60Effects Of Alcohol And Drug Abuse Training On Attitude Towards Alcohol Screening And Brief Intervention Among Nurses At Embu Level Five Hospital

Abstract

Harmful use of alcohol is associated with high morbidity and mortality as recorded in many study findings. The World Health Organization) reports that there are over three million deaths associated to alcohol harm, this being higher than those associated with HIV, Tuberculosis and violence combined(WHO, 2014). Kenya has continued to experience aversive consequences of harmful use of alcohol (National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse, (NACADA), 2014). This being the case, harmful use of alcohol is a public health problem which calls for a public health intervention. Primary and secondary prevention are effective public health strategies used in intervention in a myriad of health problems. Screening and brief intervention are both primary and secondary preventive measures used in early identification of harmful and hazardous drinking and intervention. These can be conducted in various settings including health care facilities. Studies have shown that primary health care workers hold a position of vantage as far as conducting health interventions is concerned. Nurses, being found in almost every department in the hospital can conduct routine screening and brief intervention for those whose drinking is found to be risky. Researchers have however found that in as much as it is recommended that clinicians, parts of whom are nurses have a responsibility to perform screening and brief interventions, the uptake has been slow. Many barriers including attitude towards the procedure may be responsible for the slow uptake. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of training in alcohol and drug abuse on attitudes to screening and brief interventions among nurses at Embu level five hospital. The specific objectives were to: 1. Determine the extent to which nurses at Embu level five hospital have undergone training on alcohol and drug abuse interventions at various levels. xiv 2. Determine the attitudes of nurses at Embu level five hospital towards alcohol screening and brief interventions. 3. Identify the relationship between nurses training in alcohol and drug abuse and their attitudes towards alcohol screening and brief intervention among nurses at Embu level five hospital. 4. Determine the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics of nurses at Embu level five hospital and their attitudes towards alcohol screening and brief intervention? This was a descriptive cross sectional study conducted at Embu level five hospital. The target population were nurses working at Embu level-five hospital .A combination of simple random and purposive sampling were used. Qualitative and quantitative data was collected and analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS), descriptive and inferential statistics will be calculated. Data was stored and presented in various forms. Ethical considerations were observed by obtaining various permits as required. Results were discussed, conclusion and recommendations made and presented to the department. They were to be shared with various stakeholders. They may be used to improve the practice of screening and brief interventions.