The Authors’ Own Words: Screening and Brief Intervention in High Schools: School Nurse Practices and Attitudes in Massachusetts

The Authors’ Own Words: We ask authors to describe their impressions regarding the implications of their accepted work, how their findings will change practice, and what is noteworthy about the work.

Screening and Brief Intervention in High Schools: School Nurse Practices and Attitudes in Massachusetts

Julie Lunstead, MPH; Elissa R. Weitzman, ScD, MSc; Dylan Kaye, BA; & Sharon Levy, MD, MPH

Substance Abuse Vol. 38, Iss. 3, 2017

“In this survey of Massachusetts school nurses, we found that self-reported brief intervention practices are in alignment with adolescent SBIRT recommendations, though few nurses screen routinely, and reported barrier included unfamiliarity with screening tools and insufficient time for this procedure. These barriers can be addressed by introducing validated, self-administered screens into schools as they prepare to implement SBIRT as required by a new Massachusetts law.”