and Midwifery Services Director (ONMSD), Nursing and Midwifery Planning and Development Unit (NMPDU), Centres of Nursing and Midwifery Education, Substance Misuse Services, Acute Hospitals, Health Promotion Service, Social Inclusion Service, Integrated Services Directorate, healthcare professionals and educators with expertise in Screening and Brief Intervention. We are grateful to the health service organisations whose education, practice development and clinical staff, involved in screening and brief intervention, gave of their time, expertise and educational material, which in turn facilitated the development of this framework. %0 Journal Article %A Kiernan, Claire %A Ni Fhearail, Aislinn %A Coyne, Imelda %D 2012 %F ndc:17679 %I MA Healthcare %J British Journal of Nursing %N 8 %P 474-478 %T Nurses' role in managing alcohol misuse among adolescents. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/17679/ %V 21 %X Over the past decade, there has been an increase in the amount of alcohol consumed by young people, aged 11-17 years, in the UK and Ireland, which has implications for all health professionals caring for adolescents. Alcohol misuse is increasingly common among adolescents and is a significant concern for families, communities and society. Health professionals need to be aware of the dangers involved with underage drinking, how to recognise the signs of alcohol misuse, and how to intervene appropriately. Over the past few years, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of adolescents presenting to emergency departments (EDs) owing to alcohol-related injuries. This increase means that all nurses and other health professionals are suitably placed to provide education and support to adolescents who are consuming excessive alcohol. Regular alcohol misuse can lead to adverse health outcomes, and therefore nurses need to take an active role in health promotion to ensure that adolescents are aware of the associated dangers. This article summarises the harmful effects of underage drinking, the influencing factors and outlines the current guidelines on alcohol misuse in young people. It discusses strategies that nurses can use in the ED setting, and all healthcare settings, to motivate adolescents to change health-damaging behaviours. %Z PMID: 22585075 %0 Journal Article %A Burke, Eimear %A McCarthy, Bernard %D 2011 %F ndc:18096 %I Emerald %J Health Education %N 3 %P 230-240 %T The lifestyle behaviours and exercise beliefs of undergraduate student nurses. A descriptive study. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/18096/ %V 111 %X Purpose – Only limited published research is available exploring the lifestyle practices of student nurses. The purpose of this paper is to explore the lifestyle behaviours and exercise beliefs of Irish student nurses. Design/methodology/approach – A descriptive survey design was used. First-year and third-year undergraduate student nurses (n ¼ 182) studying at one Irish university participated. Data were collected by administering self-report questionnaires. Findings – A total of 20 per cent of the students smoked, 95 per cent consumed alcohol and 19 per cent of the females reported that they exceeded the recommended weekly safe level for alcohol consumption. In total, 73 per cent of the students reported exercising two to five times per week, and walking was the most popular exercise undertaken. The male students reported significantly higher fitness levels and exercised more on a weekly basis than the females. The students identified a range of benefits of and barriers to exercising. Research limitations/implications – There are a number of study limitations, including: only one university setting was used; a descriptive survey approach was employed; and data were collected using self-report questionnaires. Further studies need to be conducted with additional data collection methods to explore students’ lifestyle and physical activity behaviours. Practical implications – The university, as a setting for health promotion, must increase awareness, facilitate and encourage student nurses to engage in healthy lifestyle behaviours. Originality/value – This survey revealed the lifestyle and exercise behaviours of Irish student nurses. Lower levels of smoking and higher levels of physical activity were found amongst these student nurses than those reported elsewhere in the literature. %0 Journal Article %A Lyons, Suzi %D 2010 %F ndc:13033 %I Health Research Board %J Drugnet Ireland %P 21 %T Drug Treatment Centre Board pioneers nurse prescribing in addiction in Ireland. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/13033/ %V Issue 33, Spring 2010 %0 Journal Article %A Lyons, Suzi %D 2010 %F ndc:13035 %I Health Research Board %J Drugnet Ireland %P 23 %T Report on nursing in the Irish Prison Service. