Paper Sample on the Misuse of Opiate Medication in Non-Cancer Patients

Cancer is one of the most dreaded diseases in the modern society. It is a scourge that is currently taking more and more lives day by day. Research has shown that the world is losing approximately 30000 monthly due to this deadly disease (UNODC & WHO, 2013). Multiple things cause cancer, and most of them are associated with lifestyle issues. Typically, there are various types of cancers ranging from lung cancer, throat cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer among others (UNODC & WHO, 2013). All these types of cancers are very deadly, and if not detected earlier it becomes tough to control and even cure. Stage four cancer is the advanced stage of the growth of cancerous cells in the body, and at this stage, it is virtually challenging to treat, and over 95% of stage four cancer victims usually succumb to this deadly disease (Crane, 2015). The world is currently fighting to control this disease, and various methods have been advanced to deal with and ensure that the growth of cancerous cells in the body is controlled and eradicated (UNODC & WHO, 2013). Multiple medications are currently used by cancer patients to manage pain which is usually associated with chemotherapy.

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Opiate medication is one of the commonly used types of medicine by the cancer patients. It is a powerful painkiller that has for long been used by cancer patients as a remedy for their medicine and also to boost their bodies' immune system (Crane, 2013). Opiate has been used to counter pain by cancer patients for quite some time now. However, a new trend in the contemporary societies has seen the drastic increase in the use and application of opiate medication for other reasons (National Institute of Drug Abuse, 2018). Initially, opiate medication was explicitly designed to help in countering pain in cancer patients. However, with the current development in the contemporary world, this drug has become one of the most abused drugs in society. Most people who are not even suffering from cancer are currently using this drug for their reasons. It has become one of the abused drugs, and its effects are immense.

Nursing Theory in Practice

Opiate medication was developed to help cancer patients. However, this is no longer the case. Most hospitals are now reviewing cases on the rise in the misuse of opiate painkillers. The increase in the use of this drug is based on the fact that most people nowadays want to feel high and increase their pleasure ecstasy with the drug (Crane, 2013). The drug contains nicotine, which makes the abusers think high and it is the most affordable substitute for the active drugs such as heroin and cocaine (National Institute of Drug Abuse, 2013). With this, most people have found pleasure in using this drug as it is also readily available.

Theories in nursing can be adequately used to explain and analyze this upcoming and uncouth scenario (Nilsen, 2015). Self-care theory developed and engineered by Dorothy Orem is a critical theory that can be used to describe and analyze the development in the mindset of different individuals and their beliefs on various aspects of drug use in the society (Caceres, 2015). The basic fundamentalism in Orem's theory is based on the ability that every patient has a total say on his health matters. The theory gives the overall responsibility of ensuring one's safety to the patient (Nilsen, 2015). The patient will take medication on the best way he/she wish to take care of his/her health. According to Orem, bestowing the authority of taking care of themselves to the patient allows the person to heal faster both in the body and even the spiritual being (Caceres, 2015). The theory emphasizes giving overall authority to the patient to be the chief concern of the health matters and be a concern on all that he/she wants to put into practice.

The self-care theory is the fundamental tool used by nurses to help cancer patients. Doctors and nurses have devoted their time to prescribing medicine and other useful drugs to their patients to help them overcome the pain that is usually associated with terminal diseases such as cancer (Nilsen, 2015). Opiate is one of the critical painkillers that is generally prescribed to deal with these important issue. Owing to the nurses understandability on giving authority to the patients to take care of themselves is the chief reason behind this concern (Caceres, 2015). However, this theory is now what some patients are using for their purposes (Nilsen, 2015). Taking care of oneself health wise is a fundamental tool behind the prescription of this drug. Other people including noncancer patients are now taking advantage of the applicability of this nursing theory to create harm to themselves.

The fact that nursing profession allows people to have a final and a concise say on their health does not usually guarantee that people are using drugs for the right cause. The masses are now into abusing and misusing this privilege bestowed to the nurses in the theory of Self Care theory (Caceres, 2015). The people are now using the drug for their gains other than the intended use as prescribed and developed by the nurses. This is one of the key reasons that explain the usability and the issue of opiate pain reliever by noncancer patients (Swezey, 2017). The drug is also readily available in hospitals and other drug selling agencies such as chemists and even Amazon. In that case, the people can easily access it, and they can buy it any time for their convenience without necessarily having to strain for its acquisition.

