Substance abuse education liaisons: a collaborative continuing education program for nurses in acute care settings

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Addiction Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Substance abuse significantly impacts patient health, often complicating acute care.
• Addictive disorders are frequently undiagnosed or overlooked in clinical settings.
• Nurses require specialized training to effectively address substance abuse issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance nurses' competence in identifying and managing patients with substance use disorders.
• To develop a sustainable educational model for healthcare professionals in acute care settings.

Main Methods:

• A collaborative project involved university faculty and nurses from seven hospitals.
• Nurses participated in 18 monthly workshops focused on substance abuse education.
• The curriculum was tailored to address the specific learning needs of acute care nurses.

Main Results:

• Nurses demonstrated improved knowledge and skills in caring for clients with substance abuse.
• A comprehensive substance abuse resource manual was developed and published.
• A professional network was established to foster ongoing collaboration and practice improvement.

Conclusions:

• Project SAEL (Substance Abuse Education Liaisons) offers a replicable model for substance abuse education.
• This initiative highlights the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing addiction.
• The project successfully enhanced nursing capacity to manage substance abuse in acute care.