Undergraduate nursing students' perceptions of substance use and misuse: a Brazilian position.

Alcohol, cocaine and cannabis are the substances most commonly abused in Brazil. There is limited evidence on the perceptions of undergraduate nursing students towards substance misuse. Negative attitudes, in combination with the lack of appropriate knowledge and skills, may result in minimal care provided to substance misusers. The aims of the study are to examine the knowledge and attitudes of undergraduate nursing students towards substance misusers and consider the implications of these attitudes for nursing education. The Nurse Education in Alcohol and Drug Educational Faculty Survey (NEADA) questionnaire on knowledge and education, nursing interventions, attitudes and values was distributed to undergraduate nurses (n = 227) in the south and south-eastern part of Brazil. The findings showed that there is a lack of adequate education in drug and alcohol use and misuse, including competency skills, but the participants were positive about treatment interventions. A paradigm shift in nurse education curricula and further research studies on attitudes and values towards substance misuse should be on the educational agenda. These are challenges faced by nurses to meet the healthcare needs of substance misusers.

Tackling drug and alcohol misuse in Brazil: priorities and challenges for nurses.

AIMS: To provide an overview of the extent of drug and alcohol misuse in Brazil and the policies and approaches in tackling substance misuse. An examination of the challenges facing the nursing profession in working with substance misusers is presented. BACKGROUND: Alcohol, cocaine, and cannabis are the most commonly misused psychoactive substances in Brazil. One of the biggest public health problems is the interface between the misuse of psychoactive substances and HIV prevalence and other sexually transmitted diseases. Findings from a recent study suggest that undergraduate nurses in Brazil are not adequately prepared in the care and management of substance misuse problems. The nursing profession in Brazil faces numerous challenges in the development of professional competence of nurses in this field. CONCLUSION: A strategy proposed is the creation of regional centres in Brazil to study the integration of substance use and misuse in the nursing undergraduate curriculum and the giving of specific support in teaching and research to nurse teachers. Nurses have a key role to play in the early recognition, assessment, prevention, and treatment of substance misuse.

The crescent and Islam: healing, nursing and the spiritual dimension. Some considerations towards an understanding of the Islamic perspectives on caring.

Caring from Islamic perspectives is not well versed in Eurocentric nursing literature. There is widespread misunderstanding of the concept and practice of Islam within the context of health care and nursing practice. The areas of contention, in the context of health care systems, are whether the western paradigm to nursing care and management are applicable to Muslims and non-Muslims in both Islamic and non-Islamic countries. What is lacking in some of the conceptual frameworks and models of care is not only the fundamental spiritual dimension of care, but also the significance of spiritual development of the individual towards healing. The focus of this paper is to provide an awareness of Islamic health practices, health behaviours, code of ethics and the framework of Islamic perspectives of caring and spirituality. A brief overview of the Muslim world, the historical development in caring and health and the pillars of the Islamic faith provide the context of the paper. The development of a model of care based on the Islamic perspective is suggested.

The co-existence of psychiatric disorders and substance misuse: working with dual diagnosis patients.

The co-existence of substance misuse and psychiatric disorders is often referred to by the term 'dual diagnosis'. The health-related problems associated with dual diagnosis has received growing attention by clinicians and researchers alike. Severely mentally ill patients who misuse drugs (prescribed and illicit) or alcohol have complex health and social needs. Mental health nurses have a key role to play in the early recognition and management of this group of patients. This paper examines the nature and extent of dual diagnosis and its implications for mental health nurses. It also addresses treatment strategies that are required to meet the needs of this cohort of patients.

A multi-professional course in substance misuse.

A major health problem worldwide, substance abuse is preventable and manageable with minimal interventions. Thus there is an urgent need to prepare nurses and other healthcare professionals to effectively respond and adapt their existing generic skills in working with substance misusers.

Nursing and substance misuse: responding to the challenge.

The widespread use and misuse of alcohol, drug and other psychoactive substances are major health and social concerns that affect the lives of many. The social and health sequelae of psychoactive drugs and alcohol are preventable and manageable with minimal interventions. Nurses and other health workers can effectively respond to substance misuse problems and their existing generic skills can be easily adapted in working with substance misusers. This paper considers some of the issues such as the extent of the problem, attitudinal considerations, response to substance misusers and a brief outline of the role of the nurse. The urgent need for education and training in substance misuse and addictive behaviour for nurse practitioners is also addressed.

The need for substance misuse education in health studies curriculum: a case for nursing education.

The sharp increase, in recent years, in the use and misuse of psychoactive substances necessitates greater involvement of non-specialist health care workers in the management of problems associated with substance misuse. The need to expand the health studies curriculum in line with current trends in substance use and misuse is recommended.