Degree Name
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
Document Type
Major Paper
School
Zvart Onanian School of Nursing
Department
Nursing
Date of Original Version
4-5-2023
Abstract
There is a growing prevalence of patients with alcohol use disorders who have the potential to develop alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS), especially in the hospital setting, where patients with alcoholism abruptly stop consuming alcohol. Hospital nurses are at the frontline and are in a unique position to care for patients with AWS and thus should have the appropriate understanding and knowledge to recognize, treat, and prevent further complications of AWS. However, there continues to be a knowledge deficit among nurses caring for this patient population. The goal of this quality improvement project was to increase nurses’ knowledge on the care of patients who experience alcohol withdrawal. This was completed through targeted education for nurses utilizing a pre-test, educational intervention, and post-test design. Fourteen of the possible seventeen nurses participated in the pre-test (N=14, 82%) and sixteen of the seventeen nurses participated in the post-test (N=16, 94%). The educational intervention combined information from an extensive literature review in the form of a 10-minute Power Point presentation. Pre and post-tests were made up of ten knowledge-based, multiple-choice questions. The mean scores for the pre-test were 80.7% while the mean scores for the post-test were 91.9%. There was an 11.2% increase in nurses’ knowledge following the educational intervention. Despite the low number of participants, this project revealed a positive correlation between the educational intervention and nurses’ knowledge. This project aimed to recognize a need for ongoing education for nurses about alcohol withdrawal in the hospital setting. APRNs play a pivotal role in establishing and implementing educational programs and in ensuring improved nursing knowledge and patient outcomes.
Recommended Citation
Goncalves, Crystal, "Assessing Nurses' Knowledge of Alcohol Withdrawal: A Quality Improvement Project" (2023). Master's Theses, Dissertations, Graduate Research and Major Papers Overview. 484.
https://digitalcommons.ric.edu/etd/484
Powerpoint Presentation Poster