Substance abuse education for clinical nurses: a controlled study

BACKGROUND: A study was conducted to evaluate a substance abuse component of a workshop for nurses being promoted to the position of Advanced Clinical Nurse. METHODS: We compared whether the 88 nurses who received the educational intervention increased their knowledge and enhanced their feelings of competence regarding the care of chemically dependent patients more than a control group of nurses who received the promotion workshop without the substance abuse component. RESULTS: The nurses in the intervention group had greater increases in knowledge and competence. CONCLUSIONS: This study points out the importance of providing hospital nurses with continuing education on substance abuse to compensate for their educational deficiencies, to provide the information they need and desire, and to help them meet the ANA's practice standards.