University Learning Project: Alcohol Withdrawal Management in CNA 550

This learning project addresses the critical issue of alcohol withdrawal management within a mental health context, focusing on the challenges faced by nurses in providing effective care. The project begins by identifying the learning need, which stems from the difficulties nurses encounter in managing patients undergoing alcohol withdrawal, including inconsistencies in care and a lack of resources. The project's rationale highlights the increasing rates of alcohol consumption and its adverse effects on both mental and physical health, particularly in Australia. A literature review explores the impact of alcohol on the brain, heart, and liver, as well as the psychological aspects of addiction, and its effects on the patient's mental state. The project includes reflection and analysis, discussing the importance of nurses' proficiency in both skills and understanding the psychological aspects of the patients. The project emphasizes the need for nurses to possess leadership and counselling skills. Outcomes of the project are discussed, with the conclusion that a strong understanding of alcohol withdrawal symptoms and effective strategies are essential for nurses dealing with such patients. References support the project's findings and recommendations.

Running head: LEARNING PROJECT
LEARNING PROJECT
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

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Identified Learning Need:
Learning needs have a specific role in the education and training. Learning need refers to the significanc
learning. The concept of learning need is more applicable for the professional development, and to continue
professional development. The learning need can be defined as the told to enhance the education and train
policies and the training services. The learning needs has a fundamental role in the educational and the in
training programs (Barber, Cohrssen, and Church. 2014). The learning nerds can be linked with the perso
drives, as the learning needs vary from a person to the other, and the learning needs are provided with diffe
levels importance. The learning needs play a crucial role in the educational processes and in the change
mental growth and also in the educational practices.
In the study, the alcohol consumption rate among people will be included. In a recent study, it is found that
rate of alcohol consumption, in the country Australia, has been escalated from the previous rates, as could
found in the country. The situation of Australia, states that the nurses, found it very difficult to withdraw t
patients from their habits of alcohol consumption, and such a situation has created an adverse situations for
nurses, increasing their frustrations and dissatisfactions (Devlin. 2013). Therefore, the following study
include a perspective describing the importance of learning needs among the nurses, to include better strateg
to deal with the patients with a habit of alcohol consumption. The essay will also include a literature rev
regarding the mental health of the people who have an addiction of alcohol, and the importance of learn
needs need of the nurses to deal with such patients, and to better their mental and physical health condition.
Rationale:
The alcohol consumption among the citizens of Australia, are associated with and influenced by certain cult
and social factors, and it is perceived that a major number of the population are involved into the hab
alcohol consumption. As reflected in a recent report it is found that more and more children of an age of
years are growingly involving themselves into the habit of alcohol consumption. A certain behaviour is fur
associated with health problems and chronic diseases and premature deaths. It is found from the report
every 1 in 6 persons, are involved in a habit of alcohol consumption, and are faced with chronic health disea
and health issues. 22% of the population under q14 of the country, are involved in such a behaviour and h
faced with accidents that have stemmed from alcohol consumption (Rowland et al. 2014). The nurse of
country, therefore, is finding it very difficult to get the patients out of such a behaviour. According to th
injecting the concept of Alcohol Withdrawal, that is, a situation when and where a person stops drinking,
faces chronic health issues, like irritability, confusion, agitation, tremor and anxiety, is being very diffic

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Therefore, as understood and found out by the analysts, it can be said that the trend of alcohol consumptio
increasing among the population of the country, and their mental and physical health are becoming burn
issues for the health and wellness department of the country.
Literature Review:
As per a recent report, the rate of alcohol consumption, is increasing at a faster rate. As claimed by the so
researchers, though, the morality rate of the people due to the consumption of alcohol has decreased, yet
rate of consumption of alcohol has not changed. Almost 77% of the population, over 14 years old have
habit of alcohol consumption, and the number of children lagging between 12 years to 14 years, is increasin
increasing. The report has also upheld that the males aged between 60- to- 64, are increasingly faced wi
premature death because of the over consumption of alcohol. There have been approximately 4200 de
because of the over consumption of alcohol, and as claimed by the researchers, there is no gendered patter
the death rates or in the consumption of alcohol rate, as the year 2017 has marked the highest mortality rat
the females, because of the over consumption of alcohol ( Ilomäki et al. 2013).
The over consumption of alcohol affects the human body and human mind equally. The over consumption
alcohol adversely affects the brains of the individuals, involved in the behaviour. Consuming alcohol dire
affects the functional aspects of the brain and the structure of the same. As propounded by the doctors, alco
affects certain specific areas of the brain. Firstly, the brain affects adversely the cerebral cortex, the cerebel
and the limbic system of the brain. The cerebellum handles the communication patterns of a human body
the motor skills or the functional system of the same (Maldonado et al. 2014). As according to the doct
excessive consumption of alcohol, also affects the memory and the response processes of the brain.
The heart and liver are another two parts which are extremely vulnerable towards the over use of alco
Excessive alcohol consumption can affect the functions od the oxygen, and weaken the heart and the incre
the cardio- vascular effects, like having high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, and can ultimately caus
major stroke. Other than these, the excessive consumption of alcohol, can also result into a breakdown of

