NURSES NEEDED TO HELP,
Don’t ignore their specialized training in harm reduction, says Marilou Gagnon.
Federal Health Minister Jane Philpott is hosting two events in Ottawa this week. The first, a conference, will be held today and will feature presentations by physicians, pharmacists, politicians, chief medical officers, police officers and researchers, just to name a few. Then, on Saturday, a summit will be held.
It is unclear who has been invited to attend the summit, but according to the website, it “will bring together individuals and organizations that have the authorities and commitment to take action to combat the opioid crisis.”
This raises the question: Where are the nurses?
Canadian nurses are recognized as international leaders and experts in harm reduction, a health-care approach aimed at reducing the harms of drug use. On the ground, nurses have been implementing innovative and effective harm-reduction interventions for close to 20 years. As early as 1988, the AIDS Prevention Street Nurse Program was established in British Columbia with a focus on needle and syringe exchange.
Street nurses developed specialized harm-reduction knowledge, skills, interventions and programs that were eventually featured in a documentary entitled Bevel Up. It has been used extensively as an educational tool in health-care programs across Canada.
Street nurses were also part of the collective efforts to implement supervised injection services in Vancouver. When these services were finally implemented, nurses were at the front line and worked closely with peer workers to provide care to people who inject drugs. Supervised injection sites represented uncharted territory for health care.
Nurses led the way in developing necessary knowledge, techniques, protocols, tools and frameworks, pioneering new ways of providing care based on their experience.
Canadian nurses are also recognized as leaders and experts in harm-reduction policy, research and advocacy. Nursing organizations, such as the Canadian Nurses Association, the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario, the Association of Registered Nurses of British Columbia and the British Columbia Nurses’ Union, have been directly involved in policy and advocacy work, including the development of position statements, discussion papers, briefs and so forth.
Together, they intervened at the Supreme Court of Canada to keep Insite open in Vancouver. Nursing researchers have also contributed to a solid body of evidence on harm reduction — evidence that is being used internationally to inform policy and practice.
The health minister is hoping to develop an action plan to address the opioid crisis with a prioritized set of actions. However, without the meaningful and active involvement of nurses and nursing organizations, this plan is not likely to succeed.
Nurses are, and will continue to be, at the forefront of the opioid crisis. They must have a seat at the table.
Without the meaningful and active involvement of nurses and nursing organizations, this plan is not likely to succeed.