Nursing personnel experiences with alcohol-abusing hospitalized patients

Abstract

Introduction: Nursing has been considered as a profession with a distinguished disposition towards helping patients with alcohol consumption problems; however, having a broader knowledge on the related actual attention practice and experiences could help design better detection and intervention strategies.

Objective: To characterize the attention experiences of nursing professionals regarding patients hospitalized for alcohol-consumption-related illnesses.

Method: This is an exploratory study. Semi-structured interviews were performed on nurses from a general hospital. Open questions were asked about 2 general areas: a) experiences related to attention during the medical treatment, and b) experiences related to specific interventions to reduce consumption. The activity system model was used as a conceptual guide to organize and conceptualize data.

Results: Twenty-one interviews were performed. The accumulation of experiences with alcohol intoxication-or-suppression related violent patients tends to provoke negative attitudes on the side of the nursing professionals, including rejection and attention-conditioning. However, an antecedent of a relative with alcoholism among the nursing personnel is associated with a greater care empathy and disposition.

Conclusion: Four attention conditioning factors were identified: 1) attitudes, emotions; 2) beliefs and perceptions on alcoholism; 3) personal history, and 4) institutional limitations. The attention experiences of the nursing personnel with relatives with alcoholism antecedents can be an important base to address the issue and develop an intervention model.