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central nervous system. Resulting into tremors, anxiety issues, and other related problems.
Reflection and Analysis:
During my personal nursing course, we had a curriculum on the alcoholic patients and we were taught
strategies that are to be implemented in order to deal with the alcoholic patients to take care of their mental
physical health. This part of the curriculum had always been very fascinating for me as it is one of the m
difficult undertakings of the nurses. Therefore, I believe to deal with the alcoholic patients, the nurses must
only be proficient in their skills but also they must have the understanding of the psychological aspects of
patients. It is essential for the nurses to have and gain an understanding of the counselling skill, as it is mo
seen that the, excessive alcohol abusers have an empathy gap, which acts as a visceral factor for their habi
over consumption of alcohol. Therefore, this particular area must be understood by the nurses, in order to d
with the patients and to make them understand about the concept of Alcohol Withdrawal.
Other than this, there are certain factors, which the nurses must essentially include, in their orientations. Th
are,
 Managing complex cases.
 Safeguarding and Risk Management.
 Mental and Physical Health Checks.
 Psychosocial Interventions.
 Vaccinations
 Health Advocacy ( Murdaugh, Parsons, and Pender. 2018)
The management of the patients and the nurse teams are also important in this particular scenario, therefore,
nurses must have the leadership skills. The leadership skills are also needed in order to clinically supervise
patients, to make the policies and the commissions, to provide advices to the patients. The advice provid
aspects of the nurses are one of the most important aspects and acts that the nurses have to undertake.
mentioned before, the nurses must understand the psychological being of the patients, therefore, to prov
advices, this particular aspects is very important ( Crothers, and Dorrian. 2011).
Description of Outcomes:
From the above study, it can be said that, the scenario of the Australian population related to the alco
consumption is much worse, and the situation is deteriorating each day. A huge population is involved in
practice and a very few of them have the concept and understanding of the Alcohol withdrawal sympto

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Therefore, it is a quite challenging situation for the nurses of the country, to deal with such patients. Howe
with proper techniques and strategies, the nurses can rightly come up with solutions.
References:
Barber, H., Cohrssen, C. and Church, A., 2014. Meeting the Australian National Quality Standards: A c
study of the professional learning needs of early childhood educators. Australasian Journal of Ea
Childhood, 39(4), pp.21-27.
Crothers, C.E. and Dorrian, J., 2011. Determinants of nurses' attitudes toward the care of patients with alco
problems. ISRN nursing, 2011.
Devlin, M., 2013. Bridging socio-cultural incongruity: Conceptualising the success of students from low so
economic status backgrounds in Australian higher education. Studies in Higher Education, 38(6), pp.939-94
Ilomäki, J., Paljärvi, T., Korhonen, M.J., Enlund, H., Alderman, C.P., Kauhanen, J. and Bell, J.S., 20
Prevalence of concomitant use of alcohol and sedative-hypnotic drugs in middle and older aged person
systematic review. Annals of pharmacotherapy, 47(2), pp.257-268.
Maldonado, J.R., Sher, Y., Ashouri, J.F., Hills-Evans, K., Swendsen, H., Lolak, S. and Miller, A.C., 2014.
“Prediction of Alcohol Withdrawal Severity Scale”(PAWSS): systematic literature review and pilot study
new scale for the prediction of complicated alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Alcohol, 48(4), pp.375-390.
Murdaugh, C.L., Parsons, M.A. and Pender, N.J., 2018. Health promotion in nursing practice. Pear
Education Canada.
Rowland, B., Toumbourou, J.W., Satyen, L., Tooley, G., Hall, J., Livingston, M.C. and Williams, J., 20
Associations between alcohol outlet densities and adolescent alcohol consumption: A study in Austra
students. Addictive behaviors, 39(1), pp.282-288.

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