Can Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment Education and Clinical Exposure Affect Nursing Students' Stigma Perception Toward Alcohol and Opioid Use?

BACKGROUND: Alcohol and/or opioid stigma perceptions are barriers to screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) implementation. AIM: To examine SBIRT education and clinical exposure efficacy at decreasing nursing students' stigma perceptions toward caring for patients affected by alcohol and/or opioid use problems. METHOD: A single-sample, pretest-posttest design with N = 124 nursing students. The students had a 1.5-hour SBIRT education session and a 12-week clinical experience with some patients who had alcohol and/or opioid use problems. RESULTS: The participants' stigma perceptions improved toward patients who had alcohol and/or opioid use problems. CONCLUSIONS: SBIRT education and clinical exposure may provide a basis for promoting understanding of alcohol and/or opioid use-related stigma and can be used as an intervention to decrease some of stigma's negative effects.

Changing BSN Students' Stigma Toward Patients Who Use Alcohol and Opioids Through Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) Education and Training: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Stigma associated with substance use is considered a barrier to implementing Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) and assisting patients to receive appropriate treatment. OBJECTIVES: To test the efficacy of SBIRT education and training in changing undergraduate nursing students' attitudes about working with patients who have problems with alcohol and opioid use. DESIGN: A sample of 49 undergraduate nursing students were surveyed, using five subscales, at three time points. RESULTS: After a 15-week semester that included (a) SBIRT education and (b) weekly clinical experiences with patients who had alcohol use problems the undergraduate nursing students' stigma decreased as measured by three of the five subscales. The students' attitudes toward working with patients who had opioid use problems exhibited favorable change as measured by four of the five subscales. CONCLUSION: SBIRT education and training for undergraduate nursing students might help mitigate some of their stigma toward working with patients who have mild to moderate alcohol and opioid use problems.

Learned lessons from patients who take clozapine: A case study.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this report is to provide clinical strategies to manage patients with schizophrenia taking clozapine. CONCLUSIONS: Serious side effects and required blood monitoring impede the use of clozapine, despite the benefits of clozapine for managing psychiatric symptoms. Well-managed patients receiving evidence-based interventions exhibit reduced symptoms, improved functioning, and better adherence to treatment. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Preexisting medical conditions should be considered before prescribing clozapine. Ongoing education on medication and mental illness for patients and family members is essential to prepare them for adherence to management plans. Healthcare providers are responsible for monitoring the side effects of clozapine.