Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Bridgette Malchow

Abstract

The reported number of prescription opioid overdoses justifies the need for providing patients with opioid discharge information and follow-up care as recommended. To prevent any misuse of prescription opioid drugs, it was critical for patients to receive a thorough review of their medications prior to being discharged. The purpose of the project was designed to educate nurses on the importance of delivering essential information to patients prescribed opioids. Implementation of an opioid discharge plan integrated with the teach back method increased patients’ understanding of how to properly take prescription opioids compared to the patients who did not receive opioid education at discharge. The Health Belief Model was selected to guide the project toward accomplishing project goals. Databases from Walden University, Cochrane Library, ProQuest, Google Scholar, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were used to retrieve evidence-based information to support the project. Nurses (N pre=15 and N post=17) received a 10-question pre/posttest, a 30-minute educational PowerPoint presentation on opioid safety to ensure understanding. The nurses pre/posttest results were compared using descriptive statistics and revealed an 8% increase of the participants’ knowledge base regarding the opioid epidemic. Then, nurses began providing patients with opioid discharge instructions. Patients understanding of how to properly take, store, and dispose of opioids increased by 61%. Positive social change occurred as the practicum sites’ stakeholders recommended to continue using the DNP project as a segment in their orientation process.

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