Combating the Opioid Epidemic

As efforts to address the opioid epidemic have intensified in recent years, Angela Clark, MSN, PhD, RN, CNE, and her research team started noticing an unprecedented trend—an increasing number of people who needed emergency services after receiving naloxone (Narcan), an opioid antagonist used for complete or partial reversal of opioid overdose.

The overdose victims were arriving outside the emergency department, which meant nurses were walking outside the emergency department to aid these incapacitated patients. Clark knew nurses had not been trained to respond to these situations, and their safety was at risk.

Clark decided to develop a training program to teach nurses how to protect themselves while leveraging their medical expertise.