Effective Nursing Recovery-Oriented Interventions for Individuals With Substance Use Disorder: A Literature Review

Nurses support the recovery of individuals with substance use disorder. How they support individuals, however, may impact the effectiveness of their work. For example, there are various paradigms of recovery that alter interventions. In addition, negative attitudes adopted by clinicians discourage individuals who use substances from accessing healthcare services, experiencing further health deterioration. Alternatively, nurses can enact interventions that promote positive experiences, further supporting the recovery of individuals. Hence, it is beneficial to increase nurses' awareness of effective interventions that promote recovery. The purpose of this literature review is to examine effective nursing interventions that promoted recovery of those with substance use disorders from the perspective of nurses and individuals who received nursing care. The review identified that effective interventions were based on three major themes: person-centered care, empowerment, and maintaining supports and capability enhancement. In addition, literature revealed that some interventions were perceived to be more effective; this depended on whose viewpoint was examined - nurses or individuals with substance use disorders. Finally, there are interventions based on spirituality, culture, advocacy, and self-disclosure that are often disregarded but may be effective. Nurses should utilize the more prominent interventions as they offer the most benefit and integrate interventions that are often overlooked.