News Releases

Opioid Consortium Concludes Nurse Education Program Pilot Testing

The Northeast Ohio Hospital Opioid Consortium has concluded pilot testing of its nurse education program, which is expected to launch in early 2019. The pilot ran for the month of November and was completed by 25 nurses, with representation among all Consortium member institutions.

The course, Introduction to Substance Use Disorders: Screening, Intervention and Referral to Treatment, provides foundational knowledge on this topic and is intended to provide a consistent baseline of education across all Consortium member organizations. The course content, which is presented in four modules, includes evidence-based screening tools that provide a systems approach to identifying, intervening and referring patients to treatment. Other areas of focus include prevalence, stigma, physiology of addiction and chronicity, and nursing assessments and intervention, as well as educating and communicating with patients and family members to improve patient outcomes.

Participants were asked to complete a survey prior to the course in order to assess their baseline level of knowledge. That, combined with post-course surveying, provided helpful feedback on the course format and content. This information, which is being reviewed this week by the Consortium’s Nurse Education Subcommittee, will be used to make modifications to enhance the nurse education program prior to launch next year.

For more information about the Consortium’s nurse education program, contact us.