A UMass Dartmouth nursing professor is taking her groundbreaking work to Scotland after receiving a prestigious Fulbright Scholar Award aimed at transforming how health care providers care for people who use drugs. Professor of Nursing Mary McCurry will partner with Edinburgh Napier University to expand research developed at UMass Dartmouth that has helped nursing students challenge stigma and build greater empathy—work she hopes can ultimately improve care for patients in communities at home and around the world.
Through the Fulbright award, McCurry will collaborate with faculty, researchers, clinicians, and community stakeholders in Scotland to examine how nursing education can better prepare students to provide knowledgeable, evidence-based, and empathetic care to people affected by substance use and opioid use disorder.
“A Fulbright Scholar Award has always been one of my professional goals, and I am truly honored to receive this award,” McCurry said. “As a Fulbright Scholar, I will have the opportunity to partner with faculty and researchers to develop relationships that will promote understanding, improve patient care for people who use drugs, and benefit the universities and the communities they serve.”
McCurry’s research project, “Simulations to Challenge Stigma and Improve Nurse Empathy When Caring for People Who Use Drugs,” builds on her work with the University’s NO STIGMA research team. Supported by funding from the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE), the simulations were designed to help nursing students recognize stigma, examine personal biases, and strengthen their ability to communicate therapeutically with patients who use drugs.
Developed with input from members of the local community and piloted with UMass Dartmouth nursing students, the simulations significantly reduced stigma and increased empathy among participants.
“Professor McCurry’s Fulbright is a tremendous achievement and a testament to the impact of her work as an educator, researcher, and clinician,” said UMass Dartmouth Provost Ramprasad Balasubramanian. “Her international collaboration will enrich the education of our nursing students, strengthen UMass Dartmouth’s global partnerships, and advance more compassionate, evidence-based care for people affected by substance use. We are incredibly proud of Mary and the distinction she brings to our university.”
In Scotland, McCurry will work with Edinburgh Napier University Professor Inga Weyman, along with faculty members, clinicians, and community stakeholders, to adapt the simulations for Scotland’s health care system. The scenarios will reflect the experiences and forms of stigma encountered by people seeking care for substance use in Scotland.
The adapted simulations will then be evaluated with Scottish nursing students to determine whether they produce similar improvements in knowledge, attitudes, and empathy.
“The international partnership is especially relevant because Scotland and the United States face similar challenges with opioid use, overdose deaths, access to compassionate care, and the stigma patients often encounter when seeking treatment,” McCurry said. “I believe nurses are uniquely positioned to identify health care challenges, advocate for change, and develop innovative approaches to address unmet needs.”
A central goal of the project is to strengthen nursing education internationally. By making the simulations adaptable and widely accessible, McCurry hopes to expand the capacity of nurses and nurse practitioners to provide high-quality care without judgment or stigma.
“Educating nurses on the positive impact they can have in the care of people who use drugs is essential,” McCurry said. “The scalability of this work has the potential to have considerable impact on the capacity of the nursing workforce to provide high-quality, empathetic care that is devoid of stigma.”
