Drug Abuse By Nurses
Drug Abuse By Nurses
Substance Abuse Among Nurses
Introduction
Substance abuse among nurses has not fully documented, but it is estimated that about 10% of the current nursing population is addicted to drugs and/or alcohol, with about 6-8% of those having a serious enough problem that it interferes with job performance.
Specifically, nurses as a population seem to be prone to addiction to prescription medications more than to alcohol or illicit drugs, as compared to the rest of the population. This may be due to the fact that they have easier access to prescription medications than does the general population. It’s also heartening to note that once in treatment, nurses are much more likely to remain sober and to avoid relapse or return to abuse than the general population is.
What causes substance abuse among nurses?
As a population, nurses tend to be highly caring individuals who have chosen to devote their lives to others in a caretaking role. Unfortunately, however, nurses who abuse drugs and/or alcohol seem to come from families that have had significant emotional turmoil, resulting in low self-esteem, and a struggle to “make things better” by becoming an overachiever and falling into unhealthy caretaking roles of other troubled family members (such as “taking care of” alcoholic parents, as one example). As an illustration of this, one study has shown that up to 80% of nurses come from families with at least one alcoholic member.
The fact that these individuals are already highly sensitive individuals who care deeply about the needs of others and who are vulnerable to falling into caretaking roles, whether healthy or unhealthy, draws them to the nursing profession. However, with this type of background, it also makes them vulnerable to substance abuse themselves. They see substance-abuse behavior (such as drinking to excess) as somehow normal, since that’s what they’ve grown up with, and they have become used to enabling this behavior by ignoring it, minimizing it, or even participating in it. And again, certainly, they may very well “take care of” addicted family members suffering from the symptoms and consequences of their illnesses.
Environmental factors on the job
Environmental factors on the job may well start an active addiction or exacerbate it. The health care profession is unique because it creates a particularly conducive environment to addiction. As may also be true of other professions, nursing has very stressful working environment, and long workdays. However, nursing has other pressures and factors other nonmedical professions may not have. As death and illness are often ever present, this is emotionally difficult to deal with, and the recent work environment is one of mandatory overtime, incredibly stressful work shifts, and the necessity to switch shift times often so that one can never quite get into a rhythm of working a regular schedule. Nursing also has an added disadvantage to drug addiction not present in other non-healthcare professions, because prescription medications are readily available on the job site and as part of the job itself.
Indeed, one of nursing’s duties is to dispense medication to patients; medications are also seen in the nursing culture as a way to cure ills very legitimately. All of these factors can make it very easy for someone in the nursing profession to become an addict if the propensity is there. And because nurses are so familiar with drugs, they may think (erroneously) that their expertise gives them the ability to self medicate without becoming addicted.
Ways the medical profession is dealing with addiction in nursing
Nurses are legally and ethically required to report colleagues they suspect may have an abuse problem. This is necessary for a number of reasons. First among them, of course, patients are entitled to proper and “sober” care by the medical health profession, and they are entitled to receive the full and proper dosage of the medications they need to manage their own pain and cure their own ills. (Nurses who abuse drugs often “short” patient dosages and then give themselves the excess.) Second, nurses who are under the influence may make mistakes that are life threatening if not fatal. And third, of course, is that the abuser needs help and intervention to save his or her own life.
Although still a problem to some extent, administrators and other officials are increasingly NOT turning a blind eye to the problems of abuse and are getting them addressed. This is contrary to previous nursing culture, which often had an unspoken “don’t talk” rule when it came to notifying others about drug abusing colleagues’ behavior.
Finally, drugs themselves are much more carefully kept track of and monitored than they were previously. Most often, they’re kept under lock and key and strict records are maintained so that if any shortages should occur, they are immediately noticed and the reason for the shortage is found. If it is because someone on the nursing staff has been taking it for his or her own use, measures are put in place to address the problem through intervention and help, and if necessary to remove the nurse from his or her job.
About the Author
Brent McNutt enjoys talking about
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Anyone know of programs in Western Canada for troubled teens?
My mother is a single mom working full time as a nurse and struggling to get by. On top of that she has to deal with my 16 year old brother who abuses alchohol and drugs. He is violent and verbally abusive towards anyone in the house. He has dropped out of every school program she has put him in and is under the illusion that someday he will be a boxer and not need school. His father is non exsistent and we have no male figure in our lives. I have checked out wilderness programs online and they all are so expensive and there is no way that she will ever be able to afford it. If you know of a program that is affordable or something with financial assistance offered please help. We are desperate. She is now worried that he will become suicidal as his current girlfriend has broken up with him. I can’t bear to see my mom live like this anymore.
In Alberta you could try AADAC – http://www.aadac.com/
Similar programs should exist in the other Western provinces.
National Association of School Nurses NASN Addresses Prescription Drug Abuse by America’s Youth
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