Implementation and evaluation of SBIRT training in a Community Health nursing course

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Public Health
• Substance Abuse Treatment

Background:

• Undergraduate nursing programs require effective training in substance abuse intervention.
• Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) is a crucial public health approach for addressing substance misuse.
• Integrating SBIRT into nursing curricula can enhance early detection and intervention capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate an SBIRT educational program within an undergraduate nursing curriculum.
• To assess the impact of SBIRT training on nursing students' knowledge, competency, and satisfaction.
• To gather feedback for refining future SBIRT educational initiatives.

Main Methods:

• A one-group pre-test/post-test design was employed.
• Senior undergraduate nursing students participated in the SBIRT training.
• Core knowledge, perceived competency, and program satisfaction were measured using pre- and post-training evaluations, supplemented by qualitative feedback from telephone interviews.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant improvement (p ≤ .001) was observed in all four core knowledge components and 13 perceived competency indicators post-training.
• 70% of enrolled students participated in the research, with 96% completing both evaluations.
• Qualitative data indicated increased student confidence and ability in screening patients for substance misuse.

Conclusions:

• The SBIRT educational program is effective and should be integrated into undergraduate nursing curricula.
• The study findings support the value of SBIRT training for preparing nurses to address substance misuse.
• Recommendations for program modifications and future research directions are proposed.