Nurses' Attitudes toward Substance Misusers. I. Surveys

Abstract

Studies of nurses' attitude toward substance misusers, spanning three decades, are reviewed. Survey findings reflect greater acceptance of alcohol and drug misusers in recent years. However, significant minorities of nurses continue to regard substance users as immoral, characterologically defective, and unlikely to recover. Implications of these attitudes for treatment of substance misusers are discussed.

Key Words:

• Nurses
• Attitudes
• Stigma
• Substance use
• Substance users