Nursing Students' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Skills Related to Perinatal Substance Use

Substance use in the perinatal period is a critical public health issue in the United States. Nurses play a significant role in promoting positive maternal-infant health outcomes for women who use substances in the perinatal period. However, many nurses have deficient knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) toward perinatal substance use (PSU), which can impede their ability to care for this population. Deficiencies in KSAs should be addressed during nursing school; however, few studies have described nursing students' KSAs related to PSU. Understanding nursing students' KSAs about PSU can inform the development of educational interventions to increase KSAs and improve outcomes for women with perinatal substance use and their infants. The purpose of this study was to describe the KSAs nursing students have toward PSU.

This study used a mixed-methods approach. A sample of 46 undergraduate nursing students from 2 Midwestern universities was recruited to participate in an online survey. Of those nursing students, 16 completed interviews. Survey data were triangulated with interview themes to produce a deeper understanding of nursing students' KSAs related to PSU.

Survey and interview data highlighted 4 themes which were related to KSAs of nursing students, including: (1) limited knowledge of PSU; (2) varied confidence in clinical skills; (3) biased attitudes toward PSU; and (4) recommendations for nursing education.

The findings indicated that nursing students have limited knowledge, moderate levels of stigma, and varied skill sets when caring for women with PSU and their infants. Nursing curricula should consider including broader coverage of PSU using various and effective educational strategies (ie, simulation; AI) which incorporate the lived experiences of women with PSU.