Behind the Curtain of Care. Nurses' Experiences Providing Care to Consumers With Alcohol and Other Drug Issues: A Qualitative Scoping Review.

AIM: To scope and synthesise qualitative literature relating to nurses' experiences of providing care to consumers with alcohol and other drug issues and explore how meaning is constructed in practice.

DESIGN

Scoping review.

METHODS

A scoping review was conducted following Arksey and O'Malley's framework. Findings were analysed using thematic analysis.

DATA SOURCES: Systematic searches were conducted between September and November 2025 across Medline, Emcare, CINAHL and Google Scholar, using controlled vocabulary and keywords relevant to nurses' experiences of providing care to consumers with alcohol and other drug issues.

RESULTS

Twenty-four studies from 12 countries were included. Seven themes were identified: emotional aspects of care, education, training and skills in practice, the spectrum of stigma, ethical issues in professional practice, navigating pain management, limited support, and how meaning is constructed in practice.

CONCLUSION

Nurses' experiences of providing care to consumers with alcohol and other drug issues are shaped by multiple intersecting factors influencing care delivery and professional practice. Further research is needed to examine how workplace culture, language and interpersonal interactions influence healthcare experiences, and inform education, service development and support needs.

REPORTING METHOD: Reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution.