Calendar

Nurses are at increased risk of developing addiction disorders for many reasons. The effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic, the intensifying addiction crises in our society, and the nature and power of substance use disorders threaten, like no other time, the members of the most esteemed profession, Nursing.

Our understanding of addiction is progressing. The disease model is accepted and still evolving The increasing recognition of the relationships between emotional trauma, adverse childhood experiences, mental health, physical health, and addiction is enhancing prevention and treatment success. Grounding knowledge of addiction to the science of brain function is essential.

 Learning Objectives – Responses

1. Covid-19 has impacted Nurses in many significant ways by directly and indirectly increasing and intensifying the level of stress and complexity of nursing. The Incidence of addiction in the nursing profession is directly correlated to the number of stressors and their levels of intensity.
2. Define these commonly used terms illustrating how they are related to each other and to an understanding of compulsive behaviors.
3. Diagram the areas, neuropathways affected and activated by psychoactive drugs. Illustrate changes in brain function correlated to behavioral impairment. Emphasize the disease model of addiction.
4. Associate each of the 11 DSM-5 criteria for Substance Use Disorder to one of the 3 Cs: Control, Compulsion, Consequences. A simple method to explain the complexity of addiction using the concepts and clinical language of the DSM-5.
5. Access to drugs, Attitude, Emotional Trauma, Adverse Childhood Experiences, Mental Health Disorders, Physical and Emotional Pain as risk factors for addiction.
6. The emotional trauma provoking challenges that nurses experience every day are putting nurses at close proximity to this primary risk factor for Substance Use Disorder. Having been unrecognized for so long the emotional trauma/addiction connection needs to be emphasized at every opportunity.