Preparing nurse practitioners to combat the opioid epidemic: A survey of nurse practitioner academic programs in the United States

Between 1999 and 2017, nearly 400,000 individuals died from opioid-related overdoses in the United States. Nurse practitioners (NPs) can be instrumental in providing care for those with opioid use disorders (OUDs) but must be adequately prepared to do so. Currently, there is limited evidence regarding how NP programs are preparing their graduates to address opioid use. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how NP programs have addressed the opioid epidemic within their curricula, and to evaluate barriers to and facilitators of curricular modifications. Electronic surveys were distributed to all 444 NP program directors in the United States. The survey consisted of 10 questions and inquired about curricular modifications made in regard to OUDs, barriers and facilitators of such modifications, and perceived importance of addressing the opioid epidemic within NP programs. A total of 130 (29.3%) of program directors responded to the survey. Of the program directors who responded, 89 (76.1%) reported that curricular modifications were made to address OUDs. Barriers to curricular modification included limited time, lack of faculty expertise or confidence, and stigma in regard to opioid use. Facilitators included faculty champions, availability of external educational resources, student interest, and financial incentives. Nurse practitioners can treat patients with OUDs, mitigating significant barriers to care reported in light of the opioid epidemic. Graduate NP programs should assure that curricula adequately cover opioid use and related management.