Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Access Control

Open Access

Degree Program

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Degree Track

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)

Year Degree Awarded

2021

DOI

https://doi.org/10.7275/22928144

Month Degree Awarded

May

Keywords

detoxification, opioid-dependence, relapse, prevention, recovery, withdrawal, stigma

Advisor

Dr. Gabrielle Abelard

DNP Project Chair

Dr. Gabrielle Abelard

Abstract

Background/Purpose: High readmission rates of individuals in need of opioid detoxification demonstrate that opioid detoxification alone may be insufficient to promote changes in behavior and prevent relapse. There is a critical need for improvement in treatment approaches along with efforts from healthcare professionals to lead opioid-dependent patients toward long-term recovery. Such a care improvement is feasible through the delivery of adequate education to providers regarding patients suffering from opioid addiction to facilitate a change in attitude and more effective treatment. Methods: Data collected through a pre-test survey assessed provider’s knowledge about opioid use disorder, the availability of screening tools, and their understanding of the need to use medication-assisted therapy for relapse prevention. A post-test survey was administered to evaluate the effectiveness of the project and its impact on providers’ knowledge, attitude, and practice. Results: The data analysis results revealed a change in knowledge and attitude among 24 participants as evidenced by 83.3% of providers strongly agreeing that they gained more knowledge; four participants (16.7%) agreed while 20 others (83.3%) strongly agreed that patients with opioid dependence should receive referrals to maintenance programs for relapse prevention. The mean scores were greater on the post-test compared to the pre-test in tested areas. Conclusion: Educating providers about the importance of medication-assisted treatment may facilitate improvement in care through a change in attitude and increased support for patients affected by opioid dependence.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

Included in

Nursing Commons

Share

COinS