Solving the Opioid Crisis Teach-Out

Rachel Janzen is a Registered Nurse (RN) and flight nurse in Michigan. In this interview, she talks with Will Potter, Howard R. Marsh Visiting Professor of Journalism at the University of Michigan, about her experiences as a first responder caring for patients who have misused opioids.

What You'll Learn

• The role of Narcan in treatment of opioid overdoses in the emergency room
 
• How Narcan interacts with opioid receptors to temporarily stabilize overdose victims
 
• How patterns of opioid overprescription can lead to misuse
 
• Why synthetic opioids like Fentanyl cannot be treated with Narcan
 
• Emerging practices for first responders in treating opioid overdoses (for example: the dangers of skin absorption through contact with potent synthetic opioids)
 
• How teens and children might gain access to opioids
 
• The need for increased social support for opioid users