RN/RPN, Provincial Opioid Treatment Access Line, Substance Use Services

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In accordance with the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives standards of practice and the Mission and Values of Fraser Health and working collaboratively and in partnership with the interprofessional care team in the provision of person-centered and recovery oriented care, using a trauma and resiliency informed approach, the Registered Nurse/Registered Psychiatric Nurse provides and coordinates the delivery of nursing care services to clients experiencing problematic substance use. Demonstrates nursing expertise tailored to clients accessing the Provincial Opioid Treatment Access Line, including nursing assessments, referrals, crisis intervention, counseling, and necessary follow-up. This role emphasizes facilitating access and ensuring secure connections to local OAT prescribers and community resources, addressing care barriers, and promoting a timely, responsive, person-centered, and a culturally safe and informed approach. Close collaboration with clients navigating substance use challenges and care providers is integral to this role, ensuring comprehensive care planning and seamless information flow across Fraser Health and community service settings.

1. Receives incoming calls from the Provincial Opioid Treatment Access Line to facilitate connections between individuals and local OAT prescribers and other identified local services. Ensures clients are successfully attached to local prescribers and community resources to support ongoing client care.
2. Plans and provides direct tele-nursing care to clients in compliance with standards of practice by conducting assessments, offering tele-nursing crisis counselling, developing brief intervention care plans, and collaborating with other healthcare team members and community resources to ensure secure connections are formed. Uses a strengths-based model, motivational interviewing, and engagement techniques in accordance with professional standards and clinical policies and practices.
3. Identifies and addresses barriers to care for individuals encountering challenges attaching to local OAT providers and related services. Uses problem-solving skills and collaborates with community resources to facilitate successful connections. Liaises with the provincial team from the Provincial Opioid Treatment Access Line to support resolution efforts, ensuring individuals facing barriers receive timely support in accessing prescribers and necessary medications.
4. Monitors prescription timelines and assesses the risk of medication shortages prior to successful attachment to care. Implements proactive measures to ensure continuity of medication supply and connects individuals with appropriate services to prevent interruptions in treatment.
5. Establishes and enhances therapeutic relationships based on mutual respect with clients and their informal support network by engaging applicable parties in treatment planning and evaluation, offering support and follow-up planning and encouraging informed decision making and self-care management.
6. Provides referrals, in accordance with established protocols, for mental health and/or substance use clients to appropriate community treatment alternatives and services. Provides guidance and resources for patients, families, and other team members regarding substance use services, aiding clients' understanding and connection to these services.
7. Maintains clinical records through methods such as collecting and documenting information including electronic health care information regarding clients and their families, nursing observations, telephone communications, progress notes, interventions, themes worked on during interventions, care evaluations, patient outcomes and discharge summaries to ensure that client/family records are current and complete.
8. Performs intake functions, develops, implements, maintains, and adjusts comprehensive treatment plans based on client needs and best practices, and monitors and assess client's mental state, response to medications and efficacy of treatment plan to ensure optimum use of resources and to facilitate client-centered care, as assigned.
9. Consults and collaborates with members of the interprofessional care team including Mental Health and Substance Use Services Physicians, Primary Care Providers (GP/NP), RN(C)/RPN(C) Opioid Use Disorder, Coordinators, and community partners. Ensures identification and resolution of issues and adjustments to care plans as required.
10. Monitors client commitment to transitional care plans by ensuring compliance with prescribed treatments and diligently tracking necessary renewals or follow-ups.
11. Aids client access to services such as medical appointments, hospitals, and social programs by providing healthcare information, contacting relevant programs/services, and assisting with processing forms, transportation issues, and other barriers to accessing services.
12. Identifies personal learning needs and goals, reviews these with the Clinical Coordinator and engages in a variety of activities to achieve these objectives.
13. Participates in quality improvement and risk management activities such as identifying and reporting high risk situations, evaluating effect of changes in nursing practice, generating recommendations for alternative approaches to nursing practice, conducting safety audits and identifying needs for corrective action and changes to selected practices, procedures or protocols. Maintains and updates current clinical competence and knowledge within the area of practice.
14. Participates in the training and orientating and continuing education of nursing staff and students through mentoring, preceptoring and role modelling.
15. Performs other related duties as required.

Education, Training & Experience

Graduation from an approved Nursing Program with current practicing registration as a Registered Nurse and/or Registered Psychiatric Nurse with the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives.

Completion of approved addictions or substance use training, or substance use certificate program, and two years' recent related experience working in an addictions environment with individuals with substance use disorders, or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

Skills & Abilities

• Ability to complete initial and ongoing mental health and substance use client assessment and provide nursing care through appropriate/prescribed technical, therapeutic, safety type interventions including crisis intervention.
• Knowledge of mental illness and substance use treatment.
• Knowledge of psychopharmacology (indications and side-effects).
• Knowledge of counselling and group facilitation skills.
• Knowledge of legislation and government policies and procedures that relate to mental health and substance use practices.
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing with clients, families/care givers, the public, medical staff and members of the interprofessional care team.
• Ability to promote person-centered care that demonstrates empathy for clients/families/care givers.

Fraser Health is the heart of health care for over two million people in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley in British Columbia, Canada, on the traditional, ancestral and unceded lands of the Coast Salish and Nlaka’pamux Nations and is home to 32 First Nations within the Fraser Salish region.

People - those we care for and those who care for them - are at the heart of everything we do. Our hospital and community-based services are delivered by a team of 48,000+ staff, medical staff and volunteers.

We are committed to planetary health and value diversity in the work force. We strive to maintain an environment of respect, caring and trust. Fraser Health’s hiring practices aspire to ensure all individuals are treated in an inclusive, equitable and culturally safe manner.

Together, we are the heart of health care.

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