ANA: U.S. Surgeon General Needs Nurses’ Help on Opioid Epidemic

Nearly 2 million people in the United States have a prescription opioid use disorder—and opioid overdoses have become one of the leading causes of death in the country. The American Nurses Association (ANA) recognizes that nurses like you can play an important role in addressing this epidemic

Last month, United States Surgeon General Vice Admiral (VADM) Vivek H. Murthy, M.D., M.B.A., took an unprecedented step by asking for help to address the opioid crisis.

Please read Dr. Murthy's letter and visit www.TurnTheTideRx.org/join to take the health care professional's pledge in a simple but powerful movement to end this epidemic.

In addition, ANA is one of 28 national nursing organizations that have joined forces to offer a free online educational series that will serve as a resource for practicing nurses, faculty and students. The following topics will be addressed:

• September 8, 2:00 PM (ET) – Answering the Call to Action: Addressing the Nation's Opioid Crisis
• September 22, 2:00 PM (ET) – Understanding the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain and Other National Strategies
• October 6, 2:00 PM (ET) – The Opioid Crisis: APRN Curricular Integration
• October 20, 2:00 PM (ET) – The National Opioid Crisis: Your Practice, Your Responsibility

Please share this information widely with your colleagues, family and friends. For additional information and to register for the webinars, please visit the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

In addition, now through July 2018, the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) is offering a free, on-demand CE course: Effective Treatments for Opioid Use Disorder: Educating & Empowering All Registered Nurses During an Epidemic.

Together, we can save countless lives. We can lead the way. We can #TurnTheTide.