Victorian government-funded courses
The area of alcohol and other drugs is complex and rapidly changing.
To assist nurses and midwives to continue to provide best practice interventions and nursing management, the Andrews/Allan Government has provided funding for the development and delivery of contemporary continuing professional development initiatives. The ANMF (Vic Branch) and Turning Point, Eastern Health, have partnered to bring you a series of workshops and masterclasses.
For registration enquiries contact the Education Centre at: education@anmfvic.asn.au
Benzodiazepines, GHB & Cannabis: webinar for nurses working in the AOD sector
10 October 9:30am-12:30PM
This three-hour webinar has been developed to provide an in-depth focus on the pharmacology and pharmacokinetics of benzodiazepine, cannabis and GHB use. Information on the adverse effects of these psychoactive drugs will be presented as well as nursing management and responses.
Participants will be provided with information to develop a better understanding of benzodiazepine, cannabis and GHB addiction, intoxication and withdrawal. Treatment and nursing interventions including pharmacotherapy will be presented.
Presenter: Rose McCrohan, Nurse Practitioner, Uniting
Rose began working in alcohol and other drugs (AOD) in 1992 at Pleasant View. Rose has continued to work in residential and non-residential withdrawal services at Eastern Health and Youth Support and Advocacy Service (YSAS) before moving to Uniting in 2005. Rose became Victoria’s first AOD Nurse Practitioner in 2009. Rose manages Curran Place, Uniting’s 16-bed (4 mother-baby beds) residential Adult and Mother Baby Withdrawal service. Rose is a co-convenor of Victoria’s AOD and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner collaborative.
Acute pain and Opioids: ward-based management and implications for care: online masterclass
30 October 2024, 9:30am-12:30pm
People with substance use disorders often struggle within mainstream hospital settings and this is further complicated for those with a history of opioid dependence requiring acute analgesia. This seminar will cover the pharmacology of opioids, the impacts of opioid agonist treatment and how this may alter acute pain management approaches.
Importantly, hospitalisation represents a unique opportunity to engage patients their substance use and this may not always be toward a goal of abstinence. This seminar will cover the key principles of harm reduction and how this may be applied in the inpatient setting. Key harm reduction initiatives, such as the Melbourne Medically Supervised Injecting Room (MSIR) will be explored.
Presenter: Meg McKechnie, Nurse Practitioner, Alfred Health
Meg is an Addiction Psychiatry Nurse Practitioner who currently coordinates the Alfred Health Addictions Consultation and Liaison service, as well as, working within the Medically Supervised Injecting Rooms (MSIR) consulting area.
She has experience across both acute and community services in mental health and alcohol and other drug treatment, including within emergency departments, acute psychiatric inpatient units, consultation and liaison, homeless outreach and project management. In 2015, Meg was awarded Nurse of the Year for her work improving access to alcohol and other drug treatment for those presenting to emergency departments with substance use disorders.
More recently, Meg completed a Graduate Certificate of Sexual Health to try and improve rates of screening amongst people who inject drugs
Alcohol & other drugs: 2 day workshop
25 & 26 November 2024, 9.30AM - 4.00PM
CPD: 12 hours
Presenter: Sharon Patterson, senior alcohol and other drug education officer
Location: ANMF (Vic Branch), 535 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne
Who should attend? Registered nurses, enrolled nurses and midwives
This two-day workshop has been developed for nurses and midwives who want to learn more about how to work effectively with patients who use alcohol and other drugs. It is relevant for nurses and midwives working across all clinical areas and is designed to assist you to be more confident in your work with patients you are already seeing who use alcohol and other drugs. This practical and theoretical program will provide the latest evidence-based information on drug use and addiction. This is an important topic for nurses and midwives and provides an opportunity to develop your skills and knowledge and hear from industry experts, and to ask any questions you may have.
This course is full.
WADS: Opioids and methamphetamine in the perinatal period
19 November 2024, 9:30am-12:30pm
This 3-hour webinar will be presented by a midwife and social worker. Learn about opioid use in pregnancy including prescription use, heroin, methadone, buprenorphine and more, and the effect these substances can have on the baby following birth and breastfeeding. The incidence of methamphetamine has increased more than six times since 2011 in WADS. Learn how we care for these women and their babies with a trauma informed care approach taking into account the many psycho-social difficulties such as family violence and homelessness. A case study will be presented with discussion from participants encouraged.
Presenters:
Elvira Earthstar is a nurse and midwife, who came to healthcare after a decade of working for women’s social support and family violence services. She has worked as a neonatal nurse, as a midwife across the scope of practise at the Women’s, Australia’s largest women’s specialist hospital, and at a small rural maternity service. Elvira has extensive knowledge of the impact of trauma and marginalisation on women, and values working with women and their unique strengths to move towards a more positive future. Elvira has joined the WADS team to provide specialist midwifery care to women in very complex situations and their babies.
Meg Hardiman is a social worker with nearly 20 years of experience in the field, working in Australia, New Zealand and Scotland, across a range of areas including hospital based social work, outreach, case management, counselling, group work, birth debriefing, clinical supervision and training. Meg has a particular interest in women’s health, and has been at the Women's since 2015, working as a team leader in the Abortion service, and as an outreach social worker at WADS. Meg is currently the training and education co-ordinator at WADS.