Pain Management and Opioid Abuse

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How to Take This Course:

• 1 View Course Worksheet -  View the course worksheet or print it out to review later
• 2 Read the Course Material -  As you read through, mark your answers on the course worksheet to be prepared for the exam
• 3 Take Exam -  You must achieve a score of 70% or higher in order to earn credit for the course.
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CEU Course Description

An estimated 100 million Americans live with some type of pain, and pain remains one of the most common reasons people seek health care. At the same time, the ongoing opioid epidemic continues to affect patients, caregivers, and healthcare workers, and deaths from opioid overdose continue to rise. Nurses and other healthcare professionals must be able to provide safe, effective pain relief while recognizing and responding to the risks of opioid misuse. This course reviews the essential concepts of pain, including how pain is defined, the different types of pain, and why each person’s experience of pain is unique. Participants will learn how to assess pain, set pain management goals with patients, and apply current pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments. The course also examines the history of the opioid epidemic in the United States, the signs and symptoms of opioid use disorder and opioid diversion, and the nurse’s role in prevention, treatment, and patient education.

CEU Course Objectives

1. Define the different types of pain medications, including non-opioid and opioid analgesics.
2. Identify signs and symptoms of opioid use disorder and opioid diversion.
3. Analyze the effects of the opioid epidemic on current pain management practices.
4. Identify non-pharmacological interventions to manage pain.
5. Define pain, including various types of pain
6. Review pain assessment
7. Outline how to set pain goals with patients
8. Identify current treatments for pain management
9. Explore the essential concepts of pain and pain management, while obtaining insight into the subjectivity of pain.
10. Examine methods to safely and effectively administer health care to patients experiencing pain.
11. Identify the non-pharmacological and pharmacological treatment options that may be used to manage pain. 

Course Date: 2026-11-13

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