Date of Award
Summer 2026
Document Type
Project – Full Written
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Committee Chair
Erin Montgomery
Abstract
Purpose: To assess the impact of an evidence-based educational intervention to decrease provider stigma of patients on buprenorphine for opioid use disorder in a primarily rural primary care setting.
Methods: This quality improvement project used a pre- and post-intervention design to assess knowledge, attitudes, stigma, and confidence to care for patients with opioid use disorder of four providers from four rural health care facilities. The providers completed a survey before and after a 60-minute educational intervention that covered topics such as medication for opioid use disorder, patient-centered communication, and evidence-based prescribing practices for OUD. Providers were also assessed 8 weeks after the intervention for knowledge retention and implementation.
Findings: Four participants demonstrated an increase in mean survey scores from 33.25 pre-intervention to 39.75 post-intervention (19.55%). All participants reported increased confidence in discussing, recommending, and prescribing buprenorphine to their patients for OUD. Additionally, participants described more positive attitudes toward individuals with opioid use disorder and reported a greater understanding of MOUD and the barriers to its use.
Conclusions: The goal of a 20% increase in the mean score of the survey of the knowledge, confidence, and attitudes of providers concerning buprenorphine treatment for OUD was not reached by the educational intervention. However, because this project was not designed as a formal outcome study and included only four participants, the findings support the potential value of education in reducing provider stigma and improving evidence-based treatment of OUD.
Recommended Citation
Lovelace, Jessica S., "Reducing Stigmatism in Suboxone Users" (2026). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 184.
https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/nursing-dnp/184
Creative Commons License
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