An Island Heath memo last month to acute-care hospital staff instructs nurses not to stop open use of illicit drugs in hospital rooms and to even teach patients how to inject drugs into their IV lines — despite the fact government officials have said drug use is not permitted in hospitals.
It also says if staff encounter a patient using illicit substances they should assess immediate safety — overdose, flames, behaviour. If it’s deemed safe, they’re advised to let patient finish their drugs, and if it’s unsafe, they’re told to take steps to address those safety concerns and return “in five minutes” to reassess and speak further with the patient.
BC Nurses Union president Adriane Gear said while the union supports harm-reduction measures, there are red flags in the memo, which represents a patient-centred approach to harm reduction but doesn’t provide education or resources for nurses not trained in substance use.As for the idea that nurses should simply return in five minutes, “well, that area could be actually toxic, there could be dirty needles left, and there’s other hazards.
“Decriminalization never meant unfettered, open consumption in hospital settings,” said Gear. “It appears that’s how health employers have interpreted it, and nurses and substance users are kind of caught in the middle of this now.” It says staff should offer the patient a safe place — such as a safe or locked cabinet — to store their supplies or drugs when they return to the unit from the day pass.
Source: Healthcare Press (healthcarepress.net)
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