DRINKING PROBLEMS OF NURSING-STUDENTS

A sample of 315 nursing students in yearly cohorts (1988-1992) complet ed the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST). A simple and quick i nstrument with established reliability and validity, the MAST had a re liability coefficient of .78 with this sample. The MAST scores of the nursing students indicated that 21.5% had probable alcoholism or were alcoholic. Drinking problems among these nursing students were similar to those of other nursing students and college students in general. I mplications for nurse educators include recognition that nursing stude nts need continuing self-assessment and monitoring to avoid drinking p roblems as a student and future practitioner. Alcoholism self-screenin g is an excellent introduction to client assessment for drinking probl ems. Implications for future research include identifying correlates a nd determinants of problem drinking behaviors and ultimately developin g and testing educational interventions to eliminate the problem.