Establishing an Open Access Repository for Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects.

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) faculty at the George Washington University (GW) decided to create a digital DNP Project Repository for our students in 2016 based on the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) 2015 recommendations to do so. We describe the two-year process during which the DNP faculty and the GW librarians at our Health Sciences Library collaborated to create the DNP project repository. This article contains important information that was learned about digital institutional repositories, the criteria used in deciding to make the GW library's Health Sciences Research Commons the home for the repository, along with questions and concerns that arose during the process. Our library internally collaborated to customize the digital collection to meet the needs of DNP students and their project teams. Development included creating the URL for the collection, customizing digital metadata fields, developing submission forms and guidelines, and adding embargo options for projects. A pilot collection of six DNP projects was completed in 2017; and in 2018, the first cohort of 34 students submitted their projects to our repository. Outcomes are reported of the repository launch, lessons learned, and repository submission experiences of two DNP students. We believe our journey may guide others.

Managing Heroin Addiction in an Outpatient Setting: A Case Study.

Heroin use may be under-recognized among older adults. Baby Boomers are the largest age as well as the largest drug-using cohort in modern history. Although some drug users age out of their addiction, others do not. Nurses caring for older adults may come into contact with heroin users due to associated conditions or sequelae of their drug use that cause them to seek care. Few nurses are prepared to provide the care needed when heroin use accompanies other health problems. Using an individual example, the current article provides guidance for identifying heroin addiction, essential information about heroin use, and resources for guiding patients to experts for the comprehensive care needed for recovery.

Social determinates of health: focus on substance use and abuse.

Addiction is a progressive, chronic, and relapsing disorder of the brain that cannot be cured but can be treated. It is imperative to recognize the social overlay when planning to meet the health care needs of clients with addiction care needs. The implications for society are significant as addiction is a multifarious disease that costs the individual as well as the taxpayers. Administrators have the opportunity to provide education for all health personnel on early intervention and screening. Denial is a hallmark of the disease of addiction. Health care personnel must not be in denial about addiction because they can take action to prevent and treat addictions.