The occupational health nurse's role in the corporate alcoholism program

The problem of alcohol abuse among the nation's employees takes its toll in countless ways -- in absenteeism, lost productivity, increased utilization of health benefits and eventual loss of the employee's services. In all cases both the employee and the employer lose. Like most other health professionals, nurses have received little education in the care and treatment of persons suffering with alcoholism or alcohol-related problems. But with the appropriate training and the total commitment of her company, she can be in a unique position to offer assistance to the alcoholic employee. The seriousness of this problem today demands that all effective means be utilized. We can no longer afford to mitigate or ignore the occupational health nurse's valuable role in contributing to the success of the corporate alcoholism program.