The Opioid Epidemic: What Travel Nurses Need to Know
By Aaron Moore, MSN, RN-BC, travel nurse expert
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If you read any journals, visit medical websites, or heck, see any source of news, you’ve probably seen the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations on opioid/narcotic prescribing.
Most nurses have seen these changes coming for years. You could argue that the patient satisfaction world of healthcare has driven us to this point--a point where prescriptions and sales of opioids have quadrupled since 1999, and 40 Americans die every day from opioid overdose, according to the CDC stats. But as we know, medications get misused and prescribed incorrectly all the time.
Even if you aren’t a physician or nurse practitioner with prescribing authority, the opioid epidemic still affects you. One of the most important things you can do as a travel nurse is to be sure you know your medications: doses, routes, rates, etc.
One of my most eye-opening moments in travel nursing was during my first year on the road. I was out West and working in an ICU, taking care of a ton of post-op patients. The MDs there loved to use fentanyl post-op for pain relief, but I was not used to it. My previous jobs had always given morphine as the post-op narcotic of choice. I was not as familiar with the doses of fentanyl being prescribed so I became a little standoff-ish about giving these medications because I didn’t know the max, normal or safe range. Luckily, there was a drug book close by and I quickly looked it up and put my mind at ease.
Because travel nurses move a lot, we can work in many different units that have different practices and different equipment brands to learn. So be open to change and aware of the differences you might encounter. One facility’s troponin threshold may be different than another’s, and some places still use pumps that require you to calculate your own drip rates. (Mom, you were right, math is important!)
When it comes to managing pain with opioids, we as nurses need to be advocates for the safety and care of our patients. If you’re not comfortable giving a medication, run it by someone. And if you feel a patient may be intoxicated, speak up: they could be at risk for side effects due to these dangerous medications.
Travel nurses need to be on the top of their game. You’re hired to fill a need and you are expected to jump right in, but that doesn’t mean you have to know everything. I swallowed my pride many a time and asked a lot of questions, even if they seemed dumb. Because when it comes to patient safety, there are no dumb questions. Do whatever is necessary to avoid medication errors and poor outcomes.
So, familiarize yourself with the new CDC guidelines and resources regarding opioids, make it a point to learn the medication differences at each facility, and embrace the challenges and rewards of travel nursing.
RELATED: 4 Ways Travel Nurses Can Support Safety Cultures
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