Health Equity Reimagined
Solutions in Action: Spotlight
Anesthesia and Opioid Expert Teaching
Next Generation of Duke Nurse Anesthetists
Nurses are on the front lines of fighting the nation’s opioid overdose epidemic, and Derrick Glymph is helping prepare the next generation of nurse anesthetists to join the fight by providing care for patients who are struggling with addiction, and who are many times often marginalized by society.
As an Associate Professor for Duke University School of Nursing, Glymph, a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthesiologist (CRNA), also serves as the deputy commander of nursing in the Army Reserves, where he holds the rank of Colonel.
Glymph has dedicated his career to nurse anesthesia education and providing equity in medication for opioid use disorder treatment. Opioid use disorders affect more than 16 million people worldwide with more than 2.1 million in the United States.
“There is so much potential for nursing to build health equity and provide dynamic leadership to transform our health care system, I am very excited to help advance DUSON’s mission by infusing health equity into the School’s Nurse Anesthesia Program.”
Derrick Glymph
PhD, DNAP, CRNA, CHSE, COL., USAR, FAANA, FAAN
Glymph hopes to shape the next generation of providers to better understand how to address harmful social determinants of health and to encourage them to support policy and advocacy that increases access to care and health equity for marginalized patients. The goal is to mobilize nurses to advance the national response to the addiction crisis and help with pain management and addiction prevention.
In his scholarly research and writing, Glymph has called for legislation that supports expanding the professional role of registered nurses and advanced practice nurses in mitigating the opioid problem. He also supports the sustained use of nurses in telemedicine and nursing research on nurse involvement in all aspects of opioid use disorder.
“Nurses are essential members of the health care workforce,” said Glymph. “They have the power to impact health-related systems, education, promotion, illness prevention and policy through their unique skillset of education, versatility, resourcefulness, and communication.”
Derrick Glymph, PhD, DNAP, CRNA, CHSE, COL., USAR, FAANA, FAAN, hopes to shape the next generation of Duke nurses to provide better care for patients struggling with opioid addiction.