Integration of Motivational Interviewing Within Prelicensure Nursing Programs: A National Survey

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Health Communication
• Behavior Change Theory

Background:

• Effective nurse-patient communication is essential for understanding patient goals and fostering behavior change.
• Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based, patient-centered communication strategy.
• MI facilitates patient self-identification and commitment to health behavior modifications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the extent and methods of Motivational Interviewing integration in prelicensure nursing curricula.
• To identify barriers and facilitators to MI adoption in nursing education.

Main Methods:

• An exploratory, descriptive research design was employed.
• A survey developed by the researchers was utilized to collect data.

Main Results:

• 112 participants from diverse US prelicensure nursing programs responded.
• 41% of programs reported using MI, primarily for accreditation purposes.
• 60% of programs did not use MI, citing a lack of knowledge as the main reason.

Conclusions:

• There is a need to optimize the integration of MI educational content and practice in nursing education.
• Further research is required to establish best practices for teaching MI across all nursing levels and specialties.