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

Background: 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.

Objectives: 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.

Design: Using the Iowa Model for Implementing Evidence-Based Practices, SBIRT was implemented on the unit.