The opioid crisis has been taking an increasingly large scale over the past few years for a range of reasons (Naegle et al., 2017). The first and most obvious, the fact that healthcare services must cater to the needs of a very diverse population and, therefore, may fail to deliver the essential information or identify patients’ needs must be mentioned (Simpatico, 2015). Thus, the promotion of education for nurses and patients must be deemed as the primary step to be taken to handle the opioid crisis.
When considering the opportunities for improving the current situation regarding the opioid crisis in the United States, one could also suggest the option of patient education. Raising awareness among vulnerable populations affected by the subject matter will allow not only dealing with the problem more efficiently but also preventing its further spread among the target population (Naegle et al., 2017). Therefore, it is crucial to make sure that nurses have the skills and knowledge required to encourage the vulnerable population to learn more about the problem and develop resilience toward drug abuse. For instance, the recent research on the subject matter shows that patients are inclined to develop a sensible attitude toward the use of opioids as long as nurses demonstrate a clear understanding of safe practices as far as prescription opioids are concerned (Costello, Thompson, Aurelien, & Luc, 2016). In other words, prior to introducing an educational intervention to the target audience, the enhancement of nurses’ knowledge of the issue of the opioid crisis and the means of managing it must take place.
The specified change in the process of raising awareness among patients is justified by the fact that, at present, nurses tend to overlook some of the crucial aspects of patient education, while providing important guidelines regarding other aspects of proper drug intake (Simpatico, 2015). Particularly, the fact that nurses currently fail to “routinely teach patients how to secure and dispose of prescribed controlled substances” (Manworren & Gilson, 2015, p. 36) needs to be mentioned as a major reason for concern. Therefore, designing a set of strategies aimed at increasing the level of skill and proficiency among nurses is critical to the further management of the opioid crisis. Apart from educating patients, nurses must also consider giving the relevant information to their family members. As a result, the target population will be provided with the support that patients will need to abstain from opioids abuse and the efficient management of their disease. In addition, the enhancement of the patient education process is bound to lead to a significant reduction of the bacterial drug resistance rates among patients (Manworren & Gilson, 2015).
The issue of preventing opioid addiction should be viewed as equally significant, if not more important, compared to the management thereof, as the study conducted by Kaplan (2016) shows. Kaplan (2016) also stresses the gravity of poor cooperation in the nursing setting. Particularly, the author emphasizes the fact that poor collaborative efforts are bound to lead to miscommunication and the further inability to meet the needs of the target population. By creating the framework for enhancing the process of knowledge acquisition among both patients and nurses, one will be able to provide the target population with high-quality support and make sure that their needs are met accordingly. The specified outcome is especially important for the people that are addicted to opioids since handling their addiction will require impressive willpower and consistent support from nurses and family members.
References
Costello, M., Thompson, S., Aurelien, J., & Luc, T. (2016). Patient opioid education: Research shows nurses’ knowledge of opioids makes a difference. MEDSURG Nursing, 25(5), 307-312.
Kaplan, L. (2016). Advocate for NPs to be part of the solution to the opioid epidemic. The Nurse Practitioner, 41(8), 20. Web.
Manworren, R. C., & Gilson, A. M. (2015). CE: Nurses’ role in preventing prescription opioid diversion. AJN The American Journal of Nursing, 115(8), 34-40. Web.
Naegle, M., Mitchell, A. M., Flinter, M., Dunphy, L., Vanhook, P., & Delaney, K. R. (2017). Opioid misuse epidemic: Addressing opioid prescribing and organization initiatives for holistic, safe and compassionate care. Nursing Outlook, 65(4), 477-479. Web.
Simpatico, T. A. (2015). Vermont responds to its opioid crisis. Preventive Medicine, 80(1), 10-11. Web.