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/13035/ %V Issue 33, Spring 2010 %0 Journal Article %@ 1351-0126 %A Nash, M J %A Romanos, M T %D 2010 %F ndc:24336 %I Wiley-Blackwell %J Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing %N 8 %P 683-691 %T An exploration of mental health nursing students' experiences and attitudes towards using cigarettes to change client's behaviour. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/24336/ %V 17 %X There are ethical and moral dilemmas around using lifestyle risk factors as rewards or using client's nicotine addiction as a means of controlling behaviour. The question of whether this intervention should ever be used, given its associated health risk, requires more critical debate in clinical practice. %0 Generic %A Watson, Hazel %A Munro, Alison %A Wilson, Marsha %A Kerr, Susan %A Godwin, Jon %C Geneva %D 2010 %F ndc:14102 %I World Health Organization %T Involvement of nurses and midwives in screening and brief interventions for hazardous and harmful use of alcohol and other psychoactive substances. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/14102/ %X This report provides details of a review of the literature on the involvement of nurses and midwives in screening and brief interventions for hazardous and harmful use of alcohol and other psychoactive substances. %0 Journal Article %A Grogan, Anne %A Timmins, Fiona %D 2009 %F ndc:14440 %I n/a %J Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing %N 2 %P 70-77 %T Side effects of treatment in patients with hepatitis C - implications for nurse specialist practice. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/14440/ %V 27 %X Objective To identify patients’ perceptions of the side effects of Hepatitis C treatment. Design The research used a self‑reporting postal survey design to identify reported side effects, related to hepatitis C treatment, suffered by patients attending a specialist nurse clinic. Setting The setting for this study was an outpatient hepatology clinic in a large general hospital in Ireland. %0 Report %9 Other %A O'Shea, James %A Goff, Paul %B %C Waterford %D 2009 %F ndc:15791 %I Health Service Executive %T SAOR model. Screening and brief interventions for problem alcohol use in the emergency department & acute care settings. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/15791/ %X This publication details an innovative model for the delivery of Screening and Brief Intervention (SBI) to people with hazardous/harmful alcohol use who present to acute hospital settings. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified alcohol use as a leading cause of mortality and disability, ranking it in the top five risk factors for disease burden. In Ireland it is suggested that that between 20% and 50% of all presentations to Emergency Departments (EDs) are alcohol related, with the figure rising to over 80% at peak weekend periods. The second report of the Strategic Task Force on Alcohol (2004) advocates the use of SBI across a range of health care settings including primary care, community services and general hospitals. It is well recognised that Nurses and other health care professionals can play a central role in the delivery of these interventions. The SAOR model provides an evidence-based practical step by step guide to the delivery of SBI for hazardous/harmful alcohol use in acute care settings. It incorporates all the key components of SBI including the common elements of screening, assessment, intervention and referral. This model has been utilised in a comprehensive training and development programme for Emergency Nurses here in the south-east of Ireland. It is anticipated that it will now contribute to the development of both regional and national training programmes on SBI for hazardous/harmful alcohol use in Emergency Departments and Acute Care settings. %0 Report %9 Other %A Health Service Executive. Nursing & Midwifery Planning & Development Unit, %B %C Dublin %D 2009 %F ndc:12520 %I Health Services Executive %T Nursing in the Irish prison service: working together to meet the healthcare needs of prisoners. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/12520/ %0 Journal Article %A O'Donovan, Geraldine %D 2009 %F ndc:17934 %I Wiley %J International Nursing Review %N 2 %P 230-236 %T Smoking prevalence among qualified nurses in the Republic of Ireland and their role in smoking cessation. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/17934/ %V 56 %X BACKGROUND: Smoking is the leading preventable cause of premature mortality, killing approximately 6000 people in Ireland each year. On 29 March 2004, the Republic of Ireland became the first country in the world to ban smoking in all workplaces, including bars and restaurants. This study took place after the introduction of this smoking ban. An admission to hospital provides an opportunity to help people stop smoking. Nurses' role and wide availability puts them in a prime position to encourage people to quit smoking. AIM: To examine the smoking prevalence among qualified nurses at a large university teaching hospital in Cork Southern Ireland and their role in smoking