Manchester, NH: Most nursing students receive no cannabis-related training and acknowledge being unprepared to counsel their patients about the subject, according to findings published in the International Journal of Addiction Nursing.
Investigators affiliated with Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire and Dartmouth College in Massachusetts reviewed findings from eight international surveys involving over 3,100 nursing students.
They reported: “Less than half of the nursing students across studies indicated receiving formal education [about cannabis] within their curriculum. … Most students reported feeling unprepared to provide care or respond to client questions regarding medical or recreational cannabis.”
Among nursing students in the United States, fewer than 1 in 5 acknowledged “feeling prepared to answer questions about medical cannabis.” Many students also acknowledged failing to understand how cannabis interacts with the endocannabinoid system.
Separate surveys of other health professionals, including physicians and pharmacists, have consistently yielded similar results.
“Nursing students overwhelmingly report feeling unprepared and lacking confidence to provide care to patients with cannabis use, which may relate to inadequate formal education within nursing curricula,” the study’s authors concluded. “Developing cannabis-related curricula for health care providers is an identified need and is essential for ensuring safe, nonjudgmental care for a growing population of individuals who use medical and recreational cannabis.”
Commenting on the findings, NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: “Given the widespread use of cannabis, particularly for medical purposes, it is inexcusable that nurses and other healthcare professionals are not receiving adequate training and guidance in this matter. Institutions have an obligation to integrate this subject into their curricula, or they risk losing the confidence and trust of their patients – many of whom are already using cannabis products for either therapeutic or recreational purposes.”
Full text of the study, “Nursing students’ attitudes and knowledge of medical and recreational cannabis use,” appears in the International Journal of Addiction Nursing. Additional information appears in the NORML Fact Sheet, ‘Health Clinicians’ Attitudes Toward Cannabis.’