Best Nursing Practices: Care of Patients Prescribed Opioids for the Treatment of Pain

Course overview

Audience The audience for this course is any registered or advanced practice nurse responsible for prescribing or managing patients who may be prescribed opioids for the treatment of pain. Purpose statement Historically, prescribers limited the use of opioids for pain management solely to patients with acute or cancer-related pain. However, recent studies indicate that many types of pain are undertreated. To potentially bridge this therapy gap, the use of opioids for the treatment of nonterminal pain is on the upswing. This course covers the changes in opioid use as well as provides details for the assessment and care of those taking opioids for non-cancer pain. Cancer Nursing, Prevention and Early Detection for the Adult Patient ~ 12 Contact Hours (Includes 2 Pharmacology Hours) Audience Nurses are regarded as experts in cancer prevention, a subject that garners a great deal of attention in the media. However, cancer research is often misunderstood and media reports are often confusing. Nurses are a trusted resource, and in a unique position to correct misinformation and guide people who are looking for reliable information on cancer prevention and risk reduction. Purpose statement This course focuses on cancer prevention, early cancer detection, and nursing care of adults with cancer during and after treatment. This course is intended to help nurses provide not only cancer care, but accurate and up-to-date information as well.