cessation. METHODS: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study using a calculated sample of 430 qualified nurses (with a 70% response rate). A structured questionnaire was used. FINDINGS: It was found that 21% (n = 63) of nurses were smokers, 23% (n = 70) were ex-smokers and 56% (n = 167) were non-smokers. The highest prevalence of smokers was found in the age groups 20-25 years (28%, n = 17) and 26-30 years (34%, n = 21). Nurses working within psychiatric care (47.4%) and coronary care (33.3%) had the highest smoking prevalence among the nurses who smoked. The study found that there was a significant difference between the attitudes of smokers and non-smokers, 89% (n = 211) of non-smokers strongly agreed that cigarette smoke represents a major risk to health in comparison with only 65% (n = 41) of smokers. Only 14% (n = 43) of the nurses surveyed had received training in smoking cessation. Lack of time (74%) and lack of training (65%) were the two main reasons given by nurses for not giving smoking cessation advice to patients. CONCLUSION: Nurses' potential in preventive health care has been largely under-utilized. Lack of time and training are major factors inhibiting nurses' role in smoking cessation with their patients. %0 Generic %A Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, %C Rockville, MD %D 2009 %F ndc:19455 %I Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration %T Buprenorphine: a guide for nurses. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/19455/ %X This guide is intended to provide nurses with general information about buprenorphine products—Suboxone® (buprenorphine and naloxone) and Subutex® (buprenorphine)—for the pharmacological treatment of opioid addiction. The guide can also serve as a resource to help nurses working with community physicians to improve treatment outcomes for individuals receiving office-based treatment for opioid addiction. %0 Report %9 Other %A O'Mahony Carey, Sinead %A Health Service Executive South, %B %C Tipperary %D 2008 %F ndc:12899 %I Health Service Executive %T A guide to substance misuse for medical professionals. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/12899/ %X Contents: Section 1 - drug category Section 2 - recognising drug use Section 3 - facts about drugs Section 4 - drug dangers Section 5 - drugs and the law Section 6 - the jargon %0 Journal Article %@ 1463-5240 %A Lambe, Barry %A Connolly, Claire %A McEvoy, Rachel %D 2008 %F ndc:18606 %I Taylor & Francis %J International Journal of Health Promotion and Education %N 3 %P 94-99 %T The determinants of lifestyle counselling among practice nurses in Ireland. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/18606/ %V 46 %X To assess the practice of lifestyle counselling among practice nurses (PNs) by measuring the frequency, perceived effectiveness and barriers to lifestyle counselling. Methods: A survey questionnaire was sent to all 77 PNs in an Irish health service administrative area (response rate = 69%). A focus group was subsequently conducted with ten PNs from this sample. Results: 43.8% (n = 21) and 45.8% (n = 22) 'always' promote physical activity and healthy eating with patients, respectively. Conversely, 29.2% (n = 14) of respondents stated they 'rarely' or 'never' counsel patients on risky drinking. Furthermore, a large number of PNs perceived themselves to be 'minimally effective' or 'ineffective' at helping patients to address smoking and risky drinking (47.6%, n = 20 and 63.6%, n = 28, respectively). Practice nurses perceived themselves to be the most appropriate people to provide lifestyle counselling. Education and the provision of accurate information is a key strategy used with patients. Insufficient time, however, was cited as the main barrier to lifestyle counselling by 73.8% (n = 31) of PNs. Conclusion: The traditional health education approach to lifestyle counselling predominates in practice nursing. And whilst practice nurses remain positive about lifestyle counselling, they require further support to address behaviours such as smoking and risky drinking in general practice. %0 Journal Article %@ 1396-5883 %A McCarten, B %A McCreary, C %A Healy, C %D 2008 %F ndc:17516 %I Munsgaard %J European Journal of Dental Education %N 1 %P 17-22 %T Attitudes of Irish dental, dental hygiene and dental nursing students and newly qualified practitioners to tobacco use cessation: a national survey. