Evaluating the Project
Two surveys were conducted in the context of the nursing certification presentation. The pre-survey was held before the presentation, whereas the post-survey was taken after the information was presented. Both surveys were given to ten respondents in the form of a written questionnaire. The findings reveal that most nurses did not feel notably comfortable with using the SBIRT; however, every nurse was aware of the tool and its benefit to a certain extent. Moreover, the presentation significantly increased the overall awareness of the importance of SBIRT in the context of patients suffering from marijuana abuse. SBIRT training is proven to positively contribute to the knowledge and experience with subjects suffering from substance abuse and breaks the overall stigma (Mahmoud et al., 2018). Unfortunately, some respondents were not sufficiently influenced by the presentation, as some still need additional SBIRT education.
Overall experience with the project
The project was interesting and practical, providing me with useful insights regarding community health centers. It was an excellent opportunity to observe and interact with health care professionals from around the region. Furthermore, the project was a good practice for conducting community research, both methodologically and from a networking standpoint. The findings were not particularly surprising; however, it was still useful to see how other healthcare professionals saw the tool. Overall, the project was beneficial and meaningful due to its nature and location and is something I would be willing to continue in the future if possible.
Summary of the outcomes
The project revealed that many health care professionals were not confident in their awareness of the SBIRT. The respondents did not generally indicate a lack of confidence in their work, only in this particular topic. The benefits and advantages of SBIRT had not been communicated to the respondents effectively enough. Overall, the literature suggests that practicing nurses often lack necessary SBIRT awareness and training (Wamsley et al., 2018). After the presentation on SBIRT, there was a marked increase in the health care professionals’ knowledge and confidence with it. Overall, respondent awareness also increased after the presentation, indicating the importance of elements such as SBIRT to overall trust in one’s abilities.
Barriers in the project
The survey was conducted among four different healthcare facilities in Miami, Florida, which did not allow for appropriate diversity of the sample. Nurses from separate organizations come from various educational backgrounds and have a unique practicing routine. Thus, it will be beneficial to integrate participants from a broader range of medical institutions for future project implementation. Moreover, some respondents were familiar with the SBIRT tool but not aware of the applications to marijuana use problems.
Implications for future practice
The project had heavily contributed to my personal and professional development. I have learned more about the relevance of the SBIRT tool in nursing, which I will feel confident applying in future practice. Moreover, examining the experiences of different healthcare experts helped me to gain professional connections in the field. Furthermore, the experience in giving a formal presentation and delivering information to a broad group of specialists is especially valuable for the experienced nurse.
References
Mahmoud, K. F., Lindsay, D., Scolieri, B. B., Hagle, H., Puskar, K. R., & Mitchell, A. M. (2018). Changing BSN students’ stigma toward patients who use alcohol and opioids through screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) education and training: A pilot study. Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 24(6), 510–521.
Wamsley, M., Satterfield, J. M., Curtis, A., Lundgren, L., & Satre, D. D. (2018). Alcohol and drug screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) training and implementation: Perspectives from 4 health professions. Journal of Addiction Medicine, 12(4), 262–272.