Confidentiality in a Substance Abuse Treatment Setting: James Oeser Professional Addictions Counseling Camden County College October 19, 2011 Professor Jones Confidentiality in a Substance Abuse Treatment Setting: Abstract There are many ethical dilemmas that may arise in a substance abuse setting. One of the most important is that of confidentiality. There are numerous issues that can arise if a client’s right to confidentiality has been breached. There have to be a set of standards and a step by step process to address any confidentiality issues that may arise. We must remember that we are here to help others and building trust is paramount to that process.
Why is the initial consultation so important? What factors will an ethical therapist cover at this time? The initial consultation is such an important factor in the treatment of clients because it allows an insight in to the client’s needs and reasons for attending for treatment. The more information that can be gleaned at the initial interview the better it will be for the therapist to provide the most effective treatment for that particular individual. The initial consultation is a chance for the person receiving therapy to understand is going to happen during hypnosis and what they can expect from the treatment An initial consultation form could be sent to clients to fill and return before the interview in order to give the therapist a better idea of the questions to ask when they meet.
The therapist must also ask the client a number of questions to find out whether they have any contra-indications to the treatment to see whether the treatment is okay to go ahead. The consultation is the most important part of the treatment because the therapist can find out whether the client is allergic to any products, whether they have any specific needs that the treatment will help or whether they have any illnesses or ailments that will restrict or prevent the treatment. Also if something happens to the client during the treatment then
Rounding and close observation is relied upon to ensure the safety of staff and patients alike. Interventions require a greater investment on the part of staff yield better outcomes. Assessment and Prevention of Aggression/Violence on Inpatient Psychiatric Units INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH The overriding goal of nurses is, at all times, to keep our patients safe. This is never more true than on psychiatric units. However, inpatient psychiatric units can often be a place of unpredictable emotional and behavioral episodes in which patients act out.
Bad news should be delivered in a sensitive manner by someone who is well informed about the particular case/circumstances. The following guidelines have been adapted from the Department of Health , Social Services and Public Safety – Breaking Bad News , Regional Guidelines. Preparation Prepare yourself - It is natural for the bearer of bad news to be anxious about the interview with the patient or carer. • Familiarise yourself with the patient's background, medical history and test results. You will also need to have some knowledge of the choices in the future management of the patient's condition.
Educational Assessment Portfolio Sharon Collins Dumont Technical Institute Practical Nursing Program NURS 243 The reason I have chosen the topic about “Nurse’s Attitudes towards Patients with a History of Illicit Drug Use”, is because we as nurses have an ethical right to become advocates for our clients. We cannot have bias opinions when it comes to helping a mentally ill client dealing with a substance abuse. It is our moral ethical duty to advocate for the client dealing with substance abuse, and not to judge them. Nurses have a moral human duty to promote health and well-being to everyone, no matter what their health issues may be. Discrimination is attached to the mentally ill and because of this they are denied the same equalities that others in society have.
Some examples of emergency situations are: • Extreme anger • Threats of self harm • Delusional thinking resulting in safety concerns • Threats of violence towards others • Other major psychiatric issues Practitioners should ask themselves the following questions when devising a plan to deal with emergency situations: • What is my plan should a client disclose suicidal thoughts during a counseling session? • How should or would I respond if a client become agitated or angry and begins to exhibit unpredictable behavior? • What strategies would I use should a client’s family member become angry and/or threatening? Practitioners should have a plan to address these situations and review them regularly, taking into consideration client variables, such as: • Gender • Religion • Race • Ethnicity • Socioeconomic status Practitioners should also take great care to understand issues from the client’s background experience and perspective rather than from theirs. Practitioners should interject their
xv). According to the Journal of Clinical Psychology successful crisis intervention depends upon accurately assessing the crisis and initiating the appropriate treatment. Issues needing to be addressed include finding what resources are available to the client; what approach might be effectively initiated; is hospitalization indicated; are there family or community agencies that are available to the client; and is the client in danger of hurting themselves or others. Myer and Conte (2006) state, “Answering these questions requires that assessment of clients in crisis be ongoing and that reactions be monitored in order to adjust the interventions as needed” (Myer and Conte). They also believe that standardized test can be misleading.
It affects patients’ physical well-being, emotional well-being, social well-being, spiritual well-being and survival. The treatment should be the most disease-specific and palliative therapies, taking into account cost, availability, side effects, and patient wishes (Kuebler, Heidrich and Esper, 2007). Although medications will help to varying degrees, relief of dyspnea requires a comprehensive approach to its management. Treatment of the underlying condition or disease while concurrently addressing the symptom would be the main goal to alleviate the dyspnea, unless the patient requests comfort measures only. For the palliative care patient, the goal is excellent symptom control with the least possible sedation, allowing continued patient/family interaction (LeGrand and Walsh, 2010).
Because counselors are responsible for assisting physicians in ensuring the best possible care for the client, it is important that I familiarize myself with psychotropic medication. However as a counselor I must also carefully consider the