Nurses' Attitudes Toward Patients Who Use Cannabis: Does Legal Status or Care Setting Matter?

Cannabis has been cited as the most frequently used drug in this country, and intolerance toward substance use is a recognized concern in nursing. The twofold purpose of this descriptive study was to determine (a) what, if any, were the differences between nurses' attitudes of patient cannabis use in states in which cannabis was legal versus illegal and (b) how do nurses working in diverse care settings differ in their attitudes regarding patient cannabis use.

A sample of 809 registered nurses from across the United States were recruited to take part in this study in October 2018. A previously validated 20-question survey was used to collect participants' perceptions of and attitudes toward patient cannabis use. Demographic information collected included age, gender, educational level, years in practice, primary area of practice, and legal status of cannabis in state of practice. An independent t test and analysis of variance were used to analyze group differences.

Findings from this study indicated that there was no significant difference in attitudes of nurses in states in which cannabis use was legal (M = 28.76, SD = 7.83) and states in which it was illegal (M = 29.43, SD = 7.65), t(807) = 1.202, p = .230. In addition, no significant differences were found in attitudes across six areas of practice, F(5) = 1.531, p = .178. Furthermore, nursing attitudes were largely positive toward patient cannabis use (M = 29.04, SD = 7.762; range: 20-100).

Findings from this study indicate that cannabis use may not carry the same perceived stigma as other illicit substances for nurses and unbiased care may be provided regardless of personal beliefs.