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/17516/ %V 12 %X Background: Ireland has some of the strictest smoking regulations in the world. Little is known of the attitudes of student Irish dental healthcare workers towards tobacco control and tobacco use cessation. This study aimed at determining the knowledge and attitudes of these students towards the deleterious effects of tobacco in the mouth and towards tobacco use cessation in dental practice. Method: A questionnaire survey was distributed to 654 students (including newly qualified) on dentistry, dental hygiene and dental nursing programmes in Irish dental schools. Information sought included college, course, year of study, sex, age, nationality, smoking status, knowledge of effects of tobacco in the mouth and attitudes towards tobacco use cessation in dental practice and towards the Irish smoking bans. Main Findings: There was a 90% response rate. In all, 12% of dental students, 25% of dental hygiene students and 31% of dental nursing students were current smokers. Newly qualified dental hygienists were as knowledgeable about tobacco effects in the mouth as newly qualified dentists. Overall, the majority in each student category believed that all three groups could be effective tobacco counsellors and should provide tobacco use cessation counselling to patients, although less than half of evening course dental nursing students felt that dental nurses could be effective counsellors or should provide counselling. There was overwhelming support for the Irish smoking ban. Only a minority of dental students and dental nursing students had received instruction in tobacco use cessation counselling. Conclusions: There are strong positive attitudes to tobacco use cessation counselling in dental practice among these young dental healthcare students. This is true even amongst those who have not received specific instruction in tobacco use cessation counselling. %0 Generic %A Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Office, %C Sydney %D 2008 %F ndc:18368 %I NSW Department of Health %T Clinical guidelines for nursing and midwifery practice in New South Wales: identifying and responding to drug and alcohol issues. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/18368/ %X These guidelines provide nurses and midwives with support and a benchmark for quality drug and alcohol use assessment and care in daily practice. Table of contents: 1 Principles of practice ....................... 7 2 Overview and general guidelines .............. 8 3 Communication and special population groups....11 4 Drug and alcohol use assessment .......... 16 5 Opportunistic intervention ................... 20 6 Managing intoxication ........................ 21 7 Managing overdose ............................ 26 8 Managing withdrawal .......................... 29 9 The drugs .....................................32 9.1 Alcohol 9.2 Opioids (heroin, methadone etc) 9.3 Benzodiazepines (diazepam – valium, oxazepam – serepax etc) 9.4 Psychostimulants (amphetamines – speed, methamphetamines – ice, crystal etc) 9.5 Cannabis 9.6 Tobacco 9.7 Hallucinogens 9.8 Solvents (inhalants, volatile substances) 9.9 Ketamine 9.10 Gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB) 9.11 Anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) 10. Pharmacotherapies for dependence ...... 67 10.1 Opioid pharmacotherapies • Methadone • Buprenorphine • Naltrexone 10.2 Alcohol pharmacotherapies • Acamprosate • Naltrexone • Disulfiram Appendices ............................... 73 Appendix 1. Glasgow Coma Scale Appendix 2. Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol (revised) (CIWA-Ar) Appendix 3. Alcohol Withdrawal Scale (AWS) Appendix 4. Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Assessment Scale (COWS) Appendix 5. Cannabis Withdrawal Assessment Scale Appendix 6. Street names of drugs Appendix 7. Drug interactions with methadone Screening Tools, Handouts .......................... 83 Alcohol use disorders identification test screening instrument (AUDIT) Drug Quiz — ASSIST (Cannabis) Drug Quiz — ASSIST (Psychostimulants) Drug Quiz — ASSIST (Heroin) Making changes Minimising harm from alcohol or other drug use %0 Generic %A Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Office, %C Sydney %D 2008 %F ndc:20431 %I New South Wales Department of Health %T Nursing & midwifery clinical guidelines - identifying & responding to drug & alcohol issues. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/20431/ %X These guidelines provide nurses and midwives with support and a benchmark for quality drug and alcohol use assessment and care in daily practice. Each clinician needs to use these guidelines within the context of their role and scope of practice, and update their knowledge by accessing new research and clinical guidelines as they emerge. Chapters 1 to 8 outline general principles and guidelines for drug and alcohol assessment, intervention, communication with patients, and managing intoxication, overdose and withdrawal. Chapter 9 provides specific information on commonly used substances, with details of symptoms, signs, management and risks. Chapter 10 provides additional information on pharmacotherapies for dependence on alcohol and on opioids. The Appendices provide withdrawal assessment scales and other useful information. The Handouts section contains handouts on selected drugs that you can photocopy and give to your patients. The Glossary describes terms used in these guidelines related to drug and alcohol issues. %0 Journal Article %A Wilson, Julie S %A Fitzsimons, Donna %A Bradbury, Ian %A Elborn, J Stuart %D 2008 %F ndc:17994 %I Elsevier %J International Journal of Nursing Studies %N 4 %P 508-517 %T Does additional support by nurses enhance the effect of a brief smoking cessation intervention in people with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease? A randomised controlled trial. