Boston, MA: More than nine in ten nursing students believe that patients should be legally able to access medical cannabis, but few report receiving sufficient training on the subject while in medical school, according to survey data published in the journal Nurse Practitioner.
Researchers affiliated with Simmons College in Boston surveyed over 100 nurse practitioner (NP) students. Ninety-four percent of respondents said that “medical marijuana should be legalized in all US states.” Their support aligns with those of most practicing nurses, as well as with the American Nurses Association. Since 2003, the ANA has publicly expressed support for “patients to have safe access to therapeutic marijuana/cannabis under appropriate prescriber supervision.” In July, the ANA submitted public comments to the US Drug Enforcement Administration in support of federally reclassifying cannabis.
Consistent with other surveys of healthcare professionals, most nursing students acknowledged having received either no or insufficient training about medical cannabis during their training.
“MM [medical marijuana]-specific NP program content needs to be developed and standardized using the latest available evidence before being integrated into curricula to ensure that NP students are well prepared to address patient questions and needs surrounding MM,” the study’s authors concluded. “Inclusion of MM content in programs is critical for optimizing patient care upon students’ entry into practice; nursing and NP organizations support addressing this knowledge gap through education at the university level.”
Full text of the study, “NP student knowledge and perceptions of medical marijuana,” appears in Nurse Practitioner. Additional information is available from the NORML Fact Sheet, ‘Health Clinicians’ Attitudes Toward Cannabis.’