Utilization of Nurse-Administered Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment in a Brief Psychiatric Inpatient Unit.

Abstract

Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) has been established as an effective screening tool for providing interventions for patients with risky substance use. The objectives of this project were to train and coach staff nurses in the use of SBIRT, offer SBIRT to all admissions of a brief psychiatric inpatient unit, and decrease readmission rates. Using the Iowa Model for Implementing Evidence-Based Practices, SBIRT was implemented on the unit. Data were collected on the frequency of patients offered SBIRT and readmission rates. Fifty-nine percent of all admissions were offered SBIRT. The average readmission rates decreased by 18.3% for the first 2 months of implementation and by 67.5% for Days 16-31 postdischarge. SBIRT is an effective tool for nurses on psychiatric units to address substance use and to decrease readmission rates.