News Releases

Opioid Consortium’s Nurse Education Initiative Pilot to Begin in November

The nurse education initiative of the Northeast Ohio Hospital Opioid Consortium is moving into the pilot phase. The program, which will include four separate modules upon completion, will soon be tested by at least 50 nurses representing all Consortium hospitals.

The curriculum provides an introduction to substance use disorders. The course content 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.

Plans are for the pilot to be completed by the end of November, after which a subcommittee will review the evaluations and make any necessary revisions to the curriculum. The nurse education program is expected to be finalized and delivered to all Consortium hospitals by the end of the first quarter of 2019.

Also progressing is work toward the Opioid Consortium’s objective related to increasing utilization of and access to nasal naloxone. A Pharmacy Subcommittee was established and held its first meeting in late September, at which participants discussed the current availability of nasal naloxone in the inpatient, outpatient and retail pharmacy settings for each Consortium hospital. Subcommittee members also discussed existing practices and strategies related to the use and dissemination of nasal naloxone.

The Center is in the process of developing a survey tool to collect from the hospitals more detailed information on nasal naloxone utilization and availability. The survey also aims to understand and reduce barriers for patients and families who wish to acquire nasal naloxone at hospital facilities. This information will allow the Consortium to identify and focus efforts on the areas of greatest need. The survey will be administered in mid to late November, after which results will be reviewed and presented to the Consortium Executive Committee for further action.

For more information about the Opioid Consortium’s nurse education initiative and its work related to nasal naloxone, contact us.