[Clinical nurses' attitudes toward the use of alcohol and alcoholism]

This psychometric study used the Seaman Mannello's scale of "nurse's attitudes toward alcohol and alcoholism". Authors applied an instrument to a population of 196 nurses from a general hospital with the aim to measure nurses'attitudes toward alcohol and drinking. Data showed that nurses consider alcoholic drinks clearly prejudicial (54.4%), that moderately drinking is not innofensive (57.1%) and drinking is wrong (47.4%), demonstrating that it is difficult to accept drinking as a person right. 29.8% of the sample considered alcoholic drinks able to change healthy people into "disturbed and demented" ones. Authors concluded that the nurse is an essential professional in the treatment and rehabilitation of alcoholics. Nurses attitudes can influence the relationship with the patient and, consequently, favor the treatment.