title: Embracing a Nurse-Driven Alcohol Withdrawal Protocol Through Quality Improvement.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alcohol withdrawal can lead to severe complications including seizures, delirium tremens, and death if not treated appropriately. Nurses are critical to the safety and outcomes of these patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this retrospective study was to determine if nursing education on a community hospital's alcohol withdrawal protocol led to improved nursing compliance.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a quality improvement project involving a two-part retrospective review-an initial needs assessment followed by nursing education and a subsequent posteducation retrospective review. The initial needs assessment included 65 patients. The subsequent posteducation group included 50 patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nursing compliance of 1-hour assessments increased after the educational intervention; however, there was no statistically significant difference in 6-hour assessment or medication administration protocol compliance between preeducation and posteducation groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nursing education is a good place to start in improving compliance with an alcohol withdrawal protocol, but physicians need to be included to increase standardization within the institution. Future study should look at the effectiveness of different assessment frequency intervals and its impact on patient-centered outcomes.
authors.affiliation: John Barrett, MA, BSN, RN, Duke University School of Nursing, Durham, NC. Maria Jansen, PharmD, Matthew Felbinger, PharmD, BCPS, and Faith Waters, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Duke Regional Hospital, Durham, NC. April Cooper, PharmD, Duke Regional Hospital, Durham, and College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Campbell University, Buies Creek, NC.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barrett
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.forename: April
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Felbinger
authors.forename: Faith
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Waters
mesh_terms: D020270:Alcohol Withdrawal Seizures / Q000451:nursing / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D020751:Alcohol-Induced Disorders / Q000451:nursing / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D003663:Decision Trees; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina; D057184:Practice Patterns, Nurses' / Q000592:standards*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies