Bevel Up: Chapter 4 - Becky & Liz (Ages 18+)

Street nurses Caroline Brunt and Sarah Levine find a homeless mother and daughter under a truck. Becky is seriously ill from an injection-related infection and is withdrawing from heroin. Her daughter, Liz, is pregnant and using “rock” cocaine. The nurses struggle to find them housing for the night as they negotiate with Becky to get health care and address her need for drugs.

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Street nurse Caroline Brunt talks about the important role friendly, low-barrier health services play in increasing the chances that people using drugs will access timely health care. Nurse ethicist Paddy Rodney analyzes the impact of health-care providers who direct anger towards people who use drugs.

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Street nurse Caroline Brunt and nursing-practice consultant Mary Adlersberg reflect on nursing practice when working with people who carry and use illicit drugs. Nursing ethicist Paddy Rodney talks about respect for autonomy and power dynamics in the health-care relationship.

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Street nurse Caroline Brunt reflects on the challenges she faces when working with pregnant women who use drugs, and the importance of not judging the mother.

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Street nurse Caroline Brunt talks about what happens when her health-care agenda clashes with the needs of the person she is caring for.

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Emergency room nurse Jane McColl and ward nurse Joanne Simpson talk about how drugs are perceived by people who use them as a solution. The nurses also address the importance of practicing harm-reduction philosophy and approaches when providing care and services within an institution.

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Sarah Payne is the senior practice leader at the Fir Square Combined Care Unit with the BC Women’s Hospital. She describes an open-door harm-reduction philosophy where she and her colleagues advocate for providing support to keep mothers who use drugs and their babies together; she also discusses the effects of illicit drugs on babies.

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Street nurse Fiona Gold and experts from the streets outline the effects and characteristics of common street drugs and how they are used.

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