VITAL AND VARIED ROLE
A nursing career offers many skillsets and opportunities . This month our careers series , in partnership with Addiction Professionals , revisits nursing to demonstrate that loving the job can go hand in hand with the medical expertise and compassion .
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CONFIDENT AND COMPETENT
As an NMP my role is to provide high quality clinical assessments to diagnose and prescribe opiate substitute treatment ( OST ) – the role also includes alcohol assessments to establish and diagnose dependency , supporting alcohol detox , and decisionmaking for either in-patient or community detox .
The role requires a nurse qualification and NMP course completion . A qualification in substance misuse is preferable and some experience is desirable , however the service is happy to develop nurses to fulfil this role
Every day is different for a non-medical prescriber , says Jane Milliner
and training and peer support is ongoing . A thorough induction is completed with support from our doctors and other nurses / NMPs to ensure that new staff feel confident and competent to carry out this varied role .
Every day is different – some are extremely busy , others are spent waiting for clients to attend . We see unexpected releases from prison and urgent referrals from GPs , and we cater for clients who often have a diverse range of complex needs . There are numerous other aspects to this role which include assessment of the liver via fibro scans and blood results , assessing the risk for IV drug users and putting a plan of care in place to minimise this risk . We raise awareness of blood-borne viruses , and provide a vaccination service for those at risk as well as onward referrals for hep C treatment .
The role also includes student mentorship , recovery worker support and liaising with other agencies such as GPs and mental health teams to deliver a personcentred approach . We have new initiatives , including piloting the buprenorphine injection / depot , Buvidal .
We aim to provide a service which we would all be happy for our family / loved ones to attend . The most rewarding part of the job is to see people making positive changes and maintaining these changes . I enjoy working with people who have previously been judged and have little self-esteem
We see unexpected releases from prison and urgent referrals from GPs ... clients have a diverse range of complex needs .
– to witness our clients gain confidence in themselves to turn their lives around is very satisfying and makes the work worthwhile . This is a very fulfilling role . If you are caring and want to make a difference , this is the role for you .
Jane Milliner is an NMP with Forward Trust . This piece was incorrectly attributed to Susan McCutcheon in last month ’ s DDN – apologies to all concerned .
22 • DRINK AND DRUGS NEWS • NOVEMBER 2022 WWW . DRINKANDDRUGSNEWS . COM