Nurses' perspectives regarding integrated nursing interventions for psychoactive substance use cessation: A mixed...

Area of Science:

• Nursing Practice
• Public Health
• Addiction Medicine

Background:

• General hospital settings present unique opportunities for addressing substance use cessation.
• Integrated interventions require specific nursing knowledge, attitudes, and practices.
• Existing nursing capacity for substance use cessation interventions needs evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To ascertain nurses' perspectives on integrated interventions for substance use cessation.
• To identify barriers and facilitators to implementing these interventions in general hospitals.
• To inform the development of targeted nursing education and training programs.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods approach combining quantitative surveys (N=207) and qualitative focus groups (N=32).
• Surveys assessed nurses' knowledge, attitude, practice, and confidence regarding integrated interventions.
• Focus groups explored themes including patient substance use, nurses' roles, training needs, and intervention feasibility.

Main Results:

• Quantitative data revealed moderate nurse knowledge and attitude scores, but low practice and confidence levels.
• Qualitative findings identified key themes: patient substance use patterns, the nurse's role, essential training needs, and intervention feasibility.
• Significant gaps in nurses' confidence and practice highlight a need for structured support and education.

Conclusions:

• The study provides strong evidence for developing targeted training modules for nurses.
• Enhanced training is crucial to equip nurses with the skills and confidence to deliver integrated substance use cessation interventions.
• Implementation of such modules can improve patient care and outcomes in general hospital settings.