Training future providers how to treat pregnant patients with substance use disorder
Adlam publishes paper addressing how to care for pregnant patients with substance use disorder
UIC Nursing faculty are tackling a “knowledge gap” among health care providers who care for pregnant patients suffering from substance use disorder.
In a paper published on Oct. 29 in the Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, lead author and UIC Nursing clinical assistant professor Kirby Adlam, PhD ’21, MSN ’10, CNM, describes an innovative educational program at UIC Nursing that prepares students in the certified nurse-midwifery and women’s health nurse practitioner programs to detect and treat substance use disorder (SUD).
The paper serves as a blueprint for other educational institutions to implement similar programs.
“This is critical because substance use disorder is the leading cause of pregnancy-related death, accounting for 32% of all maternal fatalities in Illinois,” says Adlam. “Quality screening for substance use disorder is a core competency for midwifery education, yet these programs lack a curriculum that gives future providers the confidence and tools to initiate care and provide ongoing support and treatment.”
Around one in 20 births in Illinois is complicated by substance use disorder, according to the paper. In rural Illinois, the rate was 12.2%, more than double the state average.
Opioids are the most common substances related to perinatal mortality in Illinois. Opioid use during pregnancy is associated with preterm birth, parental overdose, fetal growth restriction and other harmful outcomes, according to the paper.
“By equipping certified nurse-midwife and women’s health nurse practitioner students with the knowledge and skills to address SUD and medications for opioid use disorder, we are preparing them to become health care providers who contribute to reducing maternal morbidity and mortality in their communities,” the authors wrote in the paper.
Adlam’s co-authors are all affiliated with UIC Nursing: Erin Farah, Patrick Thornton, Kelly Rosenberger, Kristen Hufford-Tims, Pam Pearson, Gina Juliano, Melissa Acuna, Summer Hinthorne and Kylea Liese.
How it works
Adlam and her co-authors describe the implementation of a program at UIC Nursing called Increasing the Maternal Health Care Advanced Practice Nursing Workforce (IMPACT), which was awarded a U.S. Human Resources and Services Administration grant through the Advanced Nursing Education Workforce Program. Much of the funding was earmarked for scholarship support, particularly for those students desiring to serve underserved and rural populations.
The paper’s authors note in the paper that, “other [nurse-midwifery] programs can incorporate these innovative teaching strategies and expand experiential opportunities without any additional monetary support.”
The program involves multiple components, including:
- Assigning students a series of online modules about a range of topics related to stigma and integration of substance use services;
- Integrating new clinical sites with preceptors who provide care to patients with substance use disorder and other mental health disorders; and
- Developing and implementing an SUD simulation day, where students showcase their experiences and understanding.
Students’ evaluations of their SUD learning experiences have been consistently positive since the program’s implementation, according to the paper.