The expanding role of the Addictions Nurse: Rotation Schemes and Prescriptive Authority

Abstract

This paper considers future developments for Addictions Nursing. The aim of this paper is to provide a personal vision of two possible developments for Addictions Nurses, which will promote greater global working and improve the care received by service users and communities. The paper addresses the threats to public health posed by substance misuse, the wide number of diverse roles nurses undertake in addressing the problems which arise, and makes a number of suggestions about the development of nursing to maximise its impact on public health. The paper makes a number of recommendations:▪ promote international collaboration to develop the effectiveness of Addictions Nurses — by the strategic use of Work‐Based Learning and Rotation Schemes via ‘The Spiral of Excellence Model of Rotation Schemes’ (www.nurserotation.com)▪ promote international collaboration to develop Addiction Nurse prescribing using the ‘ABC Model of Addictions Nurse Prescribing’▪ Network Addictions Nurse Organisations — use the ‘AMM‐IN’ model of working, and support the work of The International Network of Nurses (TINN) Interested in Alcohol, Tobacco and Drug Misuse (www.tinnurses.org)▪ actively influence ICN, WHO, UN to promote public health approaches to substance misuse▪ promote service user and carer involvement in decision‐making▪ challenge the ‘divide and conquer’ approach to substance misuse — ‘tobacco, alcohol or drugs model of disease promotion yet again’ ie the ‘TAD‐DPY’ approach▪ actively challenge short‐termism in strategic workforce development, and in particular the ‘AM‐HRD’ model of human resource development.