All materials available through this website are free of charge with no additional cost as you access them.

You can use as much or as little as you like.  Even just the videos.

Absolutely! We have created quizzes for you; however, if you don’t want to use them, please feel free to write your own assessments.

Definitely!  You can pick and choose the components that seem most relevant to your staff nurses.  For example, you could download the video lectures and then upload them to your own system or email them to the staff.

We suggest starting with the NSUE-MOOC modules found under the nurse educator link.  Module 1 Substance Use: What every nurse needs to know is a great place to start. If you need continuing education credits, the CME modules offer 14.5 CMEs. Be aware that several of these modules cover concepts that are outside of the RN scope of practice, like diagnosis and prescribing.

There are minor differences in their content and target audience. They share a core content that has been adapted based on the individual’s needs and prior education.

First, the Massive Open Online Courses are designed for two student nurse groups: undergraduate (NSUE-MOOC) and graduate nurses (APROUD-MOOC). Another audience may be healthcare organizations who want to support nurses’ substance use education. These are set up like a course with a syllabus, learning objectives, quizzes, assignments, and modules.

The second Continuing Medical Education (CME) activities are designed to offer free, self-paced, and accredited continuing education credits for nurses, physician assistants, advanced practice registered nurses, physicians, and pharmacists. Many states require continuing education for licensure.  The CME modules don’t contain the peripheral education materials that may be found in the MOOCs.

Finally, the non-healthcare professional training is for non-healthcare personnel who seek to know more about substance use disorders (SUDs) and those affected by SUDs. Individuals in recovery, friends and family members of someone in recovery, students, community volunteers and staff members, and others may benefit from these materials.

Absolutely! Located in the APROUD-MOOC are guidelines on prescribing medications for opioid use disorder and alcohol use disorder. You may not think that you see patients who have an SUD, but they are in your caseload. The MOOCs and CME activities can support you in assessing and managing your patients with SUDs and those in need of pain management.

Nurse educators are nurses that teach or train other nurses.  This includes instructors, lecturers, and professors at colleges and universities, including community colleges that train students pursuing LPN, RN, and APRN credentials. This also includes nurse educators in hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare settings responsible for the continuing education of already licensed nurses.

Licensed medical professionals are anyone that is required to have a license in order to practice in their field. They have credentials like MD, DO, NP, PA, PharmD, RPh, RN, LPN, LCSW, LMHC, LAC, RT, PT, OT, and others.

The training provided for non-healthcare professionals is appropriate for anyone that wants to know more about substance use disorder and how it is treated.  These modules are designed to help increase knowledge and confidence while reducing stigma by providing easy to understand information about the neurobiology of addiction, understanding of trauma, and the systems of care that provide treatment. Community members, leaders, family of people with substance use disorder, and anyone else that wants to learn would find these modules useful.