Medications for opioid use disorder: An interactive educational program developed for the nurse practitioner curriculum.

ABSTRACT: Opioid overdose deaths remain a major public health concern in the United States and led to the recent changes in regulations that allow nurse practitioners (NPs) to prescribe buprenorphine without the previously required Drug Addiction Treatment Act waiver. Previously, waiver requirements included 24 hours of opioid use disorder (OUD) and medications for OUD (MOUD) training. Although this training is no longer required, NPs need education related to providing nonstigmatizing care to individuals with OUD and safe MOUD prescribing practices. A combination of online didactic modules, in-person simulation activities, and experiential learning was provided to psychiatric mental health NP (PMHNP) and family NP (FNP) students enrolled in a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. OUD was presented through a chronic care lens to normalize treatment and decrease stigma, and harm reduction principles were included to increase safe prescribing of MOUD. Fifty-six students completed the didactic training, 51 students participated in the simulation, and 11 students completed shadowing experiences with an experienced MOUD provider. Psychiatric mental health NP and FNP graduates of this DNP program have the knowledge and skills to provide MOUD to individuals struggling with OUD, thus potentially increasing access to care and decreasing overdose deaths.

Menopause: A primary care perspective.

ABSTRACT: Menopause signifies permanent cessation of ovarian function and the end of a woman's reproductive potential. Menopausal transition plays a major role in many symptoms common in middle age and may contribute to chronic conditions and disorders of aging. An evidence-based plan of care improves outcomes, enhancing quality of life.

Reflections of Family Nurse Practitioner Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: To understand family nurse practitioner (FNP) students' academic experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, faculty developed an online reflective discussion board assignment. The richness of the responses prompted faculty to gather data and analyze themes. METHOD: The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of FNP students regarding the impact of COVID-19 on their academic experience. Participants were asked to answer four open-ended questions in a discussion board to address the research question. Responses of consenting students were analyzed qualitatively using open, axial, and selective coding. RESULTS: Four main themes emerged: worry and fear, cyclical stress, mitigation of stress, and personal growth of resilience and empathy. Students emphasized that faculty support strategies mitigated stress and anxiety. CONCLUSION: Understanding students' experience is crucial to facilitating academic success. Faculty in similar situations could better support their students through clear communication, and providing flexibility and opportunities for self-reflection. [J Nurs Educ. 2021;60(8):449-452.].

Reducing Inappropriate Antibiotic Prescribing for Adults With Acute Bronchitis in an Urgent Care Setting: A Quality Improvement Initiative.

Acute bronchitis is a predominantly viral illness and, according to clinical practice guidelines, should not be treated with antibiotics. Despite clear guidelines, acute bronchitis continues to be the most common acute respiratory illness for which antibiotics are incorrectly prescribed. Although the national benchmark for antibiotic prescribing for adults with acute bronchitis is 0%, a preliminary record review before implementing the intervention at the project setting showed that 96% (N = 30) of adults with acute bronchitis in this setting were prescribed an antibiotic. This quality improvement project utilized a single-group, pre-post design. The setting for this project was a large urgent care network with numerous locations in central North Carolina. The purpose was to determine whether nurse practitioners and physician assistants, after participating in a multifaceted provider education session, would reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for healthy adults with acute uncomplicated bronchitis. Twenty providers attended 1 of 4 training sessions offered in October and November 2015. The face-to-face interactive training sessions focused on factors associated with inappropriate antibiotic prescribing, current clinical practice guidelines, and patient communication skills. Retrospective medical record review of 217 pretraining and 335 posttraining encounters for acute bronchitis by 19 eligible participating providers demonstrated a 61.9% reduction in immediate antibiotic prescribing from 91.7% to 29.8%. Delayed prescribing, which accounted for a small percentage of the total prescriptions given, had a small but significant increase of 9.3% after training. Overall, this multifaceted, interactive provider training resulted in significant reductions in inappropriate prescriptions.