Nurse advocacy is an essential element of nurses’ work because it allows these professionals to address current healthcare issues, which they face in their daily work. Addiction Treatment Access Improvement Act of 2017 was introduced to help nurses assess the patients when prescribing and administering opioids (Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation (HNHN), 2018). The necessity for this legislation comes from the opioid epidemic that affects a large proportion of the population. Addicts often seek medication from medical facilities by simulating pain and related symptoms. This discussion board post will summarize this legislation and address future steps for addressing the opioid crisis.
With the Addiction Treatment Access Improvement Act of 2017, the federal government allowed nurses to administer medication designed to help addicts overcome withdrawal symptoms. Addicitionnaly, this legislation will enable nurses to use cognitive behavioral therapy to address this problem, which in combination with medication can help addicts return to everyday life. This act sets specific requirements for the number of patients per professional and the qualifications of the practitioner who will administer this treatment (“H.R.3692 – Addiction Treatment Access Improvement Act of 2017,” 2017). However, opioid addiction is a persistent problem, and more steps should be taken to combat it. For example, public health awareness campaigns should discuss opioid addiction and encourage people to seek treatment from their healthcare providers. Additionally, better control over the prescriptions and use of opioids is needed to ensure that patients who are prescribed this medication do not develop an addiction. In summary, the Addiction Treatment Access Improvement Act of 2017 is a result of nurse advocacy. This legislation expands the scope of practice for nurses and allows them to administer medical and behavioral treatment to people with opioid addiction.
References
Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation (HNHN). (2018). Five important advocacy issues nurses are tackling today. Web.
H.R.3692 – Addiction Treatment Access Improvement Act of 2017. (2017). Web.