The article, “Factors Associated with Nurses’ Motivation to Provide Care for Patients with Alcohol Use and Alcohol Use-Related Problems,” has been published in SAj.
In this commentary, the authors state there is a high human and economic cost associated with alcohol use and alcohol use-related problems. Nurses have a pivotal role in addressing the needs of this patient population. Their study aimed to examine the correlation between nurses’ demographics/background characteristics, personal attitudes, professional attitudes, and their motivation to provide care to patients with alcohol use and alcohol use-related problems.
In the AUTHORS’ OWN WORDS, they relate the importance of their work:
“Although the prevalence of alcohol use and alcohol use-related problems continues to grow, healthcare systems are often not adequately prepared to provide care for this patient population. As a result, the alcohol use and alcohol use-related problems in patients are not recognized and thus their health needs are inadequately addressed in healthcare settings. Action to address this gap is critical given the scope of the human and economic costs related to alcohol use.”
“Compared to other healthcare providers, nurses often spend the most time with patients with alcohol use-related problems. Thus, nurses can be key partners in implementing strategies to promote the early detection and management of this patient population and can have a pivotal role in the quality of care provided. However, low motivation, defined as willingness and readiness to provide care for patients with alcohol-use related problems, including nurses’ intention to engage in the care of this patient population, and the negative attitudes associated with healthcare providers’ motivation (e.g., stigma attitudes) may be linked to delays in early recognition and access to specialized care, consequently resulting in poorer health outcomes. To date, few studies have examined factors that may influence nurses’ motivation to work with these patients.”