Opioids: Literature Findings and Recommendations

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Public Health
• Pharmacology

Background:

• The opioid epidemic is a significant national public health issue.
• Nurses, as the largest segment of the healthcare workforce, are crucial in managing this crisis.
• Their roles include patient education, early recognition of opioid use disorder, and facilitating treatment referrals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide evidence-based recommendations for nurses caring for patients with opioid use.
• To highlight the essential role of nurses in mitigating the impact of the opioid epidemic.
• To guide nurses in assessing, educating, and referring patients for opioid-related conditions.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted using keywords such as "abuse," "nursing," "opioid," "opiate," "prescription," "identify," and "treatment."
• Databases searched included Ovid Nursing, PubMed, and CINAHL.
• Thirty-three relevant articles were selected for review based on their applicability to nursing roles in opioid care.

Main Results:

• Nurses are uniquely positioned to assess patients for opioid use and dependency.
• Early identification of substance use disorders by nurses can avert deaths related to opioid misuse.
• Nurses can significantly reduce fatal outcomes through proactive patient assessment, education, and treatment linkage.

Conclusions:

• Nurses play a pivotal role in combating the opioid epidemic through direct patient care and intervention.
• Implementing recommended nursing strategies can lead to better patient outcomes and reduced mortality.
• Enhanced nursing involvement in opioid use disorder management is essential for public health.