SBIRT Education for Nurse Practitioner Students: Integration Into an MSN Program.

BACKGROUND: Substance use disorders are a major public health problem. As primary care providers, nurse practitioners (NPs) must be proficient at screening, identifying, and intervening for at-risk patients. Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) is a well-established, evidence-based model for teaching behavioral health skills to health care providers. It is vital that Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)-NP programs incorporate SBIRT into their curricula.

METHOD: SBIRT content was mapped to 10 courses across an MSN-NP program. Methods of integration included readings, lectures, case studies, role-plays, tutorials, symposia, and test questions, as well as tracking the use of SBIRT during clinical preceptorships.

RESULTS: A total of 139 online and on-campus MSN-NP students were trained. Data demonstrate students successfully implemented SBIRT in precepted clinical settings.

CONCLUSION: This approach provides a framework for integrating SBIRT training into MSN-NP curricula. [J Nurs Educ. 2017;56(12):725-732.].