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Student nurses' attitudes to illicit drugs: a grounded theory study
Martyn R Harling1, Warren Turner
1School of Education Health and Sciences, The University of Derby, Room G09d, Britannia Mill, Mackworth Road, Derby, DE22 3BL, UK. m.harling@derby.ac.uk
Nurse Education Today
|June 4, 2011
Summary
Student nurses
Area of Science:
- Nursing Education
- Addiction Studies
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Negative attitudes towards illicit drug users among nursing students can impact patient care.
- Understanding the origins of these attitudes is crucial for developing effective interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify factors influencing student nurses' attitudes toward illicit drugs.
- To inform the development of educational strategies to challenge negative perceptions.
Main Methods:
- Grounded theory approach with inductive inquiry.
- Data collected through informal and semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and education audits.
- Participant sample included 12 informal interviews, 9 semi-structured interviews, 4 focus groups, and 61 education audits.
Main Results:
- Student nurses enter training with diverse personal experiences with illicit drugs.
- Societal stigma and media portrayal significantly shape student nurses' attitudes.
- Negative attitudes persist due to a lack of effective education and negative role modeling by professionals.
Conclusions:
- Student nurses' attitudes towards illicit drug users are influenced by personal history, societal views, and media.
- Current educational approaches are insufficient in addressing negative biases.
- Interventions for individuals with substance use disorders may be compromised by healthcare professionals' negative attitudes.
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