Health workers learn about best approaches to treat substance disorder

Overdoses in the state's two largest cities are down, but nurses at Catholic Medical Center said Tuesday that a big part of their job is still helping people who are facing substance abuse.A conference was held Tuesday in Manchester aimed at teaching nurses the best approaches to take when helping people with substance abuse."The overdose fatalities and overdoses in the city of Manchester have been on a significant downward trend, so that's positive," said Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais.While those numbers may be down, staff members at Catholic Medical Center said they still see a lot of patients dealing with addiction. More than 100 CMC nurses and licensed nursing assistants filled the Puritan Conference Center to talk about substance use disorder.>> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play <<The conference started after CMC nurses put treating patients dealing with addiction as a top priority for their learning opportunities.CMC said it has a lot of newer staff members, and it's important for them to know what resources are available and how to provide a caring environment for all their patients. Health officials say some of those people receiving care are worried. "They're afraid," said Jennifer Cassin, vice president and chief nursing officer for CMC. "They have fear, they have anxiety, and we're there to help them. So, really kind of getting the tools necessary to support how they care for the patients is really what they were looking for today."Ruais was one of the conference speakers, and he talked about his personal experiences and his 14 years of sobriety."If I can help draw examples from my own life to the nursing profession and how we can better address addiction in emergency room settings and in the nursing profession, it was very powerful and personal for me to be able to be here this afternoon," he said.The mayor added that such conversations are essential for many professions, especially in the medical field, with a rapidly changing environment."And we continue to have an addiction crisis in this country," Ruais said. "So, the more that we can learn about how the brain works and about how to better respond to these kinds of challenges to help use that intervening moment as a way to help divert somebody into a successful path, the better."Organizers said the goal is for nurses to take what they learned at the conference and implement it to better care for their patients and provide a safe environment, as those patients transition back into the community.