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/17994/ %V 45 %X BACKGROUND: Smoking cessation is the primary disease modifying intervention for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). SETTING: A Regional Respiratory Centre (RRC) out-patient department in Northern Ireland. METHODS: A randomised controlled trial (RCT) evaluated the effectiveness of brief advice alone or accompanied by individual nurse support or group support facilitated by nurses. Smoking status was biochemically validated and stage of change, nicotine addiction and dyspnoea were recorded at 2, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. PARTICIPANTS: Ninety-one cigarette smokers with COPD were enrolled in the study (mean age 61 years, 47 female). RESULTS: After 12 months cessation rates were not significantly different between groups (p=0.7), but all groups had a significant reduction in their nicotine addiction (p=0.03-0.006). No changes in subjects' motivation or dyspnoea were detected over the 12 months. CONCLUSION: Patients with COPD were unable to stop smoking regardless of the type of support they received. Harm reduction may be a more appropriate goal than complete cessation for intractable smokers and nurses must evaluate their role in this arena. %0 Generic %A Whitter, Melanie %C Rockville, MD %D 2006 %F ndc:19440 %I Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration %T Strengthening professional identity: challenges of the addictions treatment workforce. A framework for discussion. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/19440/ %X This report from the United States summarizes trends in addictions treatment and the challenges that confront the treatment workforce. The recommendations in this report reflect some of the best thinking in the field and are intended to provide momentum for ongoing discussions among stakeholders about specific implementation strategies. This document focuses on all professionals who provide addictions treatment and recovery support services—addictions counselors, physicians, psychologists, nurses, outreach and intake workers, case managers, social workers, marriage and family therapists, recovery support workers and clergy. %0 Journal Article %D 2006 %F ndc:17991 %I EMAP %J Nursing Times %N 19 %P 32-37 %T Nurses' smoking behaviour related to cessation practice. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/17991/ %V 102 %X AIM: To examine the smoking behaviour, knowledge and attitudes of nurses, their willingness to provide smoking cessation support to patients, the accessibility of training in this area and their willingness to undertake future training in this area. METHOD: A randomised sample of qualified nurses (n = 1,074) in statutory, private and voluntary sectors and across a variety of specialties were surveyed by postal questionnaire. Four focus groups were conducted in various settings before and after the survey. RESULTS: Of those who took part in the survey, 55% had never smoked, 19% were ex-smokers and 26% were smokers. Most agreed that nurses have a responsibility to help those who want to quit smoking. However, nurses who smoked rated their ability to help patients and their effectiveness as a role model lower than nurses who were ex-smokers or non-smokers. CONCLUSION: Smoking prevalence among nurses is no greater than in the general female population. Nurses who smoke are less motivated to provide cessation support for patients, have less positive attitudes to the value of smoking cessation, are less likely to have received smoking cessation training and are less likely to want further training. These results have implications for nurses' own smoking status, as well as their attitudes to cessation training, health promotion practice and future research. %0 Report %9 Other %A Lamb, Stephn %A Arensman, Ella %B %C Cork %D 2006 %F ndc:11841 %I Health Service Executive, National Suidice Research Foundation %T Accident & Emergency nursing assessment of deliberate self harm. Exploring the impact of introducing a suicide education programme and a suicide intent scale into A&E/MAU nursing practice: a pilot study. