Cannabis Nurse / Marijuana Nursing
As cannabis is becoming more popular for the treatment of many different ailments, and many states are starting to legalize it, the need for expertise in this field is important. This has led to increased popularity and an increased need for cannabis nurses. Cannabis nurses are there to help the patient’s education and to advocate for the patient’s needs.
What Is A Cannabis Nurse?
A cannabis nurse is a nurse that specializes in the world of cannabis. The American Cannabis Nurses Association or ACNA has defined it as having the knowledge of:
• Endocannabinoid system. It is imperative that a nurse who wants to be a cannabis nurse knows all there is to know about cannabinoid receptors in the brain, central nervous system, and the peripheral nervous system.
• Legality. The cannabis nurse must know the legal complexities surrounded by any and all marijuana products. This includes staying up-to-date on all current laws as well as upcoming legislation.
• Safety. Cannabis nurse must know the complete safe usage of all marijuana products. It is important to know all dosages that are necessary for a patient.
The nurse’s job is to make sure that the patient is well-educated on how often they can use cannabis, how to figure out drug interaction from other medication, and how to get the medication. Cannabis nurses are also encouraged to work with their patients and their patient’s family to assist with dosing, education, and any other issues that may come up.
Standards of Practice of a Cannabis Nurse
The cannabis nurse means that a person only to be educated well above all registered nurses. This simply means the standards of practice as well as is that are higher.
Standards Of Professional Practice
It is important that cannabis nurse practices all the standards of professional practice. You want to put forth leadership, research, education, ethics, and advocacy for everyone. You may have to deal with people that are not for medical marijuana legalization. You will have to work professionally, and make sure that you not get discouraged by people who do not think medicinal marijuana is a good thing.
• Leadership
• Collaboration
• Communication
• Education
• Research
• Ethics
• Environmental health
• Advocacy
Standards Of Care
The standards of care will include assessment, diagnosis, outcomes identification, planning, implementation, and evaluation.
Cannabis nursing has to be a practiced art as well as a learning skill. Nurses must take their education from experiences that they have on a day-to-day basis. They will learn more as they work to heal patients and they will grow in their expertise.
Marijuana Nursing Education
It does not take an advanced nursing to become a cannabis nurse. You do not have to have an advanced nursing education at all. There are many registered and licensed nurses that are cannabis nurses.
To increase knowledge and make sure the cannabis nurses know what they are doing, the ACNA has an online course. This course offers an eight-hour seminar that explains cannabis nursing in detail and educates the nurse on how care is given.
Certification
Due to the fact that marijuana treatment has many unique legal challenges in many states, there is no certification at the present moment. The ACNA is working on a plan to take these requirements to establish certification. They are trying to get recognized by the American Nursing Credentialing Center. They are hoping that within the next few years there can be a certification from cannabis nursing for cannabis and travel nurse careers.
Becoming A Cannabis Nurse
If someone wishes to become a cannabis nurse, they will need to have thick skin. There is a huge stigma around the usage of marijuana, even for medical use. A person that hears that you are a cannabis nurse may immediately think that you are just trying to get people high. Cannabis nurses will also need to know that they may see patients that are terminally ill or elderly, or in severe pain.
People who wish to become a cannabis nurse wanted to make sure that they are prepared to keep themselves educated on the world of cannabis. Becoming a cannabis nurse will mean that you will be asked a broad variety of questions from many different people. For instance, you may have family members that doubt the effectiveness of marijuana and wish that their family members did not take it. You will have to show the benefits of medicinal marijuana to this person to ensure that they support their loved one. You may also deal with doctors and other nurses that do not care for the legalization of medicinal marijuana. You will need to know how to deal with these kinds of situations, so that your patient may keep benefiting from medicinal marijuana.
Cannabis Medications
There are several ways that patients can consume cannabis. They can choose to smoke via a pipe or join, they can consume cannabis through food, use salves, or they can take it by a patch. The doses will depend on the patient and what their needs are. Nurses will have to work with the patient to ensure they get the right dosage because of some dispensaries the dosage can be higher than what the patient needs. It is common to see a patient wants to take cannabis, but does not want the high effects from it.
Job Outlook
Medical cannabis is certainly increasing in popularity, and states that have previously not been for it, are making the switch to legalizing marijuana. It has been shown that the medicinal effects of cannabinoids are great, and the need for raising legalize other states that have as medicinal marijuana grows, the need for educated nurses will arrive.
Cannabis nurses that are member of the ACNA will be able to educate the patient and family on how the marijuana world works. They will be able to go over cannabis with them, show them what they should do, how they should consume it, and where they can purchase. If there are not any cannabis nurses, patients may have no idea about the benefits as well as how they should take cannabis. This is why it is so important to have experienced nurses in a cannabis field.
Many states are in the process of legalization of marijuana, including medical. It is imperative that we have nurses in the world that can help individuals with their cannabis education and their cannabis treatment.