DANA will host its  Annual General Meeting (AGM) using Zoom technology  on Thursday, 16th September  2021 from 05:00 pm – 06:00 pm. 

Everything that you need to know plus the documentation that you require for the AGM is available at this link.
You will need to register in advance for this meeting.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZItcuytqT8pG91auqbVPicOtN9WCov4Mhse
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

If you have any questions about the AGM,  or about Zoom please send an email to [email protected].

I look forward to meeting you via Zoom at the AGM.

Regards
Adam Searby
President

The DANA Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on-line on  Thursday 16th  September  2021 at 5:30pm.

DANA is incorporated under NSW law and as such is required to provide at least seven (7) days notice of the AGM.  The DANA Constitution is available  below if you would like to review it before the AGM.

One of the items to be addressed at the AGM is the election of the DANA Management Committee.  The positions listed below are now open for nomination. A nomination form is available below. For inquiries relating to the positions vacant please contact the DANA President at [email protected]

• Secretary
• Treasurer
• DANA Officer – Workforce
• DANA Officer – Education
• DANA Officer – Membership
• DANA Officer – New Zealand

The DANA Management Committee encourages you to consider nominating for one of these roles.  You will be supported and encouraged as you take on  your new role, and  you will be giving  back to your colleagues though our professional body.

Nominations must reach the Returning Officer by the close of business on August 16th 20021.

Additional documentation relating to the AGM will be circulated in the near future.

I look forward to meeting with you at the AGM.

Nomination form
DANA Constitution

Regards
Adam Searby
DANA President

In recognition of the commitment and lifetime service of Lyn Gardner, The Centre for Alcohol and Other Drugs is awarding scholarships for fifteen registered nurses and midwives to undertake

the Graduate Certificate in Drug and Alcohol Nursing through the Australian College of Nursing in 2022.

Scholarships are to be awarded in recognition of Lyn’s career and the significant impact she has made on the delivery of alcohol and drug services and working with people experiencing harm from alcohol and other drug use. As a consummate professional Lyn always placed the person experiencing harm at the centre of care and service delivery. She shared her knowledge and expertise which has built and delivered new innovative service models in NSW, as the sector has evolved. At the forefront of service delivery, she has always been a strong advocate for all people in rural and regional communities.

A summary of learning outcomes is attached for your reference – further information can be gained from the Australian College of Nursing website https://www.acn.edu.au

Eligibility

Priority will be given to nurses and midwives working in AoD NGO’s, Rural, Regional and Justice Health services in NSW. This does not preclude any applications as an eligibility list will be applied if there is not sufficient interest.

Application

To apply please forward a copy of your CV and an Expression of Interest outlining

• why you want to complete these studies and your capacity to commence in January 2022
• how you will integrate knowledge gained into your practice and
• the benefit of completing these studies in your delivery of care to people experiencing harm from alcohol and other drug use

For further information and to submit applications email Tonina Harvey: [email protected]

Please send all applications to: [email protected] by COB on the due date

IMPORTANT DATES

• Closing Date Monday 20th September 2021
• Successful Applicants with be notified on Monday 4th October 2021

Course of Study commences January 2022

The Graduate Certificate in Drug & Alcohol Nursing

The aim of this course is to encourage professional and ethical understanding of evidence based clinical practice development in drug and alcohol nursing. It will provide students with an understanding of substance use issues from both an individual and public health perspective. The course reflects the principles outlined in the Clinical Standards for AOD Treatment and covers assessment, treatment and nursing care of clients experiencing drug and alcohol dependence. The course aims to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to improve patient outcomes through the coordination and provision of patient centred care.

 Learning Outcomes

At successful completion of the course students should be able to:

• apply critical thinking/clinical reasoning skills to the assessment of the drug and alcohol patient, linking specialist theory to holistic clinical practice
• demonstrate specialist knowledge in the use of pharmacotherapies and psychosocial interventions for the treatment of clients in the context of drug and alcohol nursing practice
• critically examine to apply current evidence-based research, including government policy and strategy, to enhance clinical decision-making skills and care planning in the context of drug and alcohol nursing practice
• develop advanced communication skills in order to establish therapeutic relationships with patients, families and the multidisciplinary team to promote a holistic approach to drug and alcohol nursing care
• develop leadership, mentoring and educational skills to contribute to high standard drug and alcohol nursing practice, and facilitate quality improvement in this area
• critically reflect on the role of personal values and ethics as central to the development of culturally safe practice.

