Preferred Name
Joan Daversa
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Date of Graduation
12-11-2020
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Department
School of Nursing
Advisor(s)
Maria deValpine
Cheryl Sharp
Abstract
The pervasiveness of legally prescribed opioids in the United States has led to increased post-surgical patients succumbing to opioid dependence. There is a vast disparity in pain management practices across clinical settings. The lack of well-defined policies specifying opioid prescribing practices for post-surgical patients has created inconsistency among providers. This situation creates a risk for misuse and long-term opioid dependence for patients. This policy analysis aims to implement an evidence-based opioid prescribing policy for post-surgical patients to improve current opioid prescribing practices and implement a best practice culture to reduce excessive opioid practices. Collins (2005) health policy analysis adapted from Bardachs eightfold path to more effective problem solving (2000) guided the assembly and comparison of three evidence-based policies to reduce adverse effects of overprescribing practices with opioids. Three policy options assessed prescribing guidelines, patient risk assessment tools, and multimodal analgesia therapy with the intent to implement one or more.
Keywords: dependence, opioids, policy analysis, post-surgical patients, opioid prescribing guidelines, risk assessment, pain management.
Recommended Citation
Daversa, Joan S., "Policy analysis: Appropriate opioid prescribing practices for post-surgical patients" (2020). Doctors of Nursing Practice (DNP) Final Projects, 2020-current. 7.
https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/dnp202029/7
Approval of a Research Project
Embargo document-agreement.pdf (253 kB)
Embargo
DNP Approval-page (1).docx (16 kB)
Committee Approval
DNP_scholarly_document_11_19_2020 (1) 12-14-2020.docx (113 kB)
DNP_scholarly_document_11_19_2020 (1) 12-14-2020.docx (113 kB)
Included in
Perioperative, Operating Room and Surgical Nursing Commons, Public Health and Community Nursing Commons