The American journal of nursing
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Chronic pain, stemming primarily from musculoskeletal conditions and severe headaches, is a growing problem in the United States, affecting as many as 43% of adults. Opioids are frequently prescribed to manage chronic pain despite limited data on their long-term efficacy and the potential risks of long-term use. In 2017, more than 47,000 people died as a result of an opioid overdose involving illicit opioids (such as heroin), illicitly manufactured opioids, diverted opioids, prescription opioids, or some combination thereof. ⋯ Historically, physicians have been tasked with the primary responsibility for implementing opioid safety measures, but nurses in the primary care setting are being increasingly relied on to incorporate these measures as part of their practice. In this article, we discuss the use of five tools outlined in the CDC guideline: prescription opioid treatment agreements, urine drug screening, prescription drug monitoring program databases, calculation of morphine milligram equivalents, and naloxone kits. Primary care nurses can use these tools to promote opioid safety among patients receiving opioid therapy for chronic pain.
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Comparative Study
Higher Prevalence of Sexual Assault Among Transgender and Nonbinary Adolescent Students.
According to this study.
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: This article examines the nature of implicit, or unconscious, bias and how such bias develops. It describes the ways that implicit bias among health care providers can contribute to health care disparities and discusses strategies nurses can use to recognize and mitigate any biases they may have so that all patients receive respectful and equitable care-regardless of their race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identification, socioeconomic status, disabilities, stigmatized diagnoses, or any characteristic that distinguishes them from societal norms.
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: While health care often focuses on acute or chronic illness, the elements necessary for good health are far more complex than we tend to recognize. Florence Nightingale understood this complexity and wrote extensively on the myriad social and environmental factors that influence well-being. Today these factors are termed "health determinants" and undergird the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This article explores how nurses can contextualize the SDGs within their daily practice and create holistic plans of care for patients, families, communities, and nations.