Teaching Gun Violence Prevention in Undergraduate Nursing Programs

Abstract

Gun violence is an epidemic that kills over 40,000 persons in the United States annually. Despite that gun violence is a significant public health problem, the topic is not often included in undergraduate nursing curricula. To understand this gap, the purpose of this study was to describe the teaching behaviors and perceptions of undergraduate nursing faculty related to gun violence prevention (GVP) and to explore factors that are associated with their behaviors. A survey was developed to measure faculty behaviors and perceptions. A sample of 102 nursing faculty recruited via social media communications, professional organization electronic discussion boards, and an electronic listserv completed the survey. Descriptive and inferential statistics and content analysis were used to analyze their responses. Whereas most participants were favorable to including GVP topics in curriculum, only 31 had taught about GVP in an undergraduate nursing course. Participants most frequently indicated the following topics and skills should be taught: the role of guns in unintentional injuries, suicide, and intimate partner violence; assessing for gun access; counseling about safe gun storage; and counseling about lethal means restrictions to prevent suicide. Participants indicated that key barriers to teaching about GVP included having too many other topics to teach, lack of standardized educational materials, lack of guidance from accrediting bodies, lack of faculty expertise, and the current political atmosphere. Perceived level of knowledge, level of confidence, and beliefs about teaching GVP were significantly associated with teaching GVP. The findings highlight the need for faculty development programs to increase awareness of gun violence as a public health issue and assist faculty to integrate GVP education into curricula. The findings also indicate that national nursing organizations should develop guidelines, identify competencies, and provide resources related to the inclusion of GVP content in undergraduate nursing programs.