Nurses help alcoholics - conference told
Thursday May 13th, 2010
Nurses can play a key role in helping alcohol abusers give up, a conference was being told today.
A study in the north-west of England has found that as many as 40 per cent of alcoholics may give up following nurse-led interventions.
Details
were being reported to the Royal College of Nursing's international research
conference in Gateshead, UK.
Some 200 alcoholics took part in research - with half receiving as many as seven meetings with a specialist alcohol nurse over a three months period.
About 40 per cent of this group gave up alcohol - but not one of the other 100, who received no support, gave up.
Researcher Dr Kathryn Cobain, of Liverpool University, UK, said: "The study demonstrates just how useful interventions by alcohol specialist nurses can be in reducing alcohol dependence. It is a simple approach, but clearly works and should be considered as a treatment option for dependent drinkers."
The findings were welcomed by RCN chief executive Dr Peter Carter.
He said: "This research adds to the growing bank of evidence showing the value nurses can provide in helping to reduce the harm caused by excessive drinking.
"The time nurses spend with patients provides a valuable window of opportunity to encourage people to think about whether they might be drinking too much and to signpost them to further information and advice."
Tags: Drug and Alcohol Abuse | Nursing & Midwifery | UK News
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