Opioid Abuse

Opioid Abuse is organized by Nursing CE Central.

Course Created on: August 01, 2020
Course Expires on: August 01, 2023

Target Audience:
• Registered Nurses (RN)
• Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN)
• Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN/LVN)

Course Overview:
130 Americans die every day due to opiate overdoses. These occur from both illicit and prescribed users of opiates. In recent years the opiate epidemic has become a mainstream health issue, and opioid abuse was brought to center stage when the President of the United States declared the opioid abuse crisis a? public health emergency. 

The current crisis is a combination of both licit and prescribed users, but the root of the issue remains an ease of access for opiate drugs and synthetics. Nurses can play a pivotal role in curbing the epidemic by being knowledgeable about opiate use disorders, the risks of opiates, and alternatives for pain control. Nurses can use the knowledge in this course to help change the course of patients and reduce the risk of opiates and opioid abuse

Course Outline:
• What are Opiates?
• Preventing Opioid Abuse, Misuse, and Harm
• Appropriate Prescribing
• Risk Factors for Opioid Abuse, Opiate Harm or Misuse
• Signs of Opioid Abuse, Diversion, and Addiction
• Opiate Alternatives
• Conclusion
• References

Course Objectives:
After completing this course, the learner will be able to:
• Discuss the historical and modern implications of opiate use.
• Describe the non-opiate alternatives patients may use to treat acute and chronic pain.
• Understand how to recognize Opiate Use Disorder and what to do with patients who are high risk.
• Identify patients who are high risk for opiate abuse, misuse, and harm.