Nursing Students' Use of Harm Reduction in the Clinical Setting

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Substance Use Disorder
• Harm Reduction

Background:

• Harm reduction education strategies are often absent in nursing care for individuals with substance use disorder (SUD).
• There is a need to integrate harm reduction principles into nursing curricula and clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of targeted training on nursing students' application of harm reduction education.
• To evaluate whether specific educational interventions enhance harm reduction practices in the clinical setting.

Main Methods:

• An experimental, 2-group, repeated-measures survey design was employed.
• Baccalaureate nursing students underwent a 3-semester harm reduction training program.
• Training incorporated lived experience panels, physician lectures, and role-playing exercises.

Main Results:

• Students receiving targeted training presented a greater variety of harm reduction options.
• Referral for treatment was the most frequently provided education.
• Education on injection drug use was the least commonly delivered harm reduction topic.

Conclusions:

• Targeted harm reduction training significantly enhanced nursing students' clinical practice.
• The intervention increased the scope of harm reduction information offered to patients with SUD.
• Further integration of harm reduction education into nursing programs is warranted.