Although the understanding of
substance abuse has improved, the
tendency remains for nurses to fail
to engage with persons who have
alcohol dependence. Nurses may be
uncertain whether this is within
their scope of practice, or they may
perceive a lack of knowledge and
skill in identifying and responding
to affected patients. For some professionals,
increased knowledge and
understanding of alcohol dependence
challenges their values, beliefs,
and attitudes, and may result in negative
feelings that can affect their
care. In engaging with patients with
alcohol dependence, nurses must
recognize that excessive alcohol use
is likely only one symptom of a larger
problem (Cooper, 2006).