Responsible Opioid Stewardship: A Nurse Driven Preoperative Education Intervention

1 online resource (88 pages) : PDF

2019

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

BACKGROUND: Opioid use following surgery is one factor that has contributed to the national epidemic of opioid abuse. This abuse has led to increased morbidity and mortality rates and a negative financial burden to the healthcare system. It is imperative that healthcare systems and clinicians support efforts to fight against the epidemic of opioid abuse and opioid surplus in the community by providing timely evidenced based pain management education. Nurses are in a unique position to help support this effort. PURPOSE: Preoperative education targeting pain management and opioid safety in prostate cancer patients is an area that has not been extensively explored in the literature. It is the purpose of this feasibility study to examine the effects of preoperative opioid education on improving patient’s knowledge, their pain experience following prostatectomy, and understand their opioid use and pain management post discharge. METHODOLOGY: A convenience sample of 14 adult male patients undergoing elective surgery for prostate cancer were recruited to participate in a quasi-experimental designed educational intervention. Participants in the intervention cohort received one-on-one structured pain management and opioid safety education with a nurse navigator in addition to the hospital early recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol while those in the control group received standard care preoperative pain management education by the provider with written pain management and opioid safety information only. RESULTS: Findings did not elicit any significant differences between groups on any primary or secondary outcome measures including knowledge, postoperative pain, or opioid utilization as a result of the structured education. However, a small significant finding of improved median education was found within the intervention group only. CONCLUSION: Additional research is needed to explore the most effective ways to affect change surrounding opioid safety and pain management in the acute surgical setting are needed. Additionally, research into the experiences and needs of prostate cancer patients continues to need to be explored.

doctoral dissertations

Nursing

D.N.P.

Acute Pain Management
Early Recovery After Surgery
Nurse Navigator
Opioid Safety
Preoperative Education
Prostate Cancer

Health Services Research

Shue-McGuffin, Katie
Lynch, Susan

Watson, Daniel
Waites Spellman, Cheryl

Thesis (D.N.P.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2019.

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