Knowledge and attitudes of nurses towards alcohol and related problems: the impact of an educational intervention

Abstract

RESUMOEstudo exploratório de abordagem quase experimental que objetivou verificar o impacto de uma intervenção educativa em atitudes e conhecimentos de enfermeiros frente ao uso de álcool e problemas associados. A amostra incluiu 185 enfermeiros, divididos em dois grupos: 84 foram submetidos a um curso de capacitação e constituí-ram o grupo experimental. Os dados foram coletados por meio de um questionário de conhecimentos e uma escala de atitudes. As atitudes dos participantes de ambos os grupos foram positivas. Com relação aos conhecimentos, não se observaram diferenças significativas entre os grupos. Os maiores preditores de atitudes positivas foram possuir preparo para atuar com dependentes químicos (OR=2,18), ter recebido maior carga horária durante a graduação sobre a temática álcool e outras drogas (OR=1,70) e ter realizado pós-graduação (OR=2,59). Concluiu-se que a intervenção educativa exerceu impacto positivo nas atitudes dos enfermeiros frente ao alcoolista, ao trabalho e às relações interpessoais com tal clientela. DESCRITORES ABSTRACTAn exploratory study of quasi-experimental approach that aimed to verify the impact of an educational intervention on attitudes and knowledge of nurses towards alcohol use and associated problems. The sample included 185 nurses, divided into two groups: 84 submitted to a training course and formed the experimental group. Data were collected through a knowledge survey and an attitude scale. The attitudes of the participants of both groups were positive. There were no significant differences between groups in relation to knowledge. The strongest predictors of positive attitudes were possessed preparation to act with chemical dependents (OR = 2.18), have received increased workload during graduation on the theme, alcohol and other drugs (OR = 1.70), and completed graduate school (OR = 2.59). The educational intervention had a positive impact on the attitudes of nurses towards alcoholics, work and interpersonal relationships with such clientele. DESCRIPTORSEducation, nursing Alcoholism Health knowledge, attitudes, practice Public health nursing RESUMENEstudio exploratorio cuasi-experimental que tuvo como objetivo verificar el impacto de una intervención educativa sobre los conocimientos y las actitudes de las enfermeras frente al consumo de alcohol y problemas asociados. La muestra incluyó a 185 enfermeras, divididas en dos grupos. De los cuales, 84 se sometieron a un curso de capacitación y formaron el grupo experimental. Los datos fueron recolectados a través de un cuestionario de conocimientos y una escala de actitudes. Las actitudes de los participantes de ambos grupos fueron positivas. En lo que respecta al conocimiento, no hubo diferencias significativas entre los dos grupos. Los principales predictores de las actitudes positivas fueron estar preparados para actuar con dependientes químicos (OR = 2,18), haber recibido mayor carga horaria en el pregrado sobre la temática de alcohol y otras drogas (OR = 1,70) y haber realizado post-grado (OR = 2,59). Se concluyó que la...

Development and Testing of the Psychometric Properties of Thai Nurses’ Attitudes toward Alcohol-dependent Patients Scale

“…Previous studies about attitude of nurses toward alcohol-dependent patients reports that nurses have varying attitudes. Factors that influence nurses' attitude toward alcohol-dependent patients, whether positive or negative, include symptoms of alcohol problems, pattern of alcohol use, nurses' knowledge, nurses' beliefs about their roles and impact of their intervention on patients' drinking behaviors change [6,7,9].Other personal factors include the nurses' age, their own drinking habits, and belief about whether patients can be helped [18]. Understanding the attitude of nurses towards alcohol-dependent patients is therefore necessary because these patients demonstrate relatively high hospital utilization rates.…”

“…The first study was from Brazil in1979 by Campbell and Stanley. This scale is comprised of 80 items which cover five components of nurses' attitude towards alcohol and related problems: the work and interpersonal relationships of the alcoholic, etiology, disease, the repercussions resulting from the use/abuse of alcohol, and the use of alcoholic beverage [9]. The second study was also from Brazil.…”

Patterns of alcohol use and related issues: analysis of nurses' knowledge

“…However, studies (6)(7)(8) have evidenced difficulties of the health professionals to recognize, treat, and refer these patients. The main causes for this situation are the lack of training and little knowledge about the topics of alcohol and other psychoactive substances, that has prevented a more effective action of the professionals on the problems related to alcohol and alcoholism (7)(8)(9) .…”

“…Despite the evidence, there are few studies that have been concerned to identify such knowledge around the world and especially in Brazil (8) , particularly those who have seen the influence of educational interventions on knowledge regarding the issue (9) .…”

“…In Brazil, the few studies conducted with the objective of studying this phenomenon showed that these professionals had little knowledge related to the management of patients (8) and from every 5 nurses, 4 had not received information on assistance to people with AOD-related disorders during their educational training (11) , even though there is evidence that training courses have a positive impact on the knowledge of these professionals (9)(10) .…”