Drug and Alcohol
Nurses of Australasia
14th Annual Conference
Best Practice:
New Treatments or
Tried and True Methods?
28 & 29 June 2001
AVILLION HOTEL
SYDNEY
WELCOME
The DANA Conference Committee I will like to express our thanks to
Dr Jennifer Gray
Director
Drug Programs Bureau
NSW Health
For financial assistance towards the organisation of this conference.
Members of the DANA Conference Committee are
Meredith Adams
CNC, Department of Drug Health, Concord Hospital
Jennifer Holmes
Nurse Manager, The Langton Centre, Surry Hills
Deb Arthur
CNC, Drug & Alcohol Service, St George Hospital Kogarah
Clare Capus
CNC, Drug and Alcohol, Juvenile Justice
Anthea Brunker
CNC, Drug and Alcohol, Sydney Hospital
Thursday 28 June 2001
Morning Session
0800 Registration / Coffee
0900 Welcome
Charlotte de Crespigny DANA President
0930 Opening & Keynote Address
Professor Lydia Bennet
1000 The Health of Drug Court Participants
Sandra Sunjic
1030 Refreshments
1100 Pharmacotherapy for Nicotine Dependence
Dr Renee Bittoun
1130 What has Buprenorphine to offer?
Kerri Beaumont
1200 Safer Injecting rooms: Harm Minimisation and the Nurse’s role.
Colette McGrath
1230 Lunch
Thursday 28 June 2001
Afternoon Session
1400 Two Concurrent Sessions
A. Community Detoxification Symposium
Gayle Hartley & Helen Taylor
B. Free Papers
Dealing with Aboriginal Clients
Kerrie Doyle
Gaining Perspectives on Psychotropic Medication Use by Diverse Groups of Women in a Rural Community
Julie Watkinson
The Setting up of a “Double Trouble Group”
Norma Christian
A Model for Interventions Involving GPs and D&A Nurses in Rural Settings
Gareth Daniels
1515 Refreshments
1545 Two Concurrent Sessions con’t
A. Workshop: Are you Nervous about Methadone Accreditation?
Mary-Louise White & Jennifer Holmes
B. Free Papers
Using Buprenorphine in an Outpatient Settings
Christine Webster
Rapid Induction to Antagonist
Maryska Wargenau
The Benzodiazepine Withdrawal Project
Kerry Doyle & Fiona Duignan
Odyssey House Detoxification,
Fiona McAllister
1700 Close
1715 DANA Annual General Meeting
Friday 29 June 2001
Morning Session
0800 Registration / Coffee
“The Young Ones”
0900 Families First
Jenny McDonald
0945 Facing the Reality of Adolescent Substance Use
David Leary
1030 Refreshments
1100 Engaging Young People Into Treatment
Gerry McShane
1115 Adolescent Stages of Development
Linda Pfeiffer
1130 Developing Treatment Services for Adolescents
Fran Cole
1145 Dealing with the reality - Adolescents, substance use, Juvenile Justice
Una Champion
1200 Panel Discussion
1230 Lunch
Friday 29 June 2001
Afternoon Session
1400 Two Concurrent Sessions
A. Learning from Diversity Workshop
Esme Holmes & Max Harrison
B. Free Papers
Alcohol Dependence Treatment with Acamprosate in an Outpatient Setting
Andrew Taylor
Hospital Experiences of Elderly Men Who Drink Excessively
Nam Dang
Alcohol and the Family
Lorraine Miller
Access, Equity & Best Practice
Justine Bromley
The Pilot Project: initiation of smoking cessation by generalist nurses in the hospital setting.
Robert Ashwood & Sylvia Cowles
1550 Comments & Conference Close
1600 Refreshments
Thursday 28 June 2001
Opening Session – Speaker Biographies & Abstracts
Professor Lydia Bennet
Director, Urban Health Research Unit,
The University of Sydney and Sydney Hospital and Sydney Eye Hospital
Opening & Keynote Address
Notes
Thursday 28 June 2001
Opening Session – Speaker Biographies & Abstracts
Sandra Sunjic - Biography
Coordinator/Senior Nurse Manager
Court Diversion Programs
South Western Sydney Area Health Service
Sandra is a Registered Nurse with 11 years experience in the Drug and Alcohol field. She has a Bachelors Degree in Nursing, a Masters Degree in Clinical Drug Dependence studies, and is now submitting her PhD on “Pathways to Opioid Dependence.” Sandra has worked in a range of clinical settings. More recently, she established and coordinated the Drugs and Pregnancy Service in South Western Sydney. She is currently on secondment to manage the Adult Drug Court, the Youth Drug Court and the Merit Programs in South Western Sydney. Her research on methadone and heroin related deaths has been published in international journals, and she has presented her work at international conferences. She is currently conducting research on chronic pain and opioid dependence, outcomes for neonates of methadone maintained women, and continuing her work on methadone related deaths. Sandra represents the NSW Health Department for the Drugs Module of the National Coroner’s Information, and is a representative on the National Methadone and Other Treatments Committee. In 1999, Sandra was presented with the Inaugural Tedd Noffs Award for her contribution as an Individual to the Drug and Alcohol field.
