The Universal Nursing Addiction Curriculum (UNAC) was created by nurses, for nurses, to meet the urgent global need for skilled and compassionate addiction care. Grounded in evidence and enriched by international expertise, UNAC equips nurses with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to prevent, identify, manage, and treat substance use disorders across diverse healthcare settings.
More than a training, UNAC is a movement—one that reframes addiction from stigma to support, and empowers nurses to lead with confidence, empathy, and clinical excellence.
We know that knowledge alone isn’t enough—it has to translate into real-world practice. That’s why UNAC is delivered on myQuest, an award-winning learning platform that makes training stick.
Unlike traditional LMS platforms, myQuest transforms courses into interactive quests where learning feels engaging, practical, and impactful.
Equity-based global tuition — one fair price for every nurse.
We know nurses’ salaries differ widely across countries. To keep access fair, we’ve set our tuition fees so that in every region, the course costs about 2% of a typical nurse’s annual income — roughly the cost of a week’s work or less.
By adjusting for global differences in pay, tuition is based on your country’s income level (using World Bank data):
This equity model means that wherever you practice — from London to Lahore to Kigali — you contribute a fair share, and no nurse is excluded due to geography or income.
More details to come.
Nurses comprise the largest segment of the addiction treatment workforce. However, as with many professions, there are significant disparities in access to continuing education—particularly in the area of addiction care. The Universal Nursing Addiction Curriculum (UNAC) aims to bridge this gap through a specialized educational program that equips nurses with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to effectively prevent, identify, manage, and treat substance use disorders across diverse healthcare settings.
Dr. Carmel Clancy, PhD, RGN, RMN, PGCertHE, FPH, ICAP III
Director, ICUDDR Center for Credentialing & Accreditation; Dean Emeritus, Middlesex University, UK; Past President, IntNSA.
Over 30 years of experience in nursing education and curriculum development, with a career dedicated to advancing addiction care and international nursing leadership.
Dr. Clancy earned her doctorate from St Georges Medical School in London, UK, and is registered with the Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC) as both a mental health and adult nurse. She has delivered nursing education at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels for more than three decades, including curriculum development in addiction studies. She was the course developer of the first master’s degree in co-morbidity (dual diagnosis) in Europe.
Between 2020–2023, Dr. Clancy served as President of the International Nurses Society on Addiction (IntNSA).
Dr. Charon Burda, DNP, CRNP, PMHNP-BC
Former Associate Professor and Director, Doctor of Nursing Practice Program (PMHNP Specialty), University of Maryland Baltimore, USA.
Expert in psychiatric nursing and addiction care, with decades of experience preparing nurses to deliver compassionate, evidence-based treatment.
Dr. Burda retired in 2023 after 23 years on the faculty at the University of Maryland Baltimore, where she co-developed addiction clinical courses for BSN students and a 12-credit certificate in addiction for advanced practice nurses. She also directed the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program in the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Specialty.
Her academic work has focused on educating nurses to care for individuals with mental health and substance use disorders, ensuring they enter practice with both competence and compassion. Dr. Burda is a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner who continues to consult in nursing education and strives to enhance hope and recovery for all who seek positive life changes.
Join a global community of nurses transforming addiction care. Applications are open now.
