Harm Reduction at the Bedside: Transforming Hospital Care for Patients with Substance Use Disorders
This presentation explores hospital-based harm reduction as a critical approach to improving care for patients with substance use disorders. Participants will learn the principles of harm reduction, its role in reducing overdose risk, and strategies for integrating these practices into inpatient settings. Through real-world examples and discussion of clinician perspectives, the presentation highlights practical interventions such as safer-use education, naloxone distribution, and overdose prevention sites that enhance patient outcomes and engagement. Attendees will leave with actionable insights to advance harm reduction within hospital care
Presenters
Rachel French, PhD, MSHP, PMHNP
With experience as a Registered Nurse in a Federally Qualified Health Center providing opioid use disorder treatment, Dr. French saw how hospitalization often disrupts community-based care. This shaped her research on improving care for individuals with opioid and other substance use disorders. While hospitals increasingly offer medications like buprenorphine and methadone, engaging patients not seeking treatment remains a challenge. Rooted in harm reduction, her work focuses on responsive practices that meet patient needs and strategies to build a nursing workforce prepared to deliver evidence-based care for substance use disorders.
Learning Objectives
1. Explain the principles of harm reduction and their relevance in hospital settings.
2. Discuss the role of nurses and other clinicians in applying harm reduction strategies during hospitalization.
3. Evaluate examples of hospital-based harm reduction models and their impact on patients with substance use disorders.
