An assessment of substance abuse treatment training. needs among nurses (part I): evaluating skiII, knowledge and training characteristics

Abstract

This article (part I of a two-part paper) presents results of a substance abuse treatment training needs assessment study conducted with 133 nurses who were working in randomly selected New England substance abuse treatment facilities. This sample of nurses was derived from a larger survey sample of 1684 substance abuse treatment providers working in randomly selected New England substance abuse treatment facilities. These needs assessment data show that, compared with drug and alcohol counselors, social workers, and physicians or residents, nurses have the lowest levels of skill or knowledge in 8 of 12 substance abuse-specific treatment areas. Nurses reported that additional training would increase their clinical effectiveness. Without adequate training, nurses cannot fulfill their roles in prevention, intervention and treatment.