A survey of 1,133 Minnesota nurses in 2023 found mixed attitudes toward psychedelic decriminalization: 45.7% in favor, 20.1% against, and 34.2% unsure. Most nurses were open to therapeutic use and 80.7% were interested in observing psychedelic sessions, while 74.1% believed nurses have an important role in psychedelic health care. However, only 26.5% were confident in their knowledge about potential benefits for mental health conditions and 21.2% about mechanisms of action. As psychedelics may be reclassified by the FDA, nurses need more education to support evidence-based use for depression, anxiety, PTSD, and addiction.
Registered nurses in one U.S. state generally hold positive attitudes toward psychedelics in healthcare, but opinions on the legal landscape, including decriminalization, are mixed. Only 12.7% reported any psychedelic content in their training, and most expressed low confidence in their knowledge. The findings align with prior research on provider attitudes, though this sample showed slightly more favorable views and higher knowledge scores. The study suggests that additional education in psychedelic science is needed to prepare nurses for this emerging area of mental health care.
A survey of 1,092 registered nurses in Minnesota found that age, gender identity, spiritual orientation, awareness of Colorado's psychedelic decriminalization, and attitudes about psychedelics' legal status and effects best predict whether a nurse supports decriminalization. The predictive model showed excellent accuracy, with a multiclass AUC of 0.870. Younger age, awareness of Colorado's laws, and less concern about psychedelics' effects and legal status were associated with more positive attitudes. The model provides a starting point for tailoring educational resources on psychedelics for nurses nationwide.