Interdisciplinary Theory in Practice

Theories play a fundamental role in the nursing fraternity. It highlights various application processes that are important in dealing with some emerging issues in the health sector as it also provides interdisciplinary practices that are crucial at solving some fundamental methods in the health sector (Muller, 2013). The application of some of the critical theories in the nursing sector is instrumental in addressing some common challenges that touch on the health field, the nursing profession, the cultural, and the beliefs of a particular group of people and even the beliefs that the society holds at large (Caceres, 2015). The misuses of opiate painkillers by the patients who are not suffering from cancer can, therefore, be curbed by using the explanation and the dimension of the theories that are applied and practiced in nursing.

Learning Theory

Learning theory explains some fundamental concepts that are inherent in the nursing field by providing ways through which educating people can be instrumental in managing certain scenarios (Fukada, 2018). The theory gives the culture of the concerned people a critical role in delivering and combating specific illness or practice in the society (Caceres, 2015). It involves knowing and understanding different cultures concerning nursing and other health-illness caring methods that are critical in solving and curing specific phenomenon in the health fraternity (.Parker, 2017) The theory also puts in methods of the application of beliefs, values, and the collective cultural diversities in a given culture with a sole aim of providing meaningful and effective nursing care to the people according to their cultural beliefs and without going in contrary to what they believe and uphold as part of their cultural practices and norms.

The major concept that the theory propagates lies in some vital fields that guides its existence and viability. The viable field the approach highlights are the transcular nursing (Pournamdar, 2015). This is the field that the theory explains as learning and understanding, and analyzing the culture of the people with a given priority to their health considerations. The goals of transpedicular nursing are to understand the people before providing the best mechanism for cure and care (Nilsen, 2015). Ethernursing is the study of the nursing fields and the core values and beliefs in the nursing field. It is designed to help create nursing care with a higher consideration of the cultural expectations (Parker, 2017). The theory also focuses on the professional nursing care which is the application of the nursing values in combating and controlling an upcoming behavior or practice that needs to be understood and dealt with care. The theory also comprises taking into consideration the health of the people concerned (UNODC & WHO, 2013). The health of the people is the key priority and no matter the situation considering and upheld the health consideration of the people is a crucial instrument.

The theory also focuses on the structure and the dimension of the dynamic patterns in the features that are interested to the appearance of a specific behavior through which makes the people welcome a certain idea and take it as their idea and that it becomes an idea that is sufficiently associated with a specific group of people (Crane, 2015). This means that the theory focuses on ascertaining the viability of a particular belief, how that belief came to existence and the general way of ensuring that the view is explained scientifically and in health-related situations (Nilsen, 2015). Understanding and creating the best means of dealing and combating the problems that develop due to an individual health phenomenon makes the nurses aware of what is going on in the community, how best to deal with such issues and also the best way of controlling the spread.

The nursing learning theory can be adequately used to help in controlling and creating the best means of eradicating the misuse of opiate painkillers by non-cancer patients (Parker, 2015). The application of the theory and the dimensions of the theory is helpful in combating and controlling the abuse of this drug which has taken root in the modern society (Nilsen, 2015). Then they can be used to educate the patients and the general community while at the same time putting great consideration on their beliefs and their cultural dimensions( UNOCD & WHO, 2013). Educating the patients and the general population on the application and the importance of the Opiate painkillers is a critical step towards creating understandability (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2018). By so doing the people are imparted with general knowledge on how the drug is useful to them.

During the education process, the theory will come in handy in trying to explain how the drug has become an issue. The opiate medication which was initially meant for the good use of the cancer patients has become a trend and has taken the course as one of the most abused drugs in the universe (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2018). Educating them will also mind the welfare of their cultural beliefs and the values that the community holds as true. The education and changing the opinion of the people concerning the use and the application of this drug in other mean, which is not the intended course of curing the cancer patients will help in creating and changing the belief the people hold on the drug (UNODC & WHO, 2013). Those people who were already into the use of the drug will reconsider their ways. The nursing, cultural theory also comes in handy because it is multi-dimensional (Parker, 2015). The theory puts in strong consideration for the people and their needs (Muller, 2013). The health of the community and the patients, in particular, is critical and explaining to them the truth is not an option.