Vol. 2, Issue 2, Part A (2025)

Background: Substance Use Disorder (SUD) remains a significant global health challenge, and stigma is a critical barrier to effective treatment and patient engagement. Nurses, as frontline healthcare providers, play a pivotal role in addiction care; however, their attitudes and perceptions can shape the quality of clinical interactions and influence patient outcomes. This study aimed to assess nurses’ perceptions, attitudes, and practices related to SUD care and to explore factors contributing to stigma within different clinical settings. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 200 registered nurses from medical, psychiatric, and emergency departments. Data were collected using a structured, validated questionnaire assessing sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, stigma levels, and self-reported practices. Statistical analyses included descriptive measures, Chi-square tests, Pearson’s correlation, and multiple linear regression to identify predictors of stigma. Results: Stigma scores varied significantly by department, with the lowest levels observed in psychiatric settings and the highest in emergency departments. Nurses who had recently received addiction-related training exhibited significantly lower stigma and higher knowledge scores compared to their untrained counterparts. A strong negative correlation was observed between stigma and practice quality (r = −0.595, p<0.001), indicating that higher stigma was associated with poorer care. Multiple regression revealed that department, training, knowledge level, and years of experience were significant predictors of stigma. Conclusion: Stigma remains a substantial barrier to optimal SUD care in nursing practice. Training and knowledge emerged as key modifiable factors, suggesting that structured education and exposure can effectively reduce stigma and enhance the quality of patient care. Organizational and policy-level interventions are needed to support stigma reduction, particularly in high-intensity environments such as emergency departments. Embedding addiction-specific education into nursing curricula, implementing regular training, fostering reflective practice, and promoting institutional language guidelines can help create stigma-free care environments, ultimately improving health outcomes for individuals with SUD.