Quality Standards, Competency Models, and Curricula of Nursing Education and Training in Addiction Nursing: A Scoping Review.

Abstract

Background: The nursing profession is crucial to both the prevention and treatment of substance use disorders. Higher education in nursing in the field of addiction varies among countries, and the quality of these programs also differs. It is of vital importance to observe how professional capacity and quality care in addiction nursing (AN) are being secured. The objective of this scoping review was to explore educational interventions (EI) within AN, at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, with a focus on describing the curricula, key competencies, quality standards, and the competency models that underpin these programs.

Methods: A scoping review of articles was conducted, focusing on nursing education and training programs in addictions. The aim was to detect sources that are consistent with the criteria and methodology based on the PRISMA-ScR protocol (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews). Applicable papers were identified using the electronic databases Web of Science, PubMed, EBSCO, and SCOPUS. Subsequently, titles and abstracts were reviewed independently for relevance. Full texts of relevant papers (N = 39) were examined and analyzed for curricula, quality standards, and competency models of nursing education and training in addictions.

Results: This scoping review examines and analyzes EI in AN, with a focus on curricula, key competencies, quality standards, and the competency models that they are based on. Curricula, competencies, and quality standards descriptions were limited. Competencies were generally discussed in relation to training modules and course objectives rather than being explicitly defined. Within the curricula, methods and time allocation were outlined.

Conclusions: The articles on EI in AN did not offer an in-depth description of curricula, competencies, and quality standards. A greater focus on these aspects of EI in AN is required.