BINGHAMTON, NY – Binghamton is one of 191 schools of nursing that have taken the pledge to help combat prescription drug and opioid abuse across the United States. The guidelines, which will outline the procedures to prescribing opioids for chronic pain, will be taught to advanced practice registered nursing (APRN) students this fall.

Less than a month after the U.S. Senate approved a major bill to tackle the nation’s opioid crisis, Binghamton University’s Decker School of Nursing has committed to educating its APRN students on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain.

"Nurses are often the first line of health care workers that patients may interact with," said Nicole Rouhana, director of graduate nursing programs at Binghamton University. "Patients are oftentimes more comfortable sharing information with nurses, and they must be clinically competent while managing a patient with addiction and be able to provide appropriate care and resources."

The major goal of the initiative is prevention. The CDC guidelines will be taught in class and in a clinical setting. Binghamton will also participate in an online educational series covering opioid abuse and management.