Allma Swier

Date Approved

2025

Degree Type

Open Access Senior Honors Thesis

Department or School

Nursing

First Advisor

Elizabeth Loomis, DNP

Second Advisor

Ronald Vincent, DNP

Third Advisor

Kim Lindquist, Ph.D.

Abstract

Background. As nursing students attend undergraduate school and prepare to enter the workforce, clinical experience and classroom training shape who they will become as caregivers. There is a lack of education built into the standard curriculum on how to care for people with substance use disorders empathetically and professionally. Aim. The purpose of this literature review is to determine if nursing students feel adequately prepared to care for patients with substance use disorder, and how implementation of educational curricula can increase students' knowledge of caring for individuals with substance use disorder, leading to an increase in confidence when caring for this population. Method. Articles for this integrative literature review were found using PubMed and EBSCO. The articles included are peer-reviewed, written within the past five years, and based in the United States. Results. Eleven articles were selected for analysis, all of which contained Melnyk’s Level VI evidence. The literature reviewed indicates that there is a gap in nursing students’ knowledge and confidence in caring for patients with substance use disorders secondary to a lack of time spent learning about patients with substance use disorders in both the classroom and clinical setting. Increased classroom time, clinical experience treating patients, and reported personal connection with substance use disorder were all linked with increased perceptions of patients with substance use disorder. Conclusion. Expanding didactic content on substance use disorder in the classroom and during clinical experiences enhances both professionalism and confidence of nursing students when caring for individuals with substance use disorder.

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