Shedding Light on the Barriers to Providing Quality Nursing Care for Patients With Substance Abuse: A Qualitative Content Analysis

Objectives: Nurses play a key role in caring and assisting in the treatment of patients with substance abuse. However, providing quality nursing care for this particular patient group is affected by many barriers and challenges. These important challenges have not been considered to be a priority in Iranian studies. Thus, this study was conducted to assess the barriers faced by Iranian nurses in providing quality care for patients with substance abuse. Materials and Methods: A qualitative study using a content analysis approach was conducted. Semistructured interviews and focus groups were held with 38 nurses, who were working in general hospitals affiliated to Babol University of Medical Sciences. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants. Results: Three main themes emerged from the data analysis: “negative and stereotypical attitudes,” feelings of unease and worry,” and “insufficient knowledge and lack of preparation.” Conclusions: This study highlights the need for more knowledge about patients with substance abuse among nurses, as well as promotional activities to improve the professional attitude, moral awareness, and human dignity in encounters with these patients regardless of their background. Also, there is a need for nurse administrators to enable nurses to provide better quality care for patients with substance abuse, through fostering a more resourceful and positive work atmosphere.