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Vulnerable Populations in the Work Place

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Submitted By reno32
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Vulnerable Populations in the Workplace Project
Patricia Lawson
NUR/440-Health Assessment and Promotion for Vulnerable Populations
April 11, 2011
Sheila de Vaugh, APRN, BC

CBS Evening News correspondent Ben Tracy reported on April 6, 2011 that teenage drinking and drug use has increased by 22% and that 71% of all teenagers have had a drink of alcohol before finishing high school. Most teenagers believe that smoking marijuana is not a big deal and that parents and society opposed cigarette smoking more (Tracy, 2011). Celebrities such as Michael Jackson, Brittany Murphy, and Anna Nicole Smith overshadow the issue of prescription drug abuse when every day people are experiencing the same outcomes. Emergency room (ER) nurses are the frontline in treatment of individuals suffering from addiction, withdrawal, and overdose. Still, many doctors and nurses have become hardened because of the belief that patients are drug seeking, which leads to poor management of pain and increased disparity accessing health care. In this paper I will present demographics on prescription drug abuse, issues of cultural competence and sensitivity, and strategies nurses can use to alleviate health consequences for this vulnerable group. Finally, I will conclude by presenting a brochure that ER nurses can use to identify patients at risk for substance abuse and to assess for early referral to treatment. Consequently, looking at the big picture can help health care providers to assist individuals at risk without judgment. Demographics The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) reports show that deaths from unintentional overdoses in the United States increased by 145% over the past 10 years and is second only to motor vehicle crashes as a cause of death, especially in people ages 35 to 54. In addition, pain medications such as Oxycodone and

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