Date of Award

Spring 2024

Document Type

Project – Full Written

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Committee Chair

Tina Lewis

Abstract

Background: This paper discusses the problem and potential solutions of substance abuse amongst practicing nurses. Substance abuse is prevalent among 10% of the nursing population in the United States (Sofer, 2019). This problem is more significant than the public realizes. It is essential that new nurses and student nurses become aware of the risks and the causes of substance abuse within the culture prior to them practicing.

Methods: A 45-minute educational presentation based upon 10 peer-reviewed articles which include five articles regarding the problem and five discussing solutions was utilized to facilitate open discussion of the topic. The project was aimed to educate new nurses by making them aware of the potential of substance abuse within the nursing field.

Results: The pre-survey shows 10 of 13 students were reluctant to report a nurse working under the influence, whereas post-survey results showed their comfort level increased. The post-survey results 13 out of 13 scored five or greater (out of 10) in their comfort level and improved in reporting their peers. Pre-test scores reflected a correct understanding of the project topic in five of 10 questions. Post-survey scores reflected correct understanding of the project topic in 9 of 10 questions, showing a greater improvement in understanding than the 10% goal.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License

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