Understanding Substance Use

Completion of this instructional unit demonstrates an understanding of substance use as a widespread treatable disorder.

Challenge 1 I Challenge 2 I Challenge 3

Upon completion of the challenges required for this instructional unit, you will be able to:

  1. Distinguish among substance use, misuse, abuse, and addiction.
  2. Discuss the importance of assessment and the use of SBIRT as a screening tool.
  3. Discuss the principles of harm reduction in relation to substance use health behaviors.
  4. Understand how a nurse’s own feelings, attitudes, and past experiences can impact the nurse-patient relationship when working with substance use disorder patients.
  5. Elaborate on the issue of the impaired nurse.

Challenge 1: Defining Substance Use, Abuse, and Addiction

Work through Lessons 1 and 2 in the elearning module to distinguish between substance use, abuse, and addiction.

Learning Activities

To complete this challenge, reflect on your personal experiences and thoughts about substance use using the following prompts to guide your reflection:

  • Often people have had a negative experience with addiction. What has been your experience?
  • Do you see someone who has a problem with addiction as having a chronic progressive illness? Or do you believe they can control their use and are choosing not to do so?

Challenge 2: Assessment and Referral

Work through Lesson 3 in the elearning module to learn about the SBIRT tool for assessment and referral.

To complete this challenge, think about what you have learned using the following prompts to guide your reflection:

  • Have you been introduced to SBIRT, participated in SBIRT training, or used SBRIT in your nursing practice?
  • Why do you think this approach to assessing a person’s substance use may be successful? Please use the Principles of Harm Reduction when responding to this question prompt.
  • If you have used SBIRT in practice, how did it feel asking/discussing with someone about their substance use?

Challenge 3: Substance Abuse Among Nurses

Work through Lessons 4 and 5 in the elearning module to comprehend the issue of substance abuse among nurses.

To complete this challenge, reflect on your personal thoughts regarding this issue using the following prompts to guide your reflection:

  • What do you think would be the hardest for you considering that one of your professional colleauges had an addiction problem? Why?
    • Identification?
    • Reporting?
    • Trusting that person upon return from treatment?