Increasing RN Perceived Competency With Substance Use Disorder Patients.

BACKGROUND: Although behavioral health and substance use disorder patients visit hospitals in significant numbers, nurses are often ill-prepared to care for them. METHOD: The purpose of this quasi-experimental preclass-postclass design was to determine the effects of an educational intervention on the perceived competency of 57 nurses who care for patients with behavioral and substance abuse disorders. The nurses who chose to participate were asked to respond to a demographic questionnaire and a survey designed to measure perceived competency. Survey data were analyzed to determine whether any differences (alpha = .05) existed between participants' attitudes and knowledge preclass and postclass. RESULTS: Immediately following the educational intervention, a statistically significant increase was found in perceived competency related to self-confidence, attitudes, communication, and knowledge of resource availability among participating nurses. CONCLUSION: Nurses working in acute care hospitals, particularly those without addiction and psychiatric services, may benefit from continuing education on this important topic. J Contin Nurs Educ. 2017;48(4):175-183.