Needle Exchange Program Research Paper

1253 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The

Needle Exchange Program
Needle exchange program (NEP) is a project where injectable drug users could exchange their used needles for sterile injection equipment. This ultimately reduces the reuse of HIV contaminated injection equipment among this population (Delgado, 2004).
Introduction
The prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among drug users has been a long concern. When the drug users share needles that are contaminated with HIV it increase the likelihood of that person being infected with the virus. NEP dramatically reduce if not eliminate sharing of used needles and as a result that reduces HIV transmission (Tempalksi et el, 2007). This impacts the adult and elderly population due to increase drug use among people in …show more content…

Nonmalefiecniecne mean that we avoid actions that may cause harm to the patients (Arnold & Boggs-Underman, 2011). Therefore, in a clinical setting it is the caregiver duty to act at all times for the benefit of their client. Consequently, if we do established the NEP we reduce the drug users’ chance of being infected with the HIV which could lead to AIDS and be fatal (Loue, Lurie & Lloyd, 1995). Autonomy is the person right to be able to decide for themselves (Arnold & Boggs-Underman, 2011). In this case individual are not force to use NEP or stop taking drugs. But, the health care providers seek ways for the drug user to make a healthy decision by using sterile equipment rather than used possibly contaminated equipment (Loue, Lurie & Lloyd, 1995). Justice in the ethical analysis is aimed at the patients right to fair treatment (Arnold & Boggs-Underman, 2011). Only about 15 percent of drug users are in treatment and most of the societies lack residential or outpatient treatment. Individuals that do not have insurance have to wait longer periods of time for admission to a treatment program. The society is not doing much in founding the drug treatments NEPs have only $2,500 per year to spend while hospitals spend $33,000 a year for inpatient and outpatient treatment for individuals with AIDS (Loue, Lurie & Lloyd, 1995).
Points supporting opposite

Show More
Related

  • Mrs. Boswell’s Dilemma

    1185 Words  | 3 Pages

    The ethical principle of nonmaleficence demands to first do no harm and in this case protect the patient from harm since she cannot protect. Nurses must be aware in situations such as this, that they are expected to advocate for patients in a right and reasonable way. The dilemma with nonmaleficence is that Mrs. Boswell has no chance of recovery because of her increasing debilitating mental incapability and the obvious harm that outweighs the intended benefits. If the decision were to continue treatment, suffering of the patient and family would be evident. Autonomy is the right to making own decisions and freedom to choose a plan of action. When making decisions regarding treatment of another person, it is important to respect the expressed wishes of the individual. John says that his mother would want to live as long as she could, but questions arise related to her quality of life and perception of prolonged suffering by prolonging the dying process. In BOOK states that quality of life changes throughout one’s life ...

    Read More

  • Douglas N. Husak's A Moral Right to Use Drugs

    1269 Words  | 3 Pages

    Douglas N. Husak's A Moral Right to Use Drugs In Douglas N. Husak’s A Moral Right to Use Drugs he attempts to look at drug use from an impartial standpoint in order to determine what is the best legal status for currently illegal drugs. Husak first describes the current legal situation concerning drugs in America, citing figures that show how drug crimes now make up a large percentage of crimes in our country. Husak explains the disruption which this causes within the judicial system and it is made clear that he is not content with the current way drugs are treated. The figures that Husak offers up, such as the fact that up to one third of all felony charges involve drugs, are startling, but more evidence is needed than the fact that a law is frequently broken to justify it’s repeal.

    Read More

  • Purpose of Needle Exchange Programs

    823 Words  | 2 Pages

    The main purpose of needle exchange programs is based on the idea that access to sterile needles will significantly reduce needle sharing and will in turn reduce HIV transmission. It is also believed that implementing needle exchange programs will allow more opportunities for other forms of HIV prevention education to come about and increase people’s access to HIV treatment services. These exchange programs have opened up plenty of things that work to help reduce the spread of HIV, such as the use of condoms, bleach kits, and giving people referrals. These programs came about because there is the growing knowledge that people who are not ready for drug treatment and who use many different types of drugs through the use of needles, is causing more and more people to get infected with HIV and is not helping the programs that are used to reduce the spread of HIV. Needle Exchange programs offer free new sterile needles in exchange for old, used ones that are collected from injection drug users (Health News).

