Evidence based practice education for acute care nurses caring for inpatients with underlying substance abuse disorder (SUD)
Presentation
Overview
Overview
Description
People with SUD can suffer devastating illnesses such as endocarditis, abscesses, soft tissue infections, and sepsis, all of which may require hospitalization. Some organizations have reported a 400% increase in such inpatient admissions in just a few short years, and nurses have reported a lack of knowledge in caring for this population. (Newkirk & Basham, 2019). Confounding this gap is the statement by the American Nurses Association (ANA) identifying the Registered Nurse as a “qualified and well-positioned provider” who can play a key role in the care of persons with SUDs. The ANA report focused primarily on prevention strategies, and naloxone treatment, but did not offer strategies specific to the inpatient, acute care setting (ANA, 2016; Painter, 2017). To fill this gap, Mental Health Professionals can advocate for nurses and, subsequently, their SUD inpatient population, by educating the inpatient caregiver. An education plan that focuses on monitoring for and the treatment of withdrawal, overdose prevention, trust development, pain control, and harm reduction techniques would be beneficial (Newkirk & Basham, 2019; Sharma et al., 2017).
