Release Date: 05/13/2019
Reviewed: 05/13/2022
Reviewed: 05/13/2023
Expiration Date: 05/13/2024

Cost: $20.00/Free for NASN members!

Program Overview
School nurses are often the first, and frequently only, healthcare providers’ students seek. This places nurses in a critical role to assess students, identify potential problems, facilitate behavior change and coordinate care. Motivational Interviewing (MI) provides an evidence-based, student-centered approach to affect change and improve healthcare outcomes. Multiple studies have examined the use of MI in the school setting. MI has been found to improve student health outcomes with obesity (Bonde, Bentsen, and Hindhede, 2014), asthma (Blaakman, Cohen, Fagnano, and Halterman, 2014) and substance abuse (Barnett et al., 2014), as well as other psychological conditions such as depression and suicide (Arkowitz, Miller & Rollnick, 2015).

MI provides a method to make conversations easier while focusing on a person’s motivation and ability to change. MI is a “collaborative, goal-oriented style of communication with particular attention to the language of change” (Miller & Rollnick, 2012, p. 29).

This engaging learning module will provide an introduction to MI strategies. The core principles and spirit of MI will be reviewed, modeled, and practiced. The Stages of Change will be explained in addition to specific techniques to assist nurses in strengthening a student’s motivation to change. The unique strengths of school nurses will be combined with MI strategies to reduce stigma and remove barriers to behavioral health services.

Learning Outcomes
At the completion of this program, the participant will be able to:

1. Describe Motivational Interviewing strategies that can be utilized in the school setting to effectively support student behavior change.
2. Explain the Stages of Change and specific interventions to increase students’ motivation for change.
3. Apply Motivational Interviewing techniques to decrease stigma and barriers to behavioral health services.

Intended Audience
This continuing education program is engaging and knowledge-based activity developed to meet the educational needs of registered nurses who are interested in advancing their practice in communication and active listening with students. And, to be able to meet the needs of various students needs by expanding their concept of communication through conversation to motivate students to actively self-identify behavioral changes and apply them.

Faculty
Vickie Z. Beckwith, MSN, RN, PHN
School Nurse Consultant
Los Angeles, California

Jennifer “Jenni” Beckwith, LMFT
Clinical Care Coordinator
Los Angeles, California

Faculty and Program Planner Disclosures
NASN must ensure that all educational session content is free of commercial bias and influence. The intent of this disclosure is to provide learners with information on which they can make their own judgments.

The nurse planner, faculty and reviewers disclose the absence of personal financial relationships with commercial interests relevant to this educational activity within the past 12 months.

Accreditation Statement
National Association of School Nurses is accredited with distinction as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.

Accredited status does not imply endorsement by NASN or ANCC of any commercial products discussed in this learning activity.

Commercial Support or Grant Funding
This program did not receive commercial support or grant funding.

Instructions to Complete This CNE Activity
To receive a Certificate of Completion for this course, follow the steps below, and complete and view the full content of the program including the course evaluation.

NASN will conduct an outcome assessment of a sample of participants at a later date. Please be advised that, if you complete this course, you may be asked to participate in this outcome assessment.

Step 1: Enroll in the course through the e-commerce system. Select the Purchase button. You will be directed to the e-commerce system. The item should already be in your shopping cart (look for the shopping cart icon at the top of the e-commerce web page). The cost for this course will be waived for NASN members during the checkout process.

Step 2: Complete and view the full content of the program. Content items are indexed at the bottom of this screen. After you enroll, you will return to this screen. The first content item will be “unlocked” so that you can begin completing the course. Subsequent items will “unlock” as you complete previous items.

Step 3: Print the certificate.