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An Addiction Specialty Nursing Knowledge and Skills Competency Framework has been developed by Dr Daryle Deering for Matua Raki, in conjunction with a National Nursing Reference Group and the Drug and Alcohol Nurses of Australasia (DANA) Standards and Competencies Expert Reference Group, in response to a need identified by nurses working in the addiction treatment sector.
The Framework is designed to provide, in the addiction specialty context:
- Guidance on the clinical career pathway for nurses from Foundation to Advanced Specialist.
- A description of the levels of practice of nurses.
- Clarification of the Specialist level nursing practice for nurses, other professionals, peer support workers, consumers, consumer advisors, employers, funding and planning personnel.
- Guidance for education providers in designing curricula.
- Information for effective nursing workforce development.
- The potential to develop a process for endorsement.
The Framework will stand alongside relevant nursing and other professional codes of ethics, legislative and policy frameworks and accepted best practice guidelines. It will also complement the Standards of Practice for Mental Health Nursing (Te Ao Māramatanga). It is expected that a Specialist level nurse would be at the level of Proficient or Expert on a Professional Development and Recognition Programme (PDRP) and an Advanced Specialist level nurse would be at the level of Expert or above.
The next steps are to develop competency indicators (examples), to peer review the competencies and indicators and to publish and disseminate the document.
For further information please visit the Drug and Alcohol Nurses of Australasia (DANA) website here
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Report on Nursing Initiatives in USA |
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In 2010 Daryle Deering visited mental health nursing academics, an OST service and nurse led centres in the US as part of an overseas study leave. On the basis of her observations and conversations from that trip Daryle has prepared a report discussing implications for nursing in the New Zealand addiction sector.
"While there are clear differences in population size and health care policy and delivery systems between the US and New Zealand, there are similarities with respect to aging populations, increasing prevalence of chronic health care problems and lifestyle related disorders, increasing complexity of health care presentations and the trend towards a greater emphasis on people receiving continuing care within primary care and non-government (NGO) sectors. There are similar trends with respect to workforce issues including shortages of doctors, particularly in rural areas and in areas of greater deprivation.
Such factors promote the urgent need to consider the strategic development of advanced practice nursing roles in the New Zealand mental health and addiction treatment sectors. While nurse practitioner roles have been introduced in New Zealand there have been significant barriers to their widespread implementation, and their potential has yet to be realised with respect to providing health care for people with addiction related problems. To date, there are few mental health nurse practitioners and a only a small number of nurses on postgraduate education pathways who are working towards nurse practitioner status specifically with an addiction related scope of practice."
To access the full report click here
Daryle Deering RN PhD, National Addiction Centre, Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch. |
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Addiction Nurses Seminars |
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New Frontiers: Practice Innovations In Addiction Nursing
Matua Raki and DANA (Drug and Alcohol Nurses Association) are pleased to host a series of seminars for nurses who work with people who have substance use problems/addictions.
These seminars are free and DAPAANZ registered practitioners will be awarded 15 continuing education points.
The aims of the seminars are to foster relationships, enhance skills, hear about new and planned initiatives and explore career opportunities.
Addiction nurses will present on their experience of working with: an Emergency Department, Withdrawal Management, Co-existing Problems, the Youth Drug Court and in Rural settings. There will also be presentations about the Nurse Practitioner Pathway, NZ and overseas trends and "where to from here".
To register for the seminar in Christchurch on 24th Feb please click here
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Addiction Specialty Nursing Knowledge and Skills Competency Framework |
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For a copy of The Addiction Specialty Nursing Knowledge and Skills Competency Framework, click here
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