For over a decade, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) has urged that doctors, nurses, social workers, pharmacists, dentists, and others be educated using common threads of curricula, both didactic and clinical. The IOM argues that patient care improves dramatically when healthcare teams work from a set of common beliefs about care. This issue of Journal of Addictions Nursing (JAN) addresses the IOM interdisciplinary imperative as it relates to addictions education.
The brief introductory article by Murphy sets the stage with a synopsis of what has been planned and implemented nationally in the past 2-3 years about interdisciplinary education. Several model programs are currently being offered. Murphy posits some reasons that the movement has moved more slowly about addictions education.
The Scoping Review by Broyles and colleagues is an ambitious and comprehensive review of the literature. The authors used scoping as a broad framework that allowed them to search widely in concert with their objectives. Their results are most informative. Readers are sure to find this article a valuable resource.
In a community project designed for at-risk children and their mentors, Marcus portrays the benefits of interdisciplinary collaboration to achieve positive outcomes for both the children and their mentors. Although labor-intensive and difficult to implement, this after-school program is a showcase for the entire community.
In the Continuing Education Segment for this issue of the journal, Broyles and her colleagues describe the conduct and results of a pilot test designed to increase alcohol screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment among nurses in hospital inpatient settings. The program was developed with broad interdisciplinary collaboration. Readers are informed of the many challenges when carrying out this type of study.
Thompson describes the extension of a research training program for nurses into an interdisciplinary program funded by NIAAA and NIDA since 1992. The author describes the interdisciplinary mentoring process and provides readers with an account of the high research and publication productivity of the research trainees.
In a second project involving screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment, Naegle and her colleagues describe a nurse-managed program implemented in two college health clinics. The authors inform readers of the political and public relations challenges as well as the careful planning required to implement such a project.
Strobbe reports the results of a fascinating assignment that meets one requirement for successful completion of a college addictions course. An interdisciplinary team of faculty teaches the course. One of the student requirements is the attendance at an AA meeting. Students give oral presentations relating their experiences.
In summary, this topic issue of JAN would not have been possible without the participation of our professional network of colleagues. Together, we are indebted to our colleagues who contributed articles explicating the status of interdisciplinary education in the field of addictions and substance abuse. Our thanks to all of you!! A special thanks to JAN editor, Christine Vourakis, for her patience with us throughout the process and to Rick Garcia who helped us keep on track and on time.