In an effort to share drug abuse prevention information with middle school students, State Attorney General Patrick Morrisey has partnered with the West Virginia University (WVU) School of Nursing to collaborate on opioid abuse prevention. The initiative will focus on eighth grade students from Harrison, Marion, Marshall, Monongalia, Preston, and Wetzel counties.
The collaboration is just one initiative the Attorney General has pursued to combat the drug overdose rate in West Virginia. Toni DiChiacchio, assistant dean of faculty practice and community engagement for the WVU School of Nursing, tells WVRecord.com:
“This is an important outreach initiative for our students who soon will be treating patients with substance abuse issues. Education is critical in helping to address addiction issues in our state and by providing our communities, including our schools, with tools and resources, we hope to continue to raise awareness on this important healthcare issue.”
The Attorney General and nursing students from WVU will coordinate to travel to each school and present curriculum that covers the opioid epidemic, prevention, and the long-term impact of drug use. Both partners hope to expand the program to other counties in the future. Other statewide efforts to lower the drug overdose rate include criminal prosecutions, civil litigation, multi-state initiatives, new technology, and a best practices toolkit.
Following the US Surgeon General’s call to action to end the national opioid epidemic through a movement called Turn the Tide Rx, the Duke University School of Nursing is taking steps to help promote it. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy launched the effort in August 2016, calling for healthcare providers to be educated on how to treat pain effectively without over-prescribing opioids and how to direct opioid users to alternate forms of treatment.
Duke’s School of Nursing is addressing the epidemic by hosting a discussion on how emergency healthcare providers can unite against opioid abuse. Students from the accelerated bachelors of science in nursing (ABSN) program organized the event and hope it will be the first in a number of efforts to bring the Turn the Tide Rx movement to North Carolina.
The School of Nursing is focused on 21st century healthcare needs and preparing the next generation of transformational leaders in nursing. Two students from the ABSN program and members of Duke Emergency Nursing Students brought the idea for the Turn the Tide Rx discussion to the nursing Dean who was thrilled to support their idea. After being personally affected by the opioid epidemic, these students wanted to start spreading awareness and educating others on alternative pain management.
Turn the Tide Rx is a movement for the entire healthcare community, not just nurses. Duke is hopeful that their event will open up the conversations to begin reducing opioid abuse in North Carolina and across the country. To learn more about Duke Nursing’s efforts to end the opioid epidemic, visit here.
