Authors

  1. Mitchell, Ann M. PhD, RN, AHN-BC, FIAAN, FAAN

Article Content

Welcome to the Spring 2022 issue of the Journal of Additions Nursing. We have an informative lineup of original articles along with a number of our clinically related columns. However, we open the issue with Dr. Christine Vourakis's "Tribute to Marianne Taft Marcus, EdD, RN, FAAN" who had been involved in many ways with the journal for over 15 years. She will be sorely missed.

 

In the first article of the Spring edition, Dr. Deborah Finnell and her colleagues evaluate the impact of a substance-use-related curriculum on nursing students' attitudes and commitment for working with patients with alcohol- and drug-use-related problems. Data were collected for four cohorts of 169 nursing students enrolled in a Master's Entry into Nursing program. Questionnaires included the Person-Centered Alcohol and Alcohol Problems Perception Questionnaire and the Drug and Drug Problems Perception Questionnaire, completed before and after completing the curriculum. Four of the seven Person-Centered Alcohol and Alcohol Problems Perception Questionnaire subscales showed significant increases, whereas four of the five Drug and Drug Problems Perception Questionnaire subscales showed significant increases. This study adds to the growing body of evidence of the positive impact of providing evidence-based information and skill development, which enhance alcohol- and drug-related knowledge and competence for nurses entering professional practice.

 

In the second article, Adam Gordon, MD, MPH, and his colleagues examine the perceptions and evolving roles of nurses in a national Veterans Health Administration (VHA) initiative designed to improve medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) access within general medical settings. Nurses participating in the VHA's Stepped Care for Opioid Use Disorder Train the Trainer Initiative (a national program intending to implement MOUD in general medical settings) were recruited to participate in an interview about their roles, perceptions, and experiences. The respondents answered inquiries through an interview or responded to an email solicitation with written responses, which were then recorded, transcribed, and independently coded to identify themes. Nurses from 10 VHA facilities participated in an interview (n = 7) or completed the questionnaire (n = 4). Inadequate staffing, high patient-to-provider ratios, and time constraints were identified as barriers to MOUD care. Mentorship activities, existing VHA informational resources, and patients' willingness to accept treatment were identified as facilitators of MOUD care. The Stepped Care for Opioid Use Disorder Train the Trainer Initiative was acknowledged to promote confidence, which in turn increased job satisfaction and empowered nurses to become content experts.

 

Next, Gina Dahlem, PhD, FNP-C, FAANP, Josephine Granner, BSN, RN, doctoral student, and Carol Boyd, PhD, RN, FIAAN, FAAN, conducted a descriptive, exploratory study to explore the perceptions of law enforcement officers (LEOs) about using naloxone in the field and to identify areas that should be included in future naloxone trainings. Interview data were obtained through face-to-face interviews with LEOs (N = 14) and analyzed using manifest content analysis. LEOs changed their attitudes and beliefs toward naloxone after receiving training and experiencing a successful resuscitation. The change in attitude was enhanced after saving a life. However, misconceptions about naloxone and lack of understanding about the disease of addiction persisted even after training. Future naloxone curriculum could benefit from additional lessons on the stigma of addiction, the disease of addiction, misconceptions about the safety of naloxone, strategies for postoverdose responses, and the role naloxone might play in recovery.

 

Next, Dr. John Arianda Owiti and colleagues state that the COVID-19 pandemic has led not only to an increase in substance misuse, substance use disorder, and risk of overdose but also to a lack of access to treatment services. Their service evaluation underscores the importance of providing drug services to those with opioid use disorders (OUDs) and that methadone is safe among this population with a high burden of comorbidity, most of which leads to negative outcomes for COVID-19. The outcomes from this audit show that patients who have COVID-19 should continue with opioid substitution treatment.

 

Next, Jack Bernard Lewis, Jr., DSW, and colleagues compare the perceptions of smoking and vaping between two groups of baccalaureate degree nursing students from Haiti and the United States. In this descriptive study, surveys were used to collect data to determine the differences between the two country's nursing students on their perceptions of smoking and vaping. The findings indicate that, despite greater usage, the students from the United States had a higher perception of the health implications of cigarette smoking and vaping compared with those from Haiti. They conclude that collaborative pedagogical research opportunities among international nursing education programs can further curriculum development.

 

Jamie Manganti, BSN, RN, and colleagues did a pilot study to examine the impact of a recovery-oriented educational intervention highlighting individuals who have lived experiences with OUD to address OUD-related stigma among undergraduate students. A pretest-posttest design was utilized. Nine students completed the pretest and posttest. Overall, there were small positive changes in students' personal stigma and public stigma perceptions. Students had prior knowledge and exposure to people with OUD through clinical experience, personal relationships, and the media. Further studies should evaluate the impact of learning from the lived experiences of individuals with OUD on a larger undergraduate student population with the goal of incorporating these educational interventions into college-level curricula.

 

We also have five columns in this issue. In the Pharmacology Corner, Dr. Lorman presents information on viloxazine, a nonstimulant extended-release capsule for the treatment of ADHD. In the Innovative Roles Column, Dr. Joan Kub interviews Keiarin M. Waite-Labott, BSN, RN, CARN, who is a registered nurse, a nurse coach, and current President of the IntNSA, USA Chapter. In the Media Watch Column, Dr. Baird presents information on the effect of smoking on COVID-19 status. In Stories From the Field, Drs. Larrieu-Jimenez and Salani present a case report of a 40-year-old man presenting with mixed mental health symptoms including depression, anxiety, euphoria, sleep cycle disturbances, and alcohol use over several years. Finally, in Perspectives, Ruthanne Palumbo, DNP, RN, presents "A Call to Action: 1 in 93,000." She states 93,000 people have died by overdose in the past year and that there is much work to be done by healthcare professionals in terms of reducing stigma, advocating for evidence-based changes in their facilities, and educating people with substance use disorder on the prevention of an overdose.