Date of Conferral
2-6-2025
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Nursing
Advisor
Carolyn Sipes
Abstract
Medical cannabis is legal in more than half of the United States, and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing has provided guidelines indicating that nurses need to know about medical cannabis. However, most nurses report a lack of knowledge and education but believe that cannabis has therapeutic potential. The problem addressed in this study was the limited research on nurse educators’ experiences with medical cannabis education and its meaning for nursing education. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological qualitative study, supported by an emergent framework, patterns of knowing, was to explore nurse educators’ experiences with medical cannabis education and its meaning for nursing education. Eleven nurse educators in states with medical cannabis programs and at least two years of experience teaching in an accredited nursing program participated in semistructured interviews. In vivo coding and phenomenological theming revealed six themes: (a) understanding therapeutic potential, (b) awareness of learning opportunities, (c) limited discussions with colleagues, (d) limited by time, (e) relevant to nursing content, and (f) curricular updates. Aligned with previous literature, this study indicated that nurse educators experience limited discussions, time constraints, and conflicting laws and policies. Future studies and research of how medical cannabis concepts are added to curricula could guide nurse educators to make curricular changes, thereby supporting positive social change by preparing nurses to educate patients about their use for a more informed approach to medical cannabis use.
Recommended Citation
Parmelee, Rachel Ann, "Nurse Educators’ Experiences With Medical Cannabis Education" (2025). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 17290.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/17290
