DNP 671 Module 8 MI and Adult Substance Use Post Example

Course	DNP 671 Advanced Mental Health Assessment Across the Lifespan
Module	Module 8
Paper type	Discussion board post and reply
Length	About 350 words
Format	Discussion post with APA 7 citations
School	Arizona State University
Program	Doctor of Nursing Practice
Updated	October 2026

Free sample paper for DNP 671 Module 8

Week 11 Discussion: Motivational Interviewing With an Adult Who Drinks

Asking Permission to Talk About the Beer: Motivational Interviewing in an Assessment Visit

Initial Post

Mr. P., 52, came for anxiety. When I asked about alcohol, he said he has "a few beers" each night to relax, which on follow-up meant six to eight. His liver tests are mildly raised.

My instinct as a nurse is to explain the risks immediately. Miller and Rollnick (2013) name this urge to fix the righting reflex and caution that it usually makes people defend the behavior. Instead, I would use four processes: engaging, focusing, evoking and planning.

Engaging. I would ask permission: "Would it be okay if we talked a little about the drinking?" Permission respects his autonomy and lowers defensiveness.

Focusing and evoking. With open questions and reflections, I would explore both sides of his ambivalence:

Me: "What do you like about drinking in the evening?"

Mr. P.: "It's the only time I can stop thinking about work."

Me: "It turns off the worry for a while."

Mr. P.: "Yeah, but then I wake up at three and the worry's worse."

Me: "So it helps at night, and it may be part of what wakes you up anxious."

That last line is a double-sided reflection that puts his own observation, his change talk, in front of him. I would ask him what he has noticed about drinking and his anxiety, and what he might want to be different.

Planning, only if he is ready. If he expresses interest, we would plan small steps together; if not, I would summarize, thank him and leave the door open.

Motivational interviewing has produced modest benefits across many behaviors, including alcohol use, compared with no treatment (Lundahl et al., 2010). Interviewing texts make the same point about nonjudgmental questions about substances (Shea, 2017). In an assessment visit, its main value is getting an honest history: patients who do not feel judged report more.

What this page is doingThe sample exchange shows motivational interviewing skills in actual words, including a double-sided reflection that surfaces the patient's own change talk, which demonstrates the method rather than only describing it.

Reply to a Classmate (Readiness Rulers)

You suggested a 0 to 10 readiness ruler. Asking, "Why a 4 and not a 2?" invites the patient to argue for change in his own words.

References

Lundahl, B. W., Kunz, C., Brownell, C., Tollefson, D., & Burke, B. L. (2010). A meta-analysis of motivational interviewing: Twenty-five years of empirical studies. Research on Social Work Practice, 20(2), 137-160. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049731509347850

Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. (2013). Motivational interviewing: Helping people change (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.

Shea, S. C. (2017). Psychiatric interviewing: The art of understanding (3rd ed.). Elsevier.

Reading the DNP 671 Module 8 assignment instructions

The posted syllabus sets Week 11 on assessing adults with substance use and addiction, with DSM criteria, a chapter from Shea, review of earlier motivational interviewing readings and optional articles. The board asks how motivational interviewing could be used with adults who misuse substances when interviewing them, building on earlier discussions. Canvas lists the dates and rubric. Expect to describe the method's spirit and processes and show how they apply in an assessment interview, ideally with a short example of what you would actually say. Explaining why the method helps obtain an accurate history, not only why it encourages change, ties it to the course's focus on assessment. A few lines of dialogue usually show more than a paragraph of description.

Inside the DNP 671 Module 8 example

A composite patient whose drinking surfaces during an anxiety visit starts the post. It names the righting reflex and then walks through four processes, engaging with permission, focusing, evoking with a short sample exchange and planning only if the patient is ready. The exchange includes a double-sided reflection, labeled and explained, that surfaces the patient's own link between drinking and anxiety. A closing paragraph cites a meta-analysis and argues that the method's greatest value in assessment is a more honest history. The reply explains how to use a readiness ruler. Three sources support the post. The exchange is short enough to read quickly and long enough to show three skills.

Reading the DNP 671 Module 8 grading rubric

Posts on this prompt are likely graded on accurate understanding of motivational interviewing's spirit and processes, application to an assessment interview with adults who use substances, use of examples, evidence and a thoughtful reply. Higher marks go to posts that show the method in words, such as reflections and open questions, rather than only naming it. Recognizing the righting reflex shows understanding of why the method works. Linking it to obtaining an honest history connects it to the course's assessment focus. Citing evidence responsibly, including modest effect sizes, shows critical reading. Faculty may also note whether the plan step depends on the patient's readiness.

DNP 671 Module 8 help with common mistakes

A common weakness is describing motivational interviewing in abstract terms without an example. Write a short exchange. Another is presenting it as a way to persuade; its spirit is collaboration and the patient's own reasons. Ask permission before raising substance use. Outline an adult patient whose substance use came up, and the desk can script a motivational exchange for your post. Practice one double-sided reflection. Keep the plan step optional, depending on the patient's readiness. Label each skill you use in the sample exchange so faculty can see it. Avoid ending with advice the patient did not ask for. Mention what you would do if the patient said he did not want to talk about drinking.

Write yours, or have the desk draft it

This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Arizona State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.

More DNP 671 and Doctor of Nursing Practice sample papers

DNP 671 Module 8 questions, answered

Where can I find a free DNP 671 Module 8 sample paper?

This is the full DNP 671 Week 11 post, with a sample motivational interviewing exchange with an adult who drinks.

What is the righting reflex in motivational interviewing?

The urge to correct or warn a patient, which tends to provoke resistance rather than change.

What are the four processes of motivational interviewing?

Engaging, focusing, evoking and planning.

What is a double-sided reflection?

A reflection that captures both sides of a person's ambivalence, often ending with the side that favors change.

Why use motivational interviewing in an assessment interview?

Patients who do not feel judged tend to report substance use more honestly, improving the accuracy of the history.

DNP 671 Module 8 Discussion: Motivational Interviewing With Adults Who Use Substances Example