EOI Lyn Gardner Scholarship Grad Cert Drug and Alcohol

Join our live webinar where we will explore the impact of problematic substance use on nurses and midwives.

Research suggests that nurses and midwives are more susceptible to experiencing a substance related health impairment due to our work and that we are generally reluctant help-seekers. This is largely due to our fear of being stigmatised and judged, along with the potential for reputational damage and our fear of losing our registration and employment.

Fortunately nurses, midwives and students have exclusive access to free, confidential and independent support services which address  this challenge. It  is designed by nurses and provided by experienced nurse and midwife counsellors.

Our guest speakers

Glenn Taylor (Nursing and Midwifery Health Program Victoria) and Mark Aitken (Nurse & Midwife Support) will share their knowledge and experience which is based on decades of experience in the profession and in supporting their colleagues throughout Victoria and across Australia in recent years. They will discuss the factors which present greatest risk to our health, how to identify these and how and where to find support to address these important challenges.

Our anchor for this event is Dr Adam Searby. As well as being DANA’s president, Adam is a lecturer at Deakin University in Melbourne.  He will speak to a  survey that he is undertaking with Deakin University and  in conjunction with the Victorian Nurse and Midwife Health Program exploring stress and alcohol consumption among Australian nurses.

Register HERE:

There is a new date for  AOD Nurses’  ‘Toolkit Top-up’ :  Thursday, 29^th July 2021.

The event will feature discussions around Long-acting Injectable Buprenorphine, Potential therapeutic targets to treat alcohol use disorder, and Nutrition and AOD and a lot more.

View the program here.

Catch up with colleagues,  hear from experts in their fields, while enjoying a fully catered forum.  COVID safety precautions will be in place.

Register for the AOD Nurses Forum here

We encourage you to attend in person, however for those unable to do so, register  and watch the event live streamed via ZOOM and the recording posted on VAADA’s YouTube Page.

COVID-19

We will be closely following current COVID-19 restrictions and will contact attendees if the situation changes:

• If capacity is reduced, we will still hold the event, and will automatically transfer the ‘x’ most recent tickets over capacity to online tickets. PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL THE DAY BEFORE THE EVENT.
• If lockdown is reinstated, the event will be held entirely online.

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A FACE-TO-FACE TICKET YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ENTER THE VENUE.

Please be sure you have booked for the correct ticket.

If you registered for the original Forum date, your ticket will automatically be transferred to this new date.

This AOD Nurses Forum is presented by the Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association (VAADA) the Drug and Alcohol Nurses of Australia (DANA) and sponsored by Indivior.

We look forward to seeing you there!

This  offer, exclusively for full financial DANA members, lets you  join APSAD for 50% of their normal joining fee. You pay only $105  to become full member of APSAD!

Hurry as this offer is available for a limited time only.

Take advantage of it now and get a full year’s membership to APSAD.

DANA and APSAD have enjoyed  close relationship  for many years. This initiative has flowed from that relationship.

APSAD is the Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and  other Drugs. It is the  leading multidisciplinary organisation for  professionals involved in the AOD  field. This is different, but complimentary,  to  DANA’s membership;  all  nurses, nurse practitioners and midwives who have a professional interest in drug and alcohol issues.

Like DANA, APSAD is dedicated to increasing the profile of the issues related to the use of alcohol and other drugs and like DANA, APSAD strives  to promote improved standards in clinical practice and in research.

A few of the benefits of APSAD membership:
•    Subscription to the Society’s scientific journal, the Drug and Alcohol Review.
•    Online access to all back issues of the Review.
•    Discounted registration to the Annual APSAD Scientific Drug & Alcohol Conference.
•    Subscription to the APSAD e-newsletter.

APSAD offers a range of other activities for members such as special interest groups including the Australasian Smoking Cessation Professionals Special Interest Group (ASCP-SIG).

If you are interested in taking advantage of this offer, send an email to [email protected] indicating your interest.  When we verify your membership details,  an invoice that sets  out payment details,  will be issued via email.

If you are unsure of your financial status with DANA, go to the DANA member’s area. You will see a message like the one below.

In case you have forgotten how to update your DANA membership, download instructions HERE.