How healthy are Drug Court Participants?
The NSW Drug Court Program that commenced in February 1999 is undergoing an extensive evaluation by the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research. This evaluation is primarily focussed on program outcomes and recidivism, with little attention to health issues. Preliminary findings of the small component on health and wellbeing have been positive; showing an improvement in health during participation on the program (Freeman, 2001). However, physical, social, psychological health, and multiple trauma experienced by Drug Court participants has not been addressed in any detail. Therefore, the impact these experiences may have on the individual's ability to address their drug use and crime, and to achieve lifestyle change has not been considered.
The Drug Court team in South Western Sydney has been consistently collecting data on health related issues among its participants. This presentation will outline the prevalence of different forms of abuse experienced during childhood and as an adult, as well as experiences of major physical illness, and mental health problems. Prevalence of sexual and reproductive health problems among women, and men's health problems will be discussed. Specific health issues, such as the prevalence of head injuries and history of overdose will also be presented. The data will be summarised by outlining the multiple trauma experienced by many Drug Court Program participants, and the complexities of providing a comprehensive treatment program to this population will be discussed.
Notes
Thursday 28 June 2001
Morning Session – Speaker Biographies & Abstracts
Dr Renee Bittoun
Director, Smoking Research Unit
Department of Psychological Medicine
University of Sydney
Pharmacotherapy for Nicotine Dependence
Notes
Thursday 28 June 2001
Morning Session – Speaker Biographies & Abstracts
Kerri Beaumont - Biography
Kerri Beaumont is an international marketing consultant and is working with Reckitt Benckiser in their preparations for the launch of Subutex® (buprenorphine) in Australia.
Prior to this Kerri trained as a nurse at St Vincent’s in Sydney and worked in A&E at RNSH before joining the pharmaceutical industry, firstly in sales and marketing in Australia before being seconded to the UK in the early 1990s.
As a consultant she has worked with other pharmaceutical companies in the area of CNS – mainly psychosis and substance abuse.
What has Buprenorphine to offer?
Notes
Thursday 28 June 2001
Morning Session – Speaker Biographies & Abstracts
Colette McGrath - Biography
Colette trained as a RN/ RMN in London UK and has worked in the Alcohol and Drugs area for over 10 years. She has worked in the HIV/AIDS area before becoming interested in working with Injecting Drug Users. She then took up a post in the Community working under a harm Minimisation model followed by an appointment as the Deputy Manager in a community drug team in north London setting up a needle syringe, methadone and outreach service.
In 1995 she migrated to Australia where she took up a Clinical Nurse Consultant position at a private clinic in the Eastern Suburbs. In 1997 she was employed at the Kirketon Road Centre as Nurse unit Manager. For the past 2 years she has been working in the capacity of Acting Assistant Director at the Kirketon Road Centre and more recently as Project Manager. Colette is very familiar with the Kings Cross area having worked with the local population there for the past five years.
Safer Injecting rooms: Harm Minimisation and the Nurse’s role.
In May 1999, the Carr Government held the NSW Drug Summit. One of the most innovative and controversial recommendations was that a Medically Supervised Injecting Centre [MSIC] be trialed in Kings Cross. A MSIC is a legally sanctioned facility where injecting drug users can use drugs under medical supervision gaining access to treatment in case of overdose, being able to access clean injecting equipment, and safe disposal of injecting equipment. The aim of the MSIC is to, reduce deaths from overdose, reduce the spread of blood borne viruses, reduce problems associated with public injecting, and provide access to treatment.
The MSIC if successful is likely to be adopted as part of accepted treatment within the Alcohol and other Drugs field. If so, how do we as professionals prepare ourselves for this type of work and extension of the role? Nurses will ultimately play a crucial role in their operation and developing the model for further MSICs if the trial is successful.
Issues that the Registered Nurse will need to consider if working in an MSIC include having, up to date knowledge of pharmacology and drug trends especially on the local street scene. What advice to give re injecting specific types of drugs e.g.: Methadone, Tablets. Good knowledge of anatomy and physiology, in relation to giving safe injecting advice. Ability to assess for intoxication. CPR and overdose management skills. Counselling and crisis/aggression management skills. Knowledge of HIV, Hep B &C.
