2034-25: Evaluating SEWS vs. CIWA as an Assessment Tool for Alcohol Withdrawal

This presentation shares proof-of-concept data from a medical unit and a psychiatric unit at a county hospital that supported the hospital-wide implementation of Scottish Early Warning Score System (SEWS). We'll walk through our transition from using Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment (CIWA) to SEWS, providing PHM nurses with foundational knowledge of both alcohol withdrawal assessment tools, a review of patient outcomes, and practical insights for applying this knowledge in their own clinical settings.

Presenter:  Annie-Laurie Klein, MSN, RN-BC

Disclosures:  The APNA planners and faculty have no relevant financial relationships to disclose. Off-label uses will not be discussed during this presentation.

Session Length:  30 minutes

Target Audience:  RN

Learning Outcome:
Upon completion of this presentation, the participant will be able to:

• Compare the outcomes in this project using Scottish Early Warning Score System vs. Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment. 

Key Takeaway(s): 

• There are several alcohol withdrawal assessment tools available with promising results.
• Accurate and consistent nursing assessments increase patient outcomes for persons with an alcohol use disorder.

Keywords:  Alcohol Withdrawal, Substance Use Disorder, Inpatient

Nursing Continuing Professional Development:
0.5 contact hours.  * In order to receive contact hours, you must: Listen to the entire presentation, complete the reflection activity, evaluation, and honor statement before the expiration date. Once all steps are successfully completed, a certificate will be generated online and available for you to print immediately. Contact hours cannot be awarded unless all required components are completed. 

The American Psychiatric Nurses Association is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

Release Date:  December 12, 2025
Access to this course will end:  December 1, 2028

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