Nursing Care Plan for Alcohol Withdrawal
Also searched as: alcohol withdrawal syndrome, AWS
🎓 Educational example. Adapt to your patient and have your instructor review it. Not medical advice.
A set of symptoms that develops when a person who drinks heavily stops or sharply cuts down alcohol intake. Symptoms range from tremor and anxiety to seizures and delirium tremens, which can be fatal. Nursing care centers on CIWA-Ar guided medication, seizure precautions, and patient safety.
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Assessment
- Subjective: reports anxiety, nausea, headache, craving; states last drink was 6-12 hours ago; describes daily heavy alcohol use or prior withdrawal episodes
- Objective: hand tremor, diaphoresis, tachycardia, elevated BP, agitation, rising CIWA-Ar score, visual or tactile hallucinations, low magnesium or potassium
Nursing diagnoses
Risk factors: abrupt cessation after heavy alcohol use, rising CIWA-Ar score, history of prior withdrawal or seizures
As evidenced by: disorientation, hallucinations, agitation, sleep disruption
Goals / expected outcomes
- The patient will remain free of seizures and injury throughout the withdrawal period.
- The patient's CIWA-Ar score will fall below 10 within 24-48 hours of starting symptom-triggered treatment.
Nursing interventions & rationale
| Intervention | Rationale |
|---|---|
| Score withdrawal severity with the CIWA-Ar scale at regular intervals and after each medication dose. | Symptom-triggered scoring guides benzodiazepine dosing and catches deterioration early. |
| Administer benzodiazepines as prescribed based on CIWA-Ar scores. | Benzodiazepines calm autonomic hyperactivity and prevent progression to seizures and delirium tremens. |
| Institute seizure precautions (padded rails, bed low, suction at bedside) from admission and keep increased monitoring through the first 96 hours after the last drink. | Withdrawal seizures cluster in the first 48 hours and delirium tremens risk peaks 48-96 hours after the last drink; both can be fatal without treatment. |
| Give thiamine before any glucose and replace fluids and electrolytes (magnesium, potassium) as ordered. | Thiamine prevents Wernicke encephalopathy; glucose given first can use up the little thiamine left. |
Evaluation
- CIWA-Ar scores trend down
- No seizures, falls, or injury
- Vital signs stable and patient oriented
Sources & further reading
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Build a care plan free Preview Pro (coming soon)Alcohol Withdrawal care plan: FAQ
What is the nursing diagnosis for Alcohol Withdrawal?
Common nursing diagnoses include: Risk for injury related to withdrawal seizures and severe agitation; Acute confusion related to autonomic hyperactivity of alcohol withdrawal. Choose the one your patient's assessment data supports.
What are nursing interventions for Alcohol Withdrawal?
Key interventions: Score withdrawal severity with the CIWA-Ar scale at regular intervals and after each medication dose.; Administer benzodiazepines as prescribed based on CIWA-Ar scores.; Institute seizure precautions (padded rails, bed low, suction at bedside) from admission and keep increased monitoring through the first 96 hours after the last drink., each paired with a rationale.
Can I use this care plan for my assignment?
Use it as a study example and starting draft. Always adapt it to your specific patient and have it reviewed by your instructor. This is an educational tool, not medical advice.
For nursing education only, NOT medical advice and not a clinical decision-making tool. Nothing here should be used to assess, diagnose, or treat any real patient. Care plans and answers are unverified study drafts to review with your instructor or a licensed clinician and adapt to the individual patient and your institution’s protocols before any use.
Last reviewed 2026-07. Educational content based on standard nursing practice; not medical advice and not affiliated with NANDA-I/NIC/NOC. Always follow your institution's protocols and your instructor's guidance.