Part 3: Fact Sheet Using the information recorded on the template in Parts 1 and 2, develop a 1-page fact sheet that you could use to communicate with a policymaker/legislator or a member of their staff about this healthcare issue. Be sure to address the following: Summarize why this healthcare issue is important and should be included in the agenda for legislation. Justify the role of the nurse in agenda-setting for healthcare issues.
Part 3: Opioid Epidemic Fact Sheet
Opioid misuse and overdose are an epidemic in the USA. It has caused numerous deaths over the past years. Studies have revealed that opioids accounted for more than 70% of drug overdose deaths reported in 2019 (HHS, 2019). More than 48,000 deaths resulted from an overdose of synthetic opioids, while more than 14,000 deaths were caused by heroin overdose (HHS, 2019). Also, about 1.6 million Americans reported having an opioid use disorder in 2019. More than 740,000 were reported to have used heroin in 2019. Fifty thousand heroin users reported using the new users of the drug (HHS, 2019). Statistics reveal that about 10 million misused opioid prescriptions in 2019, and approximately five hundred thousand people are reported to have died from an opioid overdose between 1999 and 2019. The main culprits in these deaths include heroin, other illegal synthetic opioids, and prescribed opioids (US Food and Drug Administration, 2018). Accordingly, these statistics are alarming and demonstrate the importance of this issue; therefore, stringent measures should be set to avert future opioid overdose-related mortalities. Consequently, this will put the matter on the presidential agenda. The healthcare issue will stay on the presidential agenda until favorable statistics are obtained.
Role of Nurse in Agenda Setting
Tackling the problem of the opioid crisis requires multidisciplinary efforts. Nurses play an essential role.
Care for patients: nurses provide patient care in all settings, including acute and chronic pain patients that may require opioid analgesics. They recognize the importance of alternative analgesics and therefore should participate in agenda-setting.
Patient education: nurses have professional knowledge like other healthcare providers (Milstead, 2019). They participate by actively educating the patient on the effects of opioids and the importance of seeking a prescription for an opioid.
Rehabilitative services: Nurses take part in rehabilitative services for patients with opioid addiction and those suffering from an overdose. They understand the importance of using antidotes and other drugs to support rehabilitation.
References
Biden (n.d.). The Biden Plan to End the Opioid Crisis. https://joebiden.com/opioidcrisis/
HHS. (2019). HHS Fact Sheet: Combating the Opioid Crisis | HHS.gov. April. https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2019/04/24/hhs-fact-sheet-combating-the-opioid-crisis.html
Milstead, J. A., & Short, N. M. (2019). Health Policy and Politics: A Nurse’s Guide (6th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning