According to the National Center for Health Statistics, more than 70,237 lives were lost in 2017 due to the drug overdose epidemic. The numbers of annual drug fatalities in the United States are continuing to rise with a 9.6% increase from 2016 to 2017 (21.7 per 100,000). Most of those deaths involved illicit drugs such as heroine and fentanyl, opioids, as well as legally prescribed oxycodone and hydrocodone. Nurses play a key role in helping patients understand pain treatment risks and benefits and in the prevention of opioid abuse and dependence, according to the American Nurses Association (ANA). This researcher will discuss the development of a comprehensive, multiple-time approach in implementing substance abuse training into a BSN nursing program, as well as the research results of the students’ experiences and how their attitudes toward working with patients with substance abuse have become more positive.
Methods:
The sample for this study included 33 students in the Psychiatric nursing course during their junior year of the undergraduate BSN nursing program. The students were taught ways to screen for substance use disorders using the SBIRT model, which is an evidence based model for universal screening, brief intervention, and referral for treatment. A pre and post-test survey was used to assess the students’ perceptions of working with patients with substance use disorders and assessing for substance abuse.
Results:
The results showed that the nursing students reported higher levels of perceived competence in delivering SBIRT and their attitudes toward working with patients with substance abuse became more positive. The substance abuse training was successfully implemented in the Psychiatric nursing course in the BSN nursing program and the students stated they feel better prepared in screening for and caring for patients with substance abuse problems.
Conclusion:
Some nursing programs lack curriculum on substance use, however this training will help to equip the future nurses with the skills in assessing patients for substance abuse so that early intervention can be utilized to help prevent future drug overdoses. By presenting the research on nursing students’ perceptions of substance use disorders (SUD) and ways to incorporate substance abuse screening or prevention training, other nursing programs could also include this important training into their curriculum. This training will help to prepare the future nurses and healthcare professionals in assessing patients for substance abuse so that early intervention can be utilized to help prevent future drug overdoses.