CE: Reducing Bias Against People with Substance Use Disorders
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Updated: Jul 9, 2025

Investigating Drivers of Antireward in Addiction Behavior with Anatomically Specific Single-Cell Gene Expression Methods
Published on: August 4, 2022
Jane Ginther1, Gretchen McNally
1Jane Ginther is an NP on the trauma team in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus. Gretchen McNally is an NP at the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, Columbus, OH. The authors acknowledge Carlton Brown, PhD, RN, AOCN, nurse research consultant at Zenith Health Care Solutions, for editorial assistance. Contact author: Jane Ginther, ginther.26@osu.edu . The authors and planners have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.
Abstract:
Addiction is a highly misunderstood and stigmatized chronic illness frequently encountered by health care providers during routine medical care. People with substance use disorders, in particular, face extraordinary stigma and bias when interacting with health care providers, including nurses. Stigma associated with addiction contributes to health inequities and is recognized as a significant barrier to people seeking and receiving necessary health care. Since patients often spend the most time with nurses in the clinical setting, nurses are ideally positioned to address addiction stigma. However, many nurses lack knowledge about addiction, stigma, and the impact of the words they use, whether in conversation or in clinical documentation. This article reviews the consequences of addiction stigma (labeling, stereotyping, or discrimination) and the steps nurses can take to reduce biases related to substance use. A case scenario based on our experience will be used to guide a discussion of opportunities for nurses to intervene and improve care.
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