Substance use–related content in advanced practice nursing curricula: A scoping review

Background: Funding opportunities within the last decade were aimed at addressing the deficits in substance use-related content that have existed for decades. In the face of the opioid crisis, efforts have been undertaken to increase access to treatment using the advanced practice nursing workforce. There continues to be a pressing need to ensure that students are prepared to identify, treat, and manage people with substance use disorders. Purpose: To identify educational enhancements that have been made related to substance use–related content in graduate nursing curricula. Methods: This scoping review followed the five-stage process described by Arksey and O'Malley (2005) to answer the question, “What is the current state of the literature on educational content related to substance use for preparation of advanced practice nursing students? Results: The review included 23 publications spanning an 8-year period from 2015 to 2023. Curricular approaches were augmenting existing courses with substance use content or providing dedicated courses focusing on substance use. Most of the publications included content related to screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT). The content, amount of time to deliver, and placement across the curriculum was inconsistent across the set of publications. Conclusion: It is essential to ensure that the next generation of advanced practice nurses has the requisite knowledge, skills, and attitudes to care for people at risk for and with a substance use disorder. This scoping review serves as an incentive for nurse educators who have or are undertaking curricular enhancements to disseminate their work.