NR 305 Week 4 Discussion, Community Access to mental Health Services

Week 4: Community Access to Mental Health Services (graded) 6565 unread replies. replies. This week's graded topics relate to the following Course Outcomes (COs). • (CO #1) - Utilize prior knowledge of theories and principles of nursing and related disciplines to explain expected client behaviors, while differentiating between normal findings, variations, and abnormalities. (PO #1) • (CO #4) - Identify teaching/learning needs from the health history of an individual. (PO #2) Access to mental health services is a hot topic in U.S. Healthcare. Do you know what resources are available for clients seeking care in your own community? Select one mental health related condition from the list below. Conduct a web search to identify health care services within your community aimed specifically at addressing this condition. Choose one: • Depression • Suicidal ideation • Opioid addiction Answer the following questions in your post: 1. When reviewing a client's health history and physical examination record, what are some findings (subjective and objective) that may indicate a need for further in-depth assessment for the condition you selected above? 2. Describe a focused specialty assessment tool you could use to screen the client for this condition. 3. What resources did you find in your community that address this issue? What type of services do they provide? Were there specific resources or services you were hoping to locate, and could not? Please explain. Opioid addiction is a well-known and prevalent problem that we face in the United States. Every day, it is estimated that 130 people will die of an overdose (Opioid Overdose Crisis, 2019). The issue has reached a level of crisis across our country and likely will affect someone we know in our lifetimes. As nurses, it is our role to apply subjective and objective data from clients to make informed conclusions regarding their health. In the presence of opioid misuse or addiction, the nurse may first want to begin with some candid questions for the client to obtain subjective data. This could include general health history questions such as daily activities, nutrition habits, coping mechanisms, sleep habits, and whether they use over the counter or recreational drugs (Weber & Kelley, 2018). These questions are pretty standard but provide some baseline information that is necessary before exploring further. Objective data that may signify a person is misusing opioids would be small or pinpoint pupils, having trouble staying awake, or finding track marks on the arms or other areas of the body. Behavioral signs may also be present (Opiate Symptoms and Warning Signs). To further assess for a patients potential or actual risk for abuse, the provider can utilize the opiate risk tool. This is a simple 5 question tool that places patients in a low, moderate, or high-risk category. The questions explore family and personal history of drug abuse, gender, age, history of sexual abuse, and presence of psychological illness (Webster, L. R., Opioid Risk Tool). A patient experiencing active withdrawal could be assessed using the Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale, which is an 11 item review of body systems that are commonly associated with opioid withdrawal. This tool is currently used on my inpatient med-surg unit when we have patients who are addicted to opioids. In a search for local services, I was initially directed to the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. This included a phone number one could call seeking guidance on treatment or addiction services. I was also easily provided a list of methadone clinics, pharmacies that supply naloxone, or Narcan, and a list of places that supply free Narcan and training on its use. Additionally, there was a list of advocate groups and inpatient detox centers. I think this was a pretty well-rounded list for my very first search and provided a lot of resources for people seeking out potential treatment. I would have also liked to easily find a list of needle exchange locations. This took a bit of sleuthing on my part and I still only found one in the state of Connecticut. Though this is not actively associated treatment for addiction, I still believe it’s an important and safe resource for drug users to have available to them. References National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2019, January 22). Opioid Overdose Crisis. Retrieved from Opiate Symptoms and Warning Signs. (n.d.). Retrieved from Weber, J.R. & Kelley, J.H. (2018). Health Assessment in Nursing (6th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer. Webster, L. R. (n.d.). Opioid Risk Tool. Retrieved from