NURD101 Drug and Alcohol Detoxification Nursing: Reflective Practice

Reflection 1 Importance of CWC and CIWA Assessments and the Use of Diazepam in Detox Treatment

In my first week at the Riverland Drug and Alcohol Detox Unit, I saw the importance of Clinical Withdrawal Checklists and the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol in detoxification management. These comprehensive and impartial withdrawal symptom evaluations ensured early and appropriate expert interventions it also allowed staff to monitor physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms, while the CIWAAr provided a validated rating system for pharmaceutical treatment and alcohol withdrawal severity. (Sullivan et al., 1989).
The usage of diazepam, a benzodiazepine that is widely used to prevent severe withdrawal symptoms such as seizures and delirium tremens, was a noteworthy observation that was made in the process of stabilising patients who are going through acute withdrawal, the prolonged half-life and anxiolytic qualities of diazepam make it an advantageous medication (LingfordHughes et al., 2012). I discovered that its application must be tightly associated with CIWAAr scores to avert oversedation or undertreatment. Nurses recorded each evaluation outcome and modified medication as it was illustrating the significance of evidence-based, patient centered treatment. None the less, my research led me to discover that the implementation of this technique had to be closely linked to CIWAAr scores in order to prevent either oversedation or undertreatment. As a demonstration of the relevance of evidence-based, patient centered treatment, nurses documented the results of each evaluation and made adjustments to the medicine as required.

References

LingfordHughes, A. R., Welch, S., Peters, L., & Nutt, D. J. (2012). BAP updated guidelines Evidence based guidelines for the pharmacological management of substance abuse, harmful use, addiction and comorbidity. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 26(7), 899952. https//doi.org/10.1177/0269881112444324

Sullivan, J. T., Sykora, K., Schneiderman, J., Naranjo, C. A., & Sellers, E. M. (1989). Assessment of alcohol withdrawal The revised Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol scale (CIWA?Ar). British Journal of Addiction, 84(11), 13531357. https//doi.org/10.1111/j.13600443.1989.tb00737.x

Reflection 2 Communication and Trauma Informed Care in Detox Settings

During my first week in the Drug and Alcohol Detox Unit I realised how important good communication and care that takes into account trauma are for helping clients with their withdrawal and recovery. A lot of the patients had been through tragedy, mental illness, or financial problems, so they needed to be treated with compassion and without judgement it was also seen that basic communication skills like maintaining eye contact, keeping a calm tone, and confirming feelings helped reduce fear and build trust, especially when clients were feeling vulnerable during cleansing. (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2014).
In order to put trauma informed ideas into practice, it was necessary to acknowledge that patterns of behaviour such as irritability or withdrawal were typically related with previous traumatic experiences rather than disobedience. In order to encourage client participation in the decisions regarding their treatment, the team demonstrated both empathy and cooperation in their communication. In order to cultivate a sense of empowerment and respect, I was able to gain the skills necessary to use open-ended enquiries and reflective listening. (Australian Government Department of Health, 2021).
Through observation and controlled practice, I learned that trauma-informed communication made patients more involved while also lowering the number of times they were upset or disobedient. It reminded me that detoxification is more than just a medical operation; it is also a very emotional and mental event. Building therapeutic connections based on empathy and trust creates a sense of dignity and optimism, which are important parts of long-term healing.

References

Australian Government Department of Health. (2021). National framework for recovery oriented mental health services Guide for practitioners and providers. https//www.health.gov.au/

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). (2014). Trauma informed care in behavioural health services (Treatment Improvement Protocol Series 57). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https//store.samhsa.gov/product/TIP57TraumaInformedCareinBehavioralHealthServices/SMA144816