A Practical Guide to Implementing an Evidenced-Based Hands-On Naloxone Training

ABSTRACT

Synthetic opioids contribute to the majority of opioid overdose-related deaths in the United States. Expansion of naloxone training to community laypersons is one strategy to mitigate opioid overdose-related deaths. A hands-on naloxone training demonstrated efficacy in improving opioid knowledge and overdose response in baccalaureate nursing students, Greek-affiliated students, and rural clinicians and staff post-training. The purpose of this practical guide is to provide detailed steps to implement an evidence-based hands-on naloxone training for laypersons in community settings. The hands-on naloxone training consisted of five components: evaluator training, a validated pre-post opioid knowledge questionnaire, an opioid lecture, a performance evaluation, and a satisfaction survey. Post-training, trainees demonstrated increased knowledge related to opioids and overdose response, and they felt comfortable administering naloxone to someone experiencing an opioid overdose. Researchers, educators, and community health nurses can adapt this evidence-based practical guide to train peers and acquaintances who are likely to witness an opioid overdose. Virtual training and multi-lingual protocols should be considered to successfully train diverse groups of community laypersons. An active hands-on naloxone training can improve confidence for community health nurses and other health care professionals, and it may reduce delays in response time and naloxone administration. Nurses can use this hands-on training to educate students, families, community members, and stakeholders how to respond to an opioid overdose event.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary Material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/07370016.2024.2314080

Additional information

Funding

The project was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a 2022 HRSA Implementation IV Grant [GA1RH45986] awarded to The University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government.The authors have nothing to disclose.