Date of Award

Spring 2026

Document Type

Project – Full Written

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Committee Chair

Ashley Isaac-Dockery

Abstract

The opioid epidemic in the United States has persisted for over two decades and has become one of the leading causes of accidental deaths nationwide (Robert et al., 2022). The opioid crisis represents a widespread public health emergency that extends beyond individual and community boundaries, imposing burdens on both the national economy and the healthcare system (Kyei et al., 2024). Although the opioid epidemic is a global concern, it is particularly concerning in the target community located in the western part of North Carolina. This region has some of the highest rates of opioid overdoses within the state, with 118 opioid deaths in 2024 (NCDHH, 2025). Addressing the issue requires proactive measures of prevention education, treatment resources, and community-based education programs tailored to the needs of the community. Two 1-hour information sessions were held within the target community. Participants were asked to voluntarily complete a pre-test before the educational session to gauge their knowledge and awareness of opioid abuse, prevention strategies, risk factors, and available resources. After the session, they were given a post-test (same questions) to assess if participants had shown an increase in knowledge and awareness after the educational intervention. The overall results revealed an increase in knowledge and awareness of the target population, reinforcing the need for community education on opioid abuse.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License

Download

Included in

Nursing Commons

Share

COinS