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/11841/ %X A proposal to pilot nursing assessment of self harm in Accident and Emergency Departments (A&E) was developed by key stakeholders in nurse education and suicide prevention in the South East and submitted to the National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery in April 2002.The proposal included the introduction of a suicide intent scale. Following an initial training programme, a suicide intent scale was utilised by nursing staff in A&E and the Medical Assessment Unit (MAU),Wexford General Hospital and evaluated over a period of nine months. Four months into the study the National Suicide Research Foundation (NSRF) was invited to collaboratively prepare a successful submission to the Health Research Board (HRB) as part of ‘Building Partnerships for a Healthier Future Research Awards 2004’. The NSRF undertook independent scientific evaluation of the outcomes of the suicide awareness programme. The study is in line with priorities determined by Reach Out, the National Strategy for Action on Suicide Prevention 2005-2014 (HSE, 2005) and the HSE-South East Suicide Prevention Programme through raising nursing staff awareness of the public health issue of suicide/deliberate self harm and by improving the efficiency and quality of nursing services offered to persons who present to acute hospitals with deliberate self harm. The study findings indicate evidence to positively support nursing assessment of DSH using a suicide intent scale in terms of assessing behavioural characteristics of individual clients and their suicide risk. Enhanced confidence levels of nursing personnel in caring for suicidal clients was demonstrated by staff who participated in an education programme related to risk assessment and specifically the use of a suicide intent scale. %0 Journal Article %A Scully, Mike %A Geoghegan, Noreen %A Corcoran, Paul %A Tiernan, Marika %A Keenan, Eamon %D 2004 %F ndc:6746 %I Elsevier Science %J Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment %N 1 %P 27-33 %T Specialized drug liaison midwife services for pregnant opioid dependent women in Dublin, Ireland. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/6746/ %V 26 %X The health needs of pregnant opioid dependent women are increasingly being recognized by health care professionals. These women generally receive limited antenatal care. Maternal and neonatal outcomes are also poorer compared to non-drug using women. The number of pregnant opioid dependent women accessing drug treatment services in the Irish Republic has increased. A specialist Drug Liaison Midwife service was created in March 1999 to liase between the three Dublin Maternity hospitals and the Drug Treatment Services. This paper surveys the first year of operation of one of these posts. It documents socio-demographic background, substance use, and medical histories of these women in addition to maternal and neonatal outcomes. Higher maternal methadone dose was associated with an increased risk of neonatal withdrawals among these women. The experience of this specialist liaison service indicates that it is possible to build effective working relationships between opioid dependent pregnant women and the Obstetric and Drug services involved in their care. %Z Reprinted from Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 26(1)Specialized drug liaison midwife services for pregnant opioid dependent women in Dublin, Ireland (2004), with permission from Elsevier %0 Report %9 Other %A Focus Ireland, %B %C Dublin %D 2003 %F ndc:5405 %I Focus Ireland %K AOD use, abuse, and dependence, general concepts of health and disease, homelessness, Ireland %T Homelessness and health: a series of 10 modules for the nursing degree programmes. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/5405/ %Z Includes bibliographical references. %0 Journal Article %@ 1873-491X %A McKenna, Hugh %A Slater, Paul %A McCance, Tanya %A Bunting, Brendan %A Spiers, Arlene %A McElwee, Gerry %D 2003 %F ndc:24339 %I n/a %J International Journal of Nursing Studies %N 4 %P 359-366 %T The role of stress, peer influence and education levels on the smoking behaviour of nurses. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/24339/ %V 40 %X Smoking kills yet a substantial number of qualified nurses continue to smoke. Stress, peer influence and education levels have been cited as influencing prevalence levels among nurses. A self-completed questionnaire was used to survey qualified nurses' perceptions of smoking prevalence, attitudes, and reasons for smoking. The respondents were composed of a random sample (n=1074) of qualified nurses employed in Northern Ireland. Results show that 25.8% of the sample smoked. Factors influencing smoking behaviour and reasons for continuing smoking are explored. This paper discusses the implications of these findings for nursing and nurses' health promotion activities. %0 Journal Article %A Bennett, Jennifer %A O'Donovan, Diarmuid %D 2001 %F ndc:20503 %I Kluwer %J Current Opinion in Psychiatry %P 195-199 %T Substance misuse among health care workers. