A Quality Improvement Project to Improve Education Provided by Nurses to ED Patients Prescribed Opioid Analgesics at Discharge

Improving the delivery of opioid prescription education at emergency department discharge will enhance patient knowledge and promote safety, which may help mitigate the opioid crisis by reducing the rate of opioid use disorder and accidental overdoses.Contribution to Emergency Nursing Practice
- The patient education process at discharge can be enhanced using a dual-modal, patient teach-back approach.
- Health care organizations should encourage emergency nurses to pursue continuing education on opioid safety.
- Emergency nurses can work with other healthcare professionals to ensure all patients prescribed an opioid analgesic at Emergency Department (ED) discharge receive opioid-specific, evidence-based education.