Comparing Medical-Surgical, Psychiatric–Mental Health, and Addiction Specialty Nurses’ Personal Attitudes, Professional Attitudes, and Motivation Toward Working With Individuals With Alcohol and Opioid Use Problems: Implications for the Nursing Workforce Using a Nationwide Sample

Abstract

Background

Alcohol and opioid use have significant impacts economically and socially at the global and national levels and are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. In 2021, 94% of individuals with substance use disorders reported not receiving any specialty treatment. Thus, building the nursing workforce to care for this population is important.

Purpose

To compare the demographics, personal attitudes, professional attitudes, and motivation among three nursing specialty groups (medical-surgical, psychiatric–mental health, and addiction) relative to providing care to persons with alcohol and opioid use problems.

Methods

A nationwide online survey was used for this cross-sectional, correlational study. Nurses were recruited from four professional national nursing organizations representative of the three nursing specialty groups. The survey included questions about nurses’ demographics, personal attitudes, professional attitudes, and motivation relative to providing alcohol- and opioid-related care.

Results

The study revealed that among the 460 included respondents, nurses’ demographics differed significantly between the three nursing specialty groups in terms of age, years of experience in nursing, primary workplace, and highest degree obtained in nursing. In addition, there were significant differences among the three nursing specialty groups regarding familiarity, perceived dangerousness, social distance, personal responsibility beliefs, and disease model. All professional attitudes and motivation associated with alcohol- and opioid-related care also differed significantly among the three groups.

Conclusion

The study findings emphasize the need to prepare all nurses with the needed knowledge and skills to manage substance use–related problems within their workplace.