Author: Ferne Michele Cohen

Publisher:

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 308

ISBN-13:

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are a leading occupational hazard in the anesthesia profession which must be identified early to prevent practitioner and patient harm. Nurse anesthesia care providers (NACPs) play a critical role in identifying impaired colleagues, but negative attitudes and weak self-efficacy to recognize suspicious behavior can impede early identification and intervention. Research indicates that education promotes favorable addiction attitudes and increases confidence to recognize impairment. The purpose of this mixed methods study consisting of single group pre-test post-test design with a case study qualitative approach was to explore the influence of a SUDs educational session on NACPs' addiction attitudes and perceived self-efficacy to recognize chemical impairment. The conceptual framework was a blend of three streams of literature: (1) risk factors for SUDs and the impact on the anesthesia profession, (2) barriers which hinder identification and therapeutic intervention, (3) influence of education on addiction attitudes and perceived self-efficacy to recognize chemical impairment. Bandura's Self -Efficacy model and Rosenberg's Structural Theory of Attitude Dynamics provide the theoretical underpinnings to support this investigation. A 90 minute SUDs educational session was presented by the researcher and two experts in the field to NACPs attending a professional conference. Select socio-demographic data were collected to define this convenience population but no quantitative data was linked to the participants. The Addictions Belief Inventory (ABI) was used to measure a change in attitudes; a case study qualitative approach consisting of two online focus groups facilitated further examination of the influence of this intervention. Triangulated data analysis demonstrated the positive impact of the SUDs educational intervention on NACPs' addiction attitudes and confidence levels to recognize impaired behavior. Threats to validity include use of a pre-test post-test measure, a single group design and the potential bias introduced by the researcher who also presented the educational session. Future research is targeted towards assessing the influence of this intervention, presented at the anesthesia departmental level, on anesthesia care providers' attitudes and confidence to spot suspicious behavior. An actionable solution with a three step strategy to increase and evaluate the impact of an efficacious and easily implemented SUDs.