Cannabis: A Handbook for Nurses equips nurses with the knowledge and skills to provide effective cannabis care
Today, Wolters Kluwer, Health announced the publication of Cannabis: A Handbook for Nurses, the first medical cannabis book written specifically for nurses. The book addresses nursing skills and responsibilities in cannabis care, including the physiology of the human endocannabinoid system, cannabis care as it relates to specific disease processes, the history of cannabis, advocacy and ethics, and the ins and outs of cannabis dosing, delivery methods, side effects, and more. Cannabis: A Handbook for Nurses is published in the Lippincott portfolio.
“The legalization of medical cannabis has spread across North America in recent years and has created a growing need for nurses to be educated on the medicinal use of cannabis,” said Anne Dabrow Woods, DNP, RN, CRNP, ANP-BC, AGACNP-BC, FAAN, Chief Nurse of Health Learning, Research & Practice, Wolters Kluwer. “Nurses currently in practice have not been trained on how to provide evidence-based care for patients who wish to use cannabis for healing making educational resources like Cannabis: A Handbook for Nurses critical as it becomes more prevalent.”
Cannabis: A Handbook for Nurses supports cannabis care education for nurses and serves as a resource for all nurses interested in cannabis care by providing an overview of the art and science of cannabis care nursing with features including case studies, call outs of essential knowledge for advance practice registered nurses (APRNs), and quizzes written in the style of the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). The book addresses guidelines created by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) calling for all pre-licensure and advanced practice nursing students to be educated on the medicinal use of cannabis.
Focusing on the role nurses play in cannabis care, the handbook covers topics including:
- Cannabinoid research findings – Current evidence related to conditions such as seizures, multiple sclerosis, cancer, pain, PTSD, osteoporosis, opiate harm reduction, and end-of-life care;
- The nurse’s role in cannabis patient care – Nursing theory, motivational interviewing, coaching, spiritual care, ethics, and use of holistic modalities;
- The APRN role and process of providing care for medical cannabis patients seeking their medical cannabis recommendation;
- Legal and ethical concerns – Cannabis-care ethics, advocacy, and how to review cannabis laws;
- Real-world nursing experience – Insight from cannabis care nurses on approaches, challenges, and successes.
“The reality is that many, many patients use cannabis for palliation and healing; therefore, whether we call ourselves cannabis care nurses or not, all nurses must have a knowledge base of how to care for patients using cannabinoid medicines for healing,” writes Carey S. Clark, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, RYT, author of Cannabis: A Handbook for Nurses and former President of the American Cannabis Nurses Association.
Cannabis: A Handbook for Nurses is available for pre-order now and will be available for purchase on January 18. For more information, visit lww.com.
