After his own experience with addiction, U of T nursing grad offers patients a message of hope

Adam McInnis grappled with addiction and substance use even as he studied to become a nurse.

After losing his father to head and neck cancer at the age of 16, McInnis says he turned to alcohol to cope with his grief – leading to severe consequences, including ending up in the hospital and a brief period without housing.

He knew he needed to choose a different path.

“I’ve been in recovery for over eight years now and I feel lucky to have made that decision,” he says. “My challenges and experiences have shaped who I am and where I am today.”

McInnis graduates from the University of Toronto’s Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing this week with a master’s degree in nursing through the nurse practitioner (NP) program. His goal is to integrate his lived experience with mental health and addiction challenges into his clinical practice, offering his patients a unique perspective through his interactions – and a message of hope.

“If anyone is experiencing a struggle with substance use, I always want to assert that there is hope for recovery, and recovery is achievable, folks can go on to do some wonderful things,” says McInnis.

While working full-time as a nurse throughout his studies, McInnis found the MN-NP program challenging but ultimately rewarding. He credits the support of faculty members, his peers and mentors for helping him succeed.

“I think Bloomberg Nursing’s MN-NP program provides a foundation for NPs to be leaders in the care they provide to patients, and that is something I hope to continue in my work,” says McInnis. “I see NPs as the cornerstones of addiction medicine because of their willingness to highlight the impact of stigma on addiction recovery.”

Advocating for change in addiction medicine

McInnis is eager to build on his personal experience by working to reduce the stigma surrounding substance use and promote trauma-informed, culturally sensitive care.

He often speaks with other nurses about the factors involved in addiction and substance use, including how a person’s trauma, social determinants of health and genetics can all play a part. He has collaborated with organizations such as Ontario Health’s Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence to advise on best practice guidelines in addiction medicine, bringing both his story and clinical expertise to the table. He continues creating best practice guidelines through his work with Mentoring, Education, and Clinical Tools for Addiction: Partners in Health Integration (META:PHI) as the nurse adviser.

“When I first sought help for my addiction, I was restricted by the barriers in place to access that care – from lengthy assessment forms to a lack of trauma-informed care, and long wait times for counselling services,” says McInnis. “It is why I continue to advocate for policy changes that create enhanced access to care for people who seek recovery, because that moment of change can be fleeting.”

McInnis recently presented at the Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine on new medication protocols for long-acting buprenorphine injections – a medication used to manage addiction and cravings – along with best practices in community alcohol withdrawal. He hopes to see rapid access to addiction medication further advanced, with nurse practitioners leading the way.

“I take great pride in the work that I do, and the ways in which I can help people,” says McInnis. “I look forward to my future as a nurse practitioner.”