Essay --

Although I knew a little bit about blood borne disease before starting the nursing program, I learned much more as I started my career. I never really understood why the majority of people get infected with disease such as Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV) and Hepatitis C. It was made clear to me when I started my nursing career, that people who get infected with these diseases are drug users because they share needles with someone else. Even though there are several routes of transmission of these diseases, sharing needles with a partner is one of the routes. As a current Public Health Nurse (PHN), this topic is very important and the only way to prevent outbreaks and stop the sharing of needles is by referring patients to needles exchange programs (NEP) and educating people as much as possible. Even though we cannot completely stop the outbreak, minimizing the amount of people who get infected through sharing needles will help decrease that mode of transmission. After a study was a performed in Canada, researchers found that preventing HIV is by needle exchange programs (NEPs). These program drastically diminish spread of blood borne disease. NEPs are programs where drug users can safely dispose of old syringes and exchange them for new, sterile ones. The services that NEPs provide is essential for drug users that are more vulnerable to these diseases. NEPs are the most successful interventions for preventing HIV. Studies show that changes in HIV risk behaviors after NEPs were implemented reported reductions in syringe sharing and other high risk injecting behaviors. There are some controversies that NEP programs distribute needles when in fact, in order to get new sterile needles drug users have to return used ones (Ma... ...cate our clients, we are telling them the truth about the risks involved with sharing needles. By telling them the truth our intentions are not to scare them, but to tell them everything they need to know in order to make the best option for themselves when it comes to needle sharing. Fidelity means keeping promises (Allender et al., 2010). This is very essential for a PHN when it comes to trustful patient client relationship. If a nurse promises the patient that they will help them obtain sterile needles or refer them to NEP, then he/she has to follow through with that. If the PHN doesn't follow through with the promise that he/she makes, then the client won't trust the PHN in the future. All in all, needle exchange programs are very essential and beneficial for reducing blood borne disease, and we as nurses have to educate our clients because if we won't who will? Essay -- Although I knew a little bit about blood borne disease before starting the nursing program, I learned much more as I started my career. I never really understood why the majority of people get infected with disease such as Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV) and Hepatitis C. It was made clear to me when I started my nursing career, that people who get infected with these diseases are drug users because they share needles with someone else. Even though there are several routes of transmission of these diseases, sharing needles with a partner is one of the routes. As a current Public Health Nurse (PHN), this topic is very important and the only way to prevent outbreaks and stop the sharing of needles is by referring patients to needles exchange programs (NEP) and educating people as much as possible. Even though we cannot completely stop the outbreak, minimizing the amount of people who get infected through sharing needles will help decrease that mode of transmission. After a study was a performed in Canada, researchers found that preventing HIV is by needle exchange programs (NEPs). These program drastically diminish spread of blood borne disease. NEPs are programs where drug users can safely dispose of old syringes and exchange them for new, sterile ones. The services that NEPs provide is essential for drug users that are more vulnerable to these diseases. NEPs are the most successful interventions for preventing HIV. Studies show that changes in HIV risk behaviors after NEPs were implemented reported reductions in syringe sharing and other high risk injecting behaviors. There are some controversies that NEP programs distribute needles when in fact, in order to get new sterile needles drug users have to return used ones (Ma... ...cate our clients, we are telling them the truth about the risks involved with sharing needles. By telling them the truth our intentions are not to scare them, but to tell them everything they need to know in order to make the best option for themselves when it comes to needle sharing. Fidelity means keeping promises (Allender et al., 2010). This is very essential for a PHN when it comes to trustful patient client relationship. If a nurse promises the patient that they will help them obtain sterile needles or refer them to NEP, then he/she has to follow through with that. If the PHN doesn't follow through with the promise that he/she makes, then the client won't trust the PHN in the future. All in all, needle exchange programs are very essential and beneficial for reducing blood borne disease, and we as nurses have to educate our clients because if we won't who will?