Substance Use Education: An Open Access Module for Undergraduate Nursing Students

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Addiction Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Substance use disorder (SUD) is a significant public health issue in the U.S.
• Nurses require specialized training to provide effective care for patients with SUD.
• Existing nursing curricula may lack comprehensive SUD education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the Nurses' Substance Use Education Through a Massive Open Online Course (NSUE-MOOC) Module 1.
• To assess the impact of the NSUE-MOOC on nursing students' knowledge, confidence, and stigma related to substance use.

Main Methods:

• A pre-post study design was employed.
• Nursing students utilized Module 1 of the NSUE-MOOC.
• Anonymous surveys assessed changes in knowledge, confidence, and stigma.

Main Results:

• Module 1 significantly increased nursing students' knowledge regarding substance use (p < .05).
• Student confidence in managing patients with substance use issues improved significantly (p < .05).
• The module led to a significant decrease in stigma associated with substance use (p < .05).

Conclusions:

• The NSUE-MOOC is an effective tool for delivering substance use education to nursing students.
• This virtual, free-access resource can support faculty lacking content expertise in SUD.
• Implementing the NSUE-MOOC can enhance the quality of care provided to patients with substance use disorders.