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.
Graham
A V
AV
Department of Family Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106-5036, USA.
Christy
K
K
Emmitt-Myers
S
S
Zyzanski
S
S
D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009720:Nurse Clinicians / Q000193:education*; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000451:nursing*