Frequency of nurse practitioner screening for substance use disorders

A quality improvement project was undertaken at an academic nursing center to increase screening rates for substance use disorders among adult clients. Project staff used 20 minutes to introduce the topic to family practitioners during a faculty/staff meeting and presented a tool that was chosen for use during this project. Administration and scoring of the tool was discussed, questions were answered, and practitioners were provided a laminated copy of the tool for their reference. Practitioners voiced agreement and interest in the project. Charts were monitored for one month following the inservice. Practitioners were asked to record the score in the progress notes. Practitioners participated in standardized screening less than 7% of the time. Practitioners recorded that they questioned clients about their substance use, but did not use the tool 26% of the time. Implications for practice and research are discussed.