In October 2017, President Trump, along with the Department of Health and Human Services, declared a public health emergency. The culprit? The opioid crisis. According to an article in the New York Times, opioid overdoses took nearly 60,000 lives in 2016. From over-prescription to buying them on the streets, opioids aren’t hard to come by and are often preferred because they are more affordable than other drugs. Community outreach is an important component of fighting the opioid epidemic, and nurses are learning how to be on the frontlines.
Fighting Begins With Training
You wouldn’t send a military student into a war without training and the same is true for nursing students. An increasing number of nursing programs, including Grand Canyon University Nursing, are offering classes that specifically focus on the opioid epidemic, including how to detect signs of use, what to do in the case of an overdose, and how to reach out to the patients using them to offer them help. People who are already nurses can also go back to school for continued education on the topic, which is important as new opioids and new treatments are created.
Of course, the most important piece of information a nursing student will learn is where exactly the problem comes from. Unlike drugs like cocaine or methamphetamine, opioid addiction usually begins in a doctor’s office where the patient was legally prescribed the medication for pain.
Community Outreach Options
Nurses can reach out to the community to combat opioid addiction in several ways. Some nursing schools, hospitals, and pain clinics join up with addiction treatment centers to create education programs and present them at panels in the community. These panels teach about the dangers of using opioid medication in a manner other than how it was prescribed, provide information about what addiction does to the body and mind, and offer suggestions for how to find help. Additionally, these panels can teach citizens in the community how to purchase and use Narcan, a drug that may help someone who has overdosed and needs immediate medical attention.
Many communities also use nurses to implement Prescription Drug Take-Back Programs. These programs allow people to turn in unused prescriptions, which helps to keep them off the streets and out of the hands of addicts.
Getting Started in the Fight Against the Opioid Epidemic
The steps toward becoming a nurse who fights against opioids depend on whether you’re already a nurse. If you aren’t, you’ll need to enter and graduate from an accredited nursing program such as the ones available at Grand Canyon University Nursing School, which is one of the 10 most affordable online programs available. Upon graduation, or if you’re already a nurse, you may wish to receive special training that takes you even further in the fight.
Many nurses choose to become Advanced Practice Registered Nurses. APRNs have further education and training that provides them with the ability to prescribe buprenorphine. Buprenorphine is a prescription drug that can treat pain but is also a step down from some of the more common prescriptions and has been proven useful in the treatment of addiction to narcotic pain relievers. By allowing some nurses to prescribe this medication, it increases an addict’s access to medication-assisted treatment, which is often the only way that some people can control their opioid addiction.
The war against the opioid crisis is going to be a long one. Narcotic pain relievers are available for many types of injuries and pain disorders and are prescribed by doctors at practices and hospitals in every part of the country. Addiction to opioids is not a problem that affects only poor neighborhoods or only rich ones and is truly an epidemic in rural towns and large cities alike. By becoming a nurse and receiving further education, you can do your part to ensure your community continues the fight.
