Nursing Schools Start to Tackle the Opioid Epidemic in Their Classrooms
University of Cincinnati Nursing School has a class that teaches students about chronic pain treatment.
The University of Cincinnati Nursing School revised its curricula over a year ago. They recently joined 190 other American Association of Colleges of Nursing members in integrating a course about the management of drug addiction. The university plans to go over, specifically, the "Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain”. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spearheaded and formulated the guidelines in 2016. Even faculty member are learning important risk factors concerning opioid prescriptions, users, and overdoses.
An associate professor in the university, Sherry Donaworth, integrated the guidelines into the school’s curriculum. The sessions would cover an extra three hours worth of instruction in opioid prescription, which would add to the regular 6 hours of instruction.
Graduates and undergraduates also learn about the social stigma that is tied to addiction. The university also aims to create an impact on a national and regional level. Their education in opioid subjects and researchers align with the AHC Opioid Task Force, which includes clinicians, researchers, local volunteers, and educators.
