Release date: 09/08/2023
Expiration date: 09/08/2028

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Toolkit Overview
School nurses are leaders in student health, and they have the education and expertise to assist the community and school leadership in assessing the need for and implementing a campus naloxone program. When administered promptly, naloxone can rapidly reverse opioid overdoses. The decision to implement a naloxone program in schools can be a community decision, and it can save lives.

Drug overdose is a concern that affects the entire community, including students and their loved ones. Drug overdose deaths have greatly increased among young people and other community members over the last decade. Much of this increase has been driven by synthetic opioids like fentanyl. These synthetic opioids may be knowingly consumed or unknowingly consumed when mixed into or sold as other drugs, such as heroin, cocaine, or counterfeit pills.

Naloxone is sold under several brand names and comes in several formulations, including injectable naloxone and nonprescription nasal spray.

This toolkit offers resources to assist school nurses and other school leaders in evaluating and responding to the drug overdose crisis. The toolkit is organized in the following sections:

Creating a Naloxone Program in Your School

• Naloxone in the School Setting - NASN position statement
• Questions to Consider in Development of a Naloxone in School Program
• Creating a Naloxone Policy
• Sample Report of Naloxone Administration
• Naloxone in School Policy and Procedure Resources

Campus Protocols for Emergency Naloxone Administration

• Nasal Naloxone (Narcan) Administration Protocol
• Injectable Naloxone Administration Protocol
• Nasal Naloxone (Narcan) Administration Training Handout
• Injectable Naloxone Administration Training Handout

Communication Resources

• Presentation: Naloxone in Schools
• Presentation: Safeguarding Your Community: Opioid Overdose Response with Naloxone
• Presentation: Naloxone in Schools: Training for School Staff
• Words Matter – Terms to Use and Avoid when Talking About Addiction

Acknowledgments
Information about overdoses in the Naloxone Education for School Nurses Toolkit was created in collaboration with the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health.