As nurses and nurse practitioners, we frequently encounter patients who use cannabis. An issue now faced by all healthcare professionals is that patients often fail to disclose their cannabis use, either because they view it as harmless and therefore not worth mentioning, or because they feel cannabis is still stigmatized, and are reluctant to admit to using it.
As the U.S. heads toward the likelihood of cannabis being made federally legal, we need to be comfortable and confident with our ability to assess patients’ cannabis ingestion, and support, educate, and coach them around safe and effective cannabis use.
During this webinar, our speaker, Carey S. Clark, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, FAAN, discussed the current state of prohibition of cannabis, the role of a cannabis care nurse, including support, education and coaching, and why holistic approaches to medical cannabis care are key to patients' success in using cannabis safely and effectively.
About the speaker
Carey Clark has been a nurse since 1994, with a wide practice background including experience within the acute care setting, pediatrics, hospice care, and parish nursing. Dr. Clark has over 30 publications in journals such as Advances in Nursing Science, International Journal for Human Caring, Holistic Nursing Practice, Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, and Creative Nursing.
Dr. Clark has presented at many national and local conferences, particularly with oncology and holistic nurses, where she focuses on bringing basic knowledge about the endocannabinoid system, medicinal use of cannabis, and the nurse’s role. She is the editor of the textbook Cannabis: A Handbook for Nurses (2021, Wolters-Kluwer).
About the moderator
As the Senior Clinical Editor for Lippincott NursingCenter, Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP plans and develops content to help nurses learn and stay up-to-date, meet their licensure and certification requirements, and achieve their professional goals while prioritizing work/life integration. Lisa received her BSN and MSN from the University of Pennsylvania and has over 25 years of nursing experience with a background as a critical care nurse and a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner. She currently volunteers at a nurse-run clinic for low-income and uninsured residents in her community, managing acute and chronic conditions, providing education, and improving health. Lisa also serves on the Medical Reserve Corps, supporting public health initiatives, including COVID-19 testing and vaccinations.
