Identifying substance use: an assessment tool for the school nurse

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Public Health
• Adolescent Health

Background:

• Substance use among students presents significant health risks.
• School nurses require effective tools for early identification and intervention.
• Existing assessment methods may not adequately address substance use concerns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel nursing assessment tool for identifying student substance use.
• To differentiate students requiring urgent medical attention from those who are medically stable.
• To discuss the practical application and implications of this tool for school nursing practice.

Main Methods:

• Development of a three-part nursing assessment tool.
• Focus on identifying potential drug and alcohol use in students.
• Evaluation of the tool's capacity to triage students based on medical stability.

Main Results:

• The tool effectively categorizes students based on substance use indicators.
• It allows for the identification of students needing immediate medical care.
• It also identifies students impaired by substance use but medically stable.

Conclusions:

• The developed nursing assessment tool is a valuable resource for school nurses.
• It facilitates timely and appropriate interventions for students with substance use issues.
• Implementation of this tool can improve student health outcomes and safety.