Unhealthy alcohol use includes the spectrum of alcohol consumption from risky drinking to alcohol
use disorders. Routine alcohol screening, brief intervention (BI) and referral to treatment (RT) are commonly
endorsed for improving the identification and management of unhealthy alcohol use in outpatient settings.
However, factors which might impact screening, BI, and RT implementation in inpatient settings, particularly if
delivered by nurses, are unknown, and must be identified to effectively plan randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of
nurse-delivered BI. The purpose of this study was to identify the potential barriers and facilitators associated with
nurse-delivered alcohol screening, BI and RT for hospitalized patients.