Personal Expectations and Knowledge Regarding Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome (AWS) Among Nursing Technician Students: Ribeirão Preto-SP-Brazil

Luis, Margarita Antonia Villar

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Margarita Antonia Villar Luis, PhD
Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto - Departamento de Enfermagem Psiquiátrica e Ciências Humanas, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
Clarissa Mendonça Corradi-Webster, PhD
Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto- Departamento de Enfermagem Psiquiátrica e Ciências Humanas, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
Débora Luiza Silva
Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil

Learning Objective 1: To know the importance of empowering nursing staff to identify alcohol withdrawal Syndrome

Learning Objective 2: to know the importance of use the moments of training to work with the nursing staff their personal beliefs and expectations regarding consumption.

Purpose: Recognition of AWS by the nursing staff is the first step in the treatment of alcohol dependence, in addition to being an important moment to motivate the user to remain in treatment. This study aimed to identify, among students of a nursing technician course, of Ribeirão Preto, the knowledge they had about AWS and their personal beliefs and expectations regarding the consumption of alcoholic beverages.

Methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional study was carried out. The sample consisted of 52 students. Instruments: a script for socio-demographic data; Part 3 of the Protocol for the evaluation of AWS; Inventory of Personal Expectations and Beliefs about Alcohol - IECPA.

Results: The sample mainly consisted of women (82.7%), mean age of 35 years (sd = 10.36), and 50% already working as nursing assistants. Of the 23 signs and symptoms of withdraw presented, the mean number identified by the sample was 16.89 (sd = 3.82). The signs and symptoms associated with AWS less identified were alterations in orientation (80.8% did not indicate spatial disorientation and 78.8% did not indicate temporal disorientation), high temperature (not indicated by 73.1%), seizures (not indicated by 46.2%) and delirium (not indicated by 42.3%). No differences were found, regarding recognition of signs and symptoms of withdrawal, between the group that was already acting as nursing assistants and the group that did not occupy this role. Regarding their personal expectations and beliefs related to alcohol consumption, the group mean was 148.38 points in IECPA (cutoff = 122), indicating the risk of problematic alcohol consumption, as they had very positive expectations related to this consumption.

Conclusion: These results indicate the importance of empowering nursing staff to identify AWS, and also to use the moments of training to work on their personal beliefs and expectations regarding consumption.

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