The opioid crisis is at the forefront of the U.S. and global drug use problem conversation. In 2017 the U.S. Government declared the opioid epidemic a public health Crisis. The Journal of Addictions Nursing is adding its contribution to the literature to offer a nursing perspective in addressing this international scourge.
GUEST EDITORS
To that end, it is my distinct honor and pleasure to introduce our two Guest Editors, who bring several decades of expertise as clinicians, researchers, and teachers to the field of nursing and to this informative special topic issue on the opioid epidemic. The seven original papers, Ann M. Mitchell, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, FIAAN, FAAN and Diane Snow, PhD, APRN, BC, PMHNP-BC, FAANP, FIAAN have selected for this special issue demonstrate a nursing perspective on understanding and addressing the needs of those with opioid abuse and opioid use disorder (OUD).
Dr. Mitchell received her PhD in Nursing from the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and is professor of nursing and psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. Dr. Mitchell has served as Project Director (PI) on two HRSA-funded projects and as Project Coordinator on one HRSA-funded project related to screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) for alcohol and other drug use for students, nurses, and interprofessional groups of healthcare professionals. She is currently funded by SAMHSA to integrate SBIRT education into the Nurse Practitioner curriculum, addressing substance use across the lifespan. Lastly, she is working with the CDC on two projects to incorporate alcohol screening and brief intervention (Alcohol SBI) into nursing practice with the goal of preventing fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
Dr. Snow received her PhD in Nursing from Texas Woman's University in Denton. She practices as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner in a private practice in Denton, TX. She was a PMHNP for 9 years at the UT Southwestern Medical Center's Bipolar Research Program. She was awarded the 2017 Living Legend award by the International Society of Psychiatric Nurses (ISPN). She was the 2017 Ann Ottney Cain Lectureship speaker at the University of Maryland School of Nursing on the opioid epidemic. She is planner and presenter at the annual ISPN Psychopharmacology Institute and received the Susan McCabe Lectureship Award. She taught at the University of Texas at Arlington College of Nursing for 36 years and developed and directed the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program for 20 years. She retired in January 2016.
We are fortunate to have these two leaders and scholars leading our special topic issue. The papers selected provide a variety of nursing perspectives and I know you will enjoy and benefit from the contents.
COLUMNS
In addition to our original papers we are featuring five columns all focused on the opioid theme. Our columns for this issue are designed to augment the content provided by the original papers.
Dr. Susanne Fogger is the Editor of the Clinical Reviews column, entitled for this issue, "Caught in the crossfire of the syndemic." She along with the lead column Editor for this issue, Dr. Gina Dobbs, illustrate the complicated dilemma of the syndemic of the two epidemics OUD and HIV-1) in synergistic interaction, by sharing a case study of a young pregnant woman with both health problems. In the case study it is unfortunate but invaluable to understand how and why health professionals missed many opportunities to intervene early to prevent some of the complications faced by this young woman. The Editors clearly present a thoughtful argument for providing a humane comprehensive integrated approach to care with a diversified health care team.
Dr. Genevieve Chandler is the Guest Editor, of Dr. Joan Kub's Innovative Roles column for this issue. Her column entitled, "An interview with Khadijah Tuitt and Jennifer Caraballo in the behavioral resource nurse role," features how two behavioral resource nurses (BRN) bring their knowledge and skills to medical settings in which many patients are not only struggling with medical conditions, but substance use withdrawal related to having a substance use disorder (SUD). Through their research and development of humane individualized approaches to patients with SUD they have carved a specialized consultant role for themselves on their institution's medical units.
Dr. Katherine Fornili in her Policy Watch column, entitled, "The opioid crisis, suicides and related conditions: Multiple clustered syndemics, not singular epidemics," reports on the alarming reality of the interacting epidemics of suicide and opioid overdose. Further, Dr. Fornili notes the complexity goes beyond this two problem syndemic and is often simultaneously linked to other conditions which add to the interacting synergy.
Dr. Mercy Ngosa Mumba, is leading Dr. Diane Snow's Research Reviews column and is joined by Dr. Lilian J. Findlay and Dr. Snow for this review of selected research on the "Treatment for opioid use disorders: A review of the relevant literature." In addition to presenting a brief discussion of applicable approaches to treatment, they note that evidence indicates a significant proportion of the population with OUD do not seek treatment do to various access issues including stigma.
Dr. Dorothy J. Moore, one of my former students, has shared "A nurse practitioner's perspective on prescribing Suboxone for opioid use disorder." Dr. Moore is a strong advocate for medication assisted treatment (MAT) in concert with other approaches for opioid use disorder and sites evidence to support her perspective.
JOURNAL CLUB
On a final note, the Journal of Addictions Nursing and the International Nurses Society on Addictions (IntNSA) are starting a Journal Club, headed by Dr. Lynn Shell. While the Journal Club will be conducted online, Dr. Shell will launch the initial meeting of the Club by hosting a face-to-face session during the Society's Annual Educational Conference in Denver, Colorado (October 3-6, 2018). Be sure to attend the conference and the first Journal Club meeting!