The premise of this proposed poster presentation is to identify a quality improvement intervention that changes negative perceptions and promotes positive attitudes regarding substance abuse. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2018), almost 20 million people aged 12 or older had a substance use disorder in 2017 with one in four young adults aged 18-25 being illicit drug users. This has significant effects on health, premature deaths, and disability. The National League for Nursing praised the United States Congress for the passage of legislation promoting opioid prevention and recovery in October of 2018, noting the impact of substance use disorder on individuals, families, and communities. Nurses who provide care for drug users should have the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes that enable effective care for this patient population. The attitudes of healthcare professionals have the ability to impact the delivery of quality care (Rassool, 2006). One school has provided the opportunity to work with people who have a substance use disorder for the past eight years. There is little data on how this clinical experience impacts student perceptions and attitudes toward people with substance use disorder.
Methods:
A quasi-experimental evaluation using a pre-test and post-test questionnaire will be utilized to determine anticipated positive influences from the clinical experience. The research question applied to this study is as follows: Does the Clinical Experience at a Substance Treatment Center Impact Student Perceptions and Attitudes toward People with Substance Use Disorder? A literature review reveals that current research is available on undergraduate RN students and other interprofessional practitioners in health care but there is a paucity of practical nursing research. With the use of a valid and reliable measurement tool, the Drugs and Drug Users’ Problems Perceptions Questionnaire (DDPPQ), pre and post intervention perceptions and attitudes will be measured to determine the effectiveness of the clinical experience.
Results:
Results are pending upon completion of the research intervention.
Conclusion:
Conclusion is pending based on the statistical results of the research.