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/20503/ %V 14 %X Substance misuse by healthcare professionals raises many concerns, including the threat to patient care. This review summarizes the recent literature concerning misuse by doctors (physicians), nurses, dentists, undergraduates and other healthcare workers. Self-medication is common among doctors. Specific specialities are noted to be at higher risk, including emergency medicine, psychiatry, anaesthetics, and nurses in high stress specialities. Most studies are descriptive cross-sectional prevalence studies of self-reported substance use. Dedicated treatment programmes are reviewed, including specific treatment services for addicted professionals created at national, regional and local levels. A recognition of the risk of substance misuse should be explicitly included early in the training of healthcare workers. Specialist treatment programmes should be holistic in approach, and should not concentrate solely on substance misuse issues but include the treatment of depression, anxiety, sexual disorders and adjustment disorders. %0 Journal Article %@ 1471-0854 %A Condell, SL %D 2001 %F ndc:17514 %I TM & D Press %J All Ireland Journal of Nursing and Midwifery %N 5 %P 167-170 %T Young women's smoking and body image: a discussion paper for Irish nurses. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/17514/ %V 1 %X This paper reviews the research to date on women's smoking in Ireland. It continues by exploring the context of the behaviour with specific reference to the influence of popular culture and the linking of smoking with body image. The manipulation of that link by tobacco companies and the implications for health promotion are discussed. The relevance to Irish nursing is a deeper understanding of women's tobacco use, thus raising awareness of the issues involved for nurses as consumers of the product and as health promoters. %0 Journal Article %A McKenna, Hugh %A Slater, Paul %A McCance, Tanya %A Bunting, Brendan %A Spiers, Arlene %A McElwee, Gerry %D 2001 %F ndc:17963 %I Wiley %J Journal of Advanced Nursing %N 5 %P 769-775 %T Qualified nurses' smoking prevalence: their reasons for smoking and desire to quit. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/17963/ %V 35 %X AIM AND RATIONALE: The preventable nature of smoking related diseases places a major responsibility for health promotion on all health professionals. This study used a questionnaire to survey qualified nurses in Northern Ireland as to smoking prevalence and their desire to quit the habit. It also explores their knowledge base relating to smoking related diseases and their motivation to act as health promoters with patients who smoke. METHODS: A random sample (n=1074) of qualified nurses employed by the Health and Social Services Trusts, private, and voluntary organizations in the province were surveyed. RESULTS: Results show that 25.8% were smokers, 19% were ex-smokers and 55.2% were nonsmokers. Three quarters expressed a wish to stop within 6-months. Almost all smokers and half of ex-smokers had taken up the habit prior to commencing nursing. 'Addiction' and 'enjoyment' were given as the principle reasons for continued smoking. Health reasons were paramount in smokers' desire to stop smoking. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that smoking prevalence among qualified nurses in no greater than that reported by females in the general Northern Ireland population. Results also indicate that those nurses who smoke were less willing to take on the role of a health promoter with patients who smoke. Implications and recommendations for practice, education and research are explored. %0 Journal Article %A Melby, V %A Boore, JRP %A Murray, M %D 1992 %F ndc:6607 %I Wiley-Blackwell %J Journal of Advanced Nursing %N 9 %P 1068-1077 %T Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: knowledge and attitudes of nurses in Northern Ireland. %U http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/6607/ %V 17 %X The number of people suffering from conditions associated with HIV infection is growing steadily. These people require care from nurses who should be well trained to undertake all the various aspects of nursing care. Surveys have indicated that health professionals associate AIDS with minority groups such as homosexuals, drug-abusers and prostitutes. Incidents of sub-optimal nursing care of AIDS patients, or suspected AIDS patients belonging to these minority groups, have been well documented. Surveys have revealed much ignorance and confusion among the general public as well as among health professionals with regard to this controversial syndrome. This study aimed to measure nurses' knowledge and attitudes towards homosexuals, drug-abusers and prostitutes, who through their lifestyle are at increased risk for HIV infection. Questionnaires were distributed to a random sample of 800 nurses in Northern Ireland. The sample was stratified by several demographic variables. A response rate of almost 60% was achieved. Nurses appeared to have a moderate knowledge of issues related to HIV infection, but there were large gaps in their knowledge of the terminology used in HIV infection. Nurses were not extremely worried about AIDS itself. However, homosexuals, prostitutes and drug-abusers were seen to be at least partly responsible for their own illness. Implications for nursing care and for nurse education are discussed. %Z abstract from pubmed.