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Needle Exchange

    933 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many people believe that the only way to receive HIV and AIDS is through sexual intercourse. Although it can be spread through sexual intercourse without proper protection, there is a bigger issue at hand. Not only can HIV and AIDS be transferred through sex, it can be transferred through the sharing of needles. A large number of people forget that drugs are becoming a popular trend in today’s society. The spread of HIV and AIDS has increased because of the sharing of needles between drug users.Not only is it an STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease) it is a bloodborne pathogen. This is why needle exchange programs are a must have in communities like Licking County, today. Needle exchange programs are extremely helpful because it decreases the spread of HIV and AIDS.

    Read More

  • case study 4

    583 Words  | 2 Pages

    Slosar, J. P. (2004). Ethical decisions in health care. Health Progress. pp. 38-43. Retrieved from http://www.chausa.org/publications/health-progress/article/january-february-2004/ethical-decisions-in-health-care

    Read More

  • Needle Exchange Programs: Effective or Ineffective?

    1999 Words  | 4 Pages

    The study conducted by MacNeil & Pauly (2011) focused on the perspective of the people who use the needle exchange programs in Canada. To receive the data from the injecting drug users, the researchers first recruited most of their participants from four needle exchange sites. There were a total of 33 people who participated (23 men and 10 women) in this study. The average age of the participants was 40.3 years of age, for men, the average was 43, whereas for women it was 34 years old. The participants were either homeless or were on government assistance programs. Out of the 33 participants, six of them reported being HIV positive (18%) and 16 reported being diagnosed wi...

    Read More

  • The Ethical Dilemma Of Lane V. Candura (1978)

    1297 Words  | 3 Pages

    An advanced practice nurse (APN), will be faced with different types of ethical-legal dilemmas that in most cases will require the APN to make urgent decisions that will include both moral and ethical attention. Ethical dilemmas are conditions that have to scenarios course of actions to take that will contradict each other (Westrick, 2014, pp 258-265). The APN will have to choose between the two urgent decisions because each of these choices is deemed to be equally right and urgent. This is the reason that makes dealing with ethical-dilemmas very stressful for the APN and other experienced caregivers involved. It is very noteworthy that an APN has many medical responsibilities to provide care, and are also in the position to make urgent medical decisions that is independent because of being the person in authority at that time. Many of the existing ethical dilemmas will fall in with a variety of treatment withdrawal vs maintenance, the quality of life vs the quantity of life, euthanasia vs non-euthanasia, and pro-choice vs pro-life (Westrick, 2014b, pp.77-83).

    Read More

  • The Ebola Virus: History, Occurrences, and Effects

    1222 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Ebola virus can be passed from one person into another by bodily contact. Airborne transmission of Ebola has not yet been confirmed, as there is no substantial evidence of this occurring. Researchers are still to this day observing the ways of transmission of this virus from one person to the next. In previous outbreaks, this infection has often occurred among hospital care workers or family members who were caring for an ill or dead person infected with the virus. Blood and body fluids contain large amounts of virus, thus transmission of the virus has also occurred as a result of hypodermic needles being reused in the treatment of patients. Under-financed health care facilities in countries such as Zaire, Gabon, and Sudan find reusing needles a common practice. This contributes the vast amount of fatalities of this virus in these cities.

