Danielle DeGrado
March 2022
Danielle
DeGrado
,
APRN
Linden Oaks Hospital Addiction Services
Edward Hospital
Naperville
,
IL
United States
Danielle is a DAISY Nurse due to her strong advocacy for dignity and respect toward all people recovering from substance use disorders and associated conditions.
Danielle makes sacrifices of her time, her energy, and her heart while thoughtfully treating patients who often fear being judged or have a history of not being treated respectfully by their medical community. It is this professional rapport with patients that allows individuals to feel safe telling her very vulnerable aspects of their personal journeys.
Danielle has been treating a young adult patient in his 30s who has been in recovery from opioid use disorder for the last 5 years. Out of fear of being stigmatized this young man has never disclosed his long history of substance use or use of sublingual medication to anyone, including his primary care physicians or his dentist. Over the course of his treatment with Danielle, he has suffered through episodes of dental decay and oral infections which contributed to poor nutrition and significant weight loss, impacting his mental well-being.
In January, Danielle became aware of a new FDA warning for the medication that had helped him remain sober and in recovery. This medication was Suboxone. The warning indicated that dental problems have been reported with this medication. Danielle had a very straightforward conversation with him, educating him on this new information but also allowing him time to process the benefits versus risks of continuing with the medication. This was not an easy decision. He carried around the shame, guilt, and stigma of being an addict for years and had been doing very well with this medication. Her patient made the hard decision to extract all upper and lower teeth, and the young man was fitted with dentures. At the request of her patient, Danielle spoke with the dentist prior to surgery for medication coordination. During the phone call, the dentist’s words illustrated that the young man’s fear of stigma was legitimate. Danielle used the phone call as an opportunity to attempt to confront the dentist’s stigmatizing language and point of view concerning substance use.
Danielle is a DAISY Nurse due to her strong advocacy for dignity and respect toward all people recovering from substance use disorders and associated conditions. She is the Stigmabuster role model for all. This individual is one of many patients that Danielle treats. Today, he remains empowered and resilient with the strong support and monitoring that Danielle has provided. He has had a voice in his care delivery, allowing him to remain on his recovery journey.
Danielle has been treating a young adult patient in his 30s who has been in recovery from opioid use disorder for the last 5 years. Out of fear of being stigmatized this young man has never disclosed his long history of substance use or use of sublingual medication to anyone, including his primary care physicians or his dentist. Over the course of his treatment with Danielle, he has suffered through episodes of dental decay and oral infections which contributed to poor nutrition and significant weight loss, impacting his mental well-being.
In January, Danielle became aware of a new FDA warning for the medication that had helped him remain sober and in recovery. This medication was Suboxone. The warning indicated that dental problems have been reported with this medication. Danielle had a very straightforward conversation with him, educating him on this new information but also allowing him time to process the benefits versus risks of continuing with the medication. This was not an easy decision. He carried around the shame, guilt, and stigma of being an addict for years and had been doing very well with this medication. Her patient made the hard decision to extract all upper and lower teeth, and the young man was fitted with dentures. At the request of her patient, Danielle spoke with the dentist prior to surgery for medication coordination. During the phone call, the dentist’s words illustrated that the young man’s fear of stigma was legitimate. Danielle used the phone call as an opportunity to attempt to confront the dentist’s stigmatizing language and point of view concerning substance use.
Danielle is a DAISY Nurse due to her strong advocacy for dignity and respect toward all people recovering from substance use disorders and associated conditions. She is the Stigmabuster role model for all. This individual is one of many patients that Danielle treats. Today, he remains empowered and resilient with the strong support and monitoring that Danielle has provided. He has had a voice in his care delivery, allowing him to remain on his recovery journey.