This is without doubt one of the biggest challenges that Nurses have had to face in the Alcohol and Drugs field to date and to many it will be the next logical step in Harm Minimisation. Nurses will have much to consider re: their role in MSICs and it is important to get it right from the outset both professionally and for the sake of the success of the project.
Notes
Thursday 28 June 2001
Afternoon Session – Speaker Biographies & Abstracts
Helen Taylor – Biography
Qualified in Dietetics, Vocational Education and Public Health. Formerly
Policy Analyst, Hepatitis, NSW Health. Currently working in Hepatitis
projects at Albion Street Centre, and evaluation of Community Detox
Services, Central Coast Health. Previous projects include piloting
hepatitis screening and HB vaccination for methadone clients in South
Western Sydney, and lack of) for claims made about nutrition and hepatitis C
and making evidence-based nutrition advice for people with hepatitis C
(supported by the Dietitians Association of Australia) on the web via the
Albion Street Centre website.
Community Detoxification Symposium
Organised by Central Coast Community Detox Service (CDS)
Facilitator: Helen Taylor, Research & Evaluation Offr, Central Coast CDS
Presenter 1: Mario Fantini, Nurse Manager, A& OD, Central Coast Health
Presenter 2: Gayle Hartley, CNE, Central Coast Community Detox Service Presenter 3: Lorraine Gaunt, NUM, Ambulatory Detox, Western Sydney AHS
Presenter 4: Brett Ross, NUM, Assessment Unit, Langton Centre
Purpose of symposium : gathering together professionals with experience in detox service provision to share experiences and note any consensus.
Speakers from detox programs using various models of service:
1. Overview of issues in detoxification, Mario Fantini,
2. Central Coast Home detox program, Gayle Hartley
3. Ambulatory Detox Services, Western Sydney, Lorraine Gaunt
4. Detox Services at Langton Centre, Brett Ross
Question time/Panel discussion and participant brainstorm
- Issues that need to be considered when considering implementing a home detox service?
- Circumstances in which home or outpatient detox works and when it doesn’t work?
3. What kinds of professionals have been involved to date / might potentially be involved to assist in the process of detoxification and aftercare or support?
4. Identify if possible, any training needs for staff at commencement of working in detox services; are these needs best met “on the job” or could a short course or workshop be developed to prepare staff for this work?
- What do we think are the priorities for future service-implementation research in this area or work?
Summary, evaluation and close (10mins).
Notes
Thursday 28 June 2001
Afternoon Session – Speaker Biographies & Abstracts
Kerrie Doyle - Biography
I was born on an Aboriginal mission in the Northern Territory, leaving at the age of 8. I completed general nursing training in 1977 at Gosford Hospital, psychiatric nursing at Gladesville in 1979, and Mental Retardation in 1982. Since then, I have completed a BA (Psychology), a Grad Dip App Sci (Clinical Drug Dependence Studies), M. Indigenous Health, M. Health Management, and am currently a PhD Candidate (Aboriginal Studies). I am currently NUM III of the Surgical Units at Wyong Hospital, on secondment as the Project Coordinator of Benzodiazepine Withdrawal Project with the AODS, CCH. I am the regional representative of CATSIN, and was a member of the NSW Nursing Project on AODS. I am married to a Maori, live on the central coast of NSW with my sons and a poodle named Tumatauenga. The rest is subject to change without notice.
Dealing with Aboriginal Clients
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain alienated from mainstream society by numerous sociological methods. This can make dealing with Aboriginal clients especially challenging. The critical issue is cultural safety, that is, the ability to move across cultural borders in an appropriate manner. In order to do this, the clinician needs to be aware of black communication methods, and fit a model of interaction to the needs of the client. The most appropriate model of interaction is Egan’s unconditional positive regard. This paper presents a workable model of interaction between non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal people we tried at Wyong hospital. We evaluated it by measures of non-specific objectivity and found the introduction and education of the model to be significant (p>0.5) in Aboriginal client satisfaction, and clinician satisfaction. However, each clinician must needs remember that each Aboriginal person is distinct, and no one style will ensure effective pan-Aboriginal communication.
Notes
Thursday 28 June 2001
Afternoon Session – Speaker Biographies & Abstracts
Julie Watkinson - Biography
Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia.
Currently employed as Lecturer in School of Nursing and Midwifery, Flinders University. Coordinate the Graduate Certificate in Health (Alcohol and Other Drugs). Also employed by Drug and Alcohol Services Council, working in inpatient detox areas in Adelaide. Qualifications: BN, Grad Cert in Health (Alcohol and Other Drugs), MEd. In progress to PhD at Flinders University. This conference paper relates to PhD Women’s Well-being Study, which is concerned with women’s health and psychotropic drug use in middle-age.