    Read More

  • The War on Drugs: Failures of the Drug Law Part 1

    4153 Words  | 9 Pages

    ...ick, AlexH. Kral, ElizabethA. Erringer, JamesG. Kahn, Collateral damage in the war on drugs: HIV risk behaviors among injection drug users, International Journal of Drug Policy, Volume 10, Issue 1, 1 February 1999, Pages 25-38

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Autonomy In Health Care

    968 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the scenario the decision made by the RN and the paramedics have breached the respect of autonomy of Elsie and failed to respect the decision made by Elsie. Megan-Janes 20.. implifies that people have the right and are to free to choose and act on their choices provided that their decision and act doesn’t impinge on moral interest of other people. Likewise Elsie’s choice to not to get advance treatment was of no harm to any other people rather than herself. In health settings Principle of Autonomy protests the patients right to be respected as dignified human being capable of making decision what is right for them even if everyone thinks that it is not right( ).In short health professionals must allow patient to participate in the decision making when it comes to their care and treatment. Furthermore (Harris 2011) have explained that it is very vital to respect patient’s autonomus decision to refuse intervention which is based on the principle of autonomy. Furthermore, in the scenario where the pressure of patient’s autonomy is in line, the argument depends on other moral principles( ).In this says Principle of non-maleficence gives justification. The Principle of non-maleficence says above all do no harm which means not to injure others or harm them ( ). Likewise , the RN and the Paramedics in the scenario had no intention of doing any harm to Elsie rather than saving her life. ( ) suggested that in nursing context the principle of non-maleficence would provide justification for performing any act which unfairly injures or makes a person to suffer which was avoidable. This will explain why the health professionals performed those acts despite the protest of Elsie which resulted in death of Elsie. Principle of Beneficence is another moral principle which defends against the principle of

    Read More

  • Harm Reduction Essay

    786 Words  | 2 Pages

    Implications of implementing this approach may be “to reduce the dangers of drug use for the community and the individual, and to shift the focus of illegal drugs as primarily a criminal justice of medical issue to a social and/or public health iss...

    Read More

  • The Code of Ethics for Professional Nurses

    1265 Words  | 3 Pages

    Autonomy means that an individual has the right to make choices about their life (Burkhardt et al., 2014). Any individual of legal age with full mental capacity has the right to refuse treatment. The individual’s choice must be respected even if it is not what the healthcare provider has recommende...

    Read More

  • Ethical Principles Of Nurse-Patient Communication

    737 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nonmaleficence is an ethical principle that aims to avoid doing harm to the patient (Burkhardt & Nathanial, 2014, p.439). This principle allows a nurse to act to avoid harm or further harm to the patient. When applying this principle, the nurse may refuse or delay a discharge of an elderly patient whose house is inaccessible for the patient’s current health condition. If the nurse allows for the discharge while knowing that the patient cannot climb stairs, the nurse could be putting the patient in harm’s way. Therefore, it is the nurse’s ethical responsibility to avoid further harm to the

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of HIV/AIDS

    1451 Words  | 3 Pages

    One of the programs is called Partnership For Health. This program uses repetition, message framing and reinforcement in healthcare settings. It aims to increase HIV positive patients knowledge and motivations to practice safe sex. The program consists of the training of clinical staff, ongoing communications with patients, monitoring and evaluation (effectiveinterventions.org). Public health strategies are also installed to fight HIV transmission. Counseling, testing and referral is a program in place to reduce HIV transmissions. It is activities designed to increase patrons’ knowledge of their HIV status, encourage and support risk reduction and secure needed referrals for appropriate services

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Drug Abuse

    1089 Words  | 3 Pages

    Drug abuse has been a hot topic for our society due to how stimulants interfere with health, prosperity, and the lives of others in all nations. All drugs have the potential to be misapplied, whether obtained by prescription, over the counter, or illegally. Drug abuse is a despicable disease that affects many helpless people. Majority of those who are beset with this disease go untreated due to health insurance companies who neglect and discriminate this issue. As an outcome of missed opportunities of treatments, abusers become homeless, very ill, or even worst, death.

    Read More

More about Needle Exchange Program Research Paper

Open Document