Introduction

Substance use disorder (SUD) is a key issue of public health worldwide Canada is not exceptional. Rising cases of substance abuse underscores the need for effective interventions. Nursing, therefore, is a major intervention approach in Canada, which demonstrates how to manage the multiple challenges associated with SUD. However, the ever-evolving nature of substance-related problems requires nursing interventions aimed at creating patient-centered systems of care. As such, nurses are the first touch for different approaches ranging from screening, pharmacological intervention, psychotherapeutic approaches, harm reduction, and methods that collaborative care programs address the multifaceted nature in SUD. When substance abuse brings such an immeasurable load of infinity, nursing interventions remain an essential part of the well-being and rehabilitation of individuals in Canada struggling with SUD. This literature review aims to explore and compare various nursing interventions for substance abuse disorders in the Canadian context, drawing insights from seven key research studies.

Screening and Assessment:

In the Canadian setting, screening and assessment of SUD have served as the basis of the weight of nursing intervention for people with SUD. Trinkoff et al. (2022) argue that the essence of universal screening tools is in recognizing pre-SUD individuals and people using SUD. This fact is also supported by the work by Jenkins et al. (2022) which supports the concept of culturally sensitive and reliable tools. This explains why cultural practices associated with substance use need to be understood to provide interventions that address the drug use requirements among such populations. However, Colizzi et al. (2020,) go for a completely different approach and argue that PCC or primary care clinics should establish daily clinical screening to provide a better method. They claim that the application of screening within the context of primary care practices among patients can help achieve early detection and intervention and consequent prevention of further development of substance-related issues. This difference of opinion shows that there is continuous debating amongst Canadian nursing practitioners between substance use screening assessment and best possible perceived method in this process.

Pharmacological Interventions:

Drug treatment intervention is an integral part of recovery from substance use disorder including OUD due to its treatment of withdrawal symptoms that are present in this disorder. According to Kakko et al. (2019) medication-based therapies, such as methadone and buprenorphine are antidepressants and antipsychotics, serving mood-stabilizing effects to alleviate withdrawal signs and cravings On the contrary, Anderson et al. (2021) suggest the complex way by saying that pharmacological savoir-faire requires additional personalization. Rather, they advocate for the adoption of the approach that includes comorbidities and patients’ preferences to give the most desired treatment results. This difference in perception, however, helps to understand the enduring argument regarding the potential uses of pharmacological treatments for substance use disorders, as seen from the Canadian standpoint. The conflict between the drawbacks of standardized medications and the aspiration to give personalized treatment stimulates a theoretical reflection of the current practices. It leads to further investigations to modify and create patient-tailored medication plans in the future drug therapy of SUD.

Psychotherapeutic Approaches:

One of the paradigms of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) that applies to Canada’s practice is nursing care and includes different interventions psychotherapeutic with cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing as the core elements. According to Brown et al. (2018), there is evidence that CBT assists in minimizing substance use and lowering the recurrence rate of individuals with SUD. But as Fatani (n. d.) suggests, the best alternative is to use Motivational Encounters together with contingency management. This variance draws attention to the discrete character of the treatment of SUD. It underlines the significance of personalized approaches to managing patients, as this type of treatment originates from the individual. However, it is critical to find the intervened individual’s special requirements and goals to obtain the right results. Therefore, nurses in Canada should apply a flexible approach that implies adjusting the psychotherapeutic intervention according to the specific individual situation, which means developing a strong patient-nurse alliance. This flexibility allows the SUD treatment differentia