The Opioid Crisis: Exploring the Effects on First Responders and Healthcare Professionals

In 2017, the National Department of Health and Human Services declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency (The White House, 2018). Although Nebraska ranks among the states with the lowest number of drug overdose deaths, rising opioid use creates safety concerns for first responders and healthcare professionals, and leads to strained resources in many jurisdictions. We hope to increase our audience’s knowledge on the opioid crisis, how it effects first responders and healthcare professionals, and pertinent policies and initiatives in Nebraska. Our audience will leave this presentation better equipped to initiate discussions with friends, family, and community members about the opioid crisis and to take an active role in preventing opioid fatalities in their community. We conducted a statewide needs assessment which included a literature review of promising practices, both within Nebraska and beyond. We reviewed national and state statistics on opioid use, the availability of naloxone in Nebraska and surrounding states, and the effect of the opioid crisis on healthcare providers, law enforcement officers, emergency medical technicians, and firefighters. Findings from this review indicated first responders’ shared frustration at their inability to impact opioid use in their communities. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services’ Drug Overdose Prevention Program contracted with STEPs (Support and Training for the Evaluation of Programs) to complete this statewide needs assessment. The Drug Overdose Prevention Program will use the needs assessment to develop crisis response plans to reduce opioid-related fatal and non-fatal overdoses in Nebraska. The White House. (2018) The Opioid Crisis. Retrieved from https://www.whitehouse.gov/opioids