[brian]

According to this story, '1 In 3' Nurses Battle Drug Addiction: what do you think?

CINCINNATI -- They are on the front lines of health care -- hard working, passionate and compassionate. Nurses are in high demand these days, and an increasing number of them are high on the job.


Those nurses are putting patients in danger, casting a harsh light on the majority of nurses doing wonderful work.

As Target 5 discovered, the hands that heal are sometimes the hands that steal to feed their addiction.

In a place where patient health is paramount, drugs are both a blessing and a curse.

In a profession of compassion, duty can conflict with temptation.

Tracy Morgan: "The reason I went into nursing was to help people, not to hurt them."

In the world of health care, they are in high demand. In Ohio, 196,000 nurses are licensed to work.

Betsy Houchen, executive director of the Ohio Board of Nursing: "The board's mission is to protect the public and the public expects qualified and safe, safe nurses."

While it's still a fraction, an alarming number of nurses are becoming addicted to drugs and taking their demons to work.

Nurse: "In the general population, one in five are addicted to narcotics. In the nursing field, one in three are addicted."

Full Story: 1 In 3 Nurses Battle Drug Addiction [Channel Cincinnati.com,OH]

[Angie O'Plasty, RN]

Nurse: "In the general population, one in five are addicted to narcotics. In the nursing field, one in three are addicted."

This story is as infuriating as the "statistic" is unbelievable. This story is absolutely slanderous to the nursing profession, and it needs strong rebuttal from the nursing community.

[Judee Smudee]

That was a nurse addict that made that statement. In my opinion abusers tend to say things like that. It is another way of avoiding taking responsibility for the problem. We must not let statements like that stand, they damage the whole profession. No one knows what percent of nurses have a problem. The BON only knows that half the people it is called to investigate have chemical dependency problems. That is not the same as saying half the nurses have dependecy problems.

[SFCardiacRN]

Absolute BS! What is true is that 10% of RN's "dip into the candy jar" at some point in their careers. The number that get addicted is way below that. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articl...2/ai_n15754444
scroll down for interesting article and note that the stats are for alcohol and narcotics combined.

[piezo-electricite]

The statistics seem way far-fetched.

You know you just hit low-quality journalism when there are no sources of cited statistics.

p-e

[Katnip]

1 in 3 nurses are addicts? I don't think so. It quoted a "nurse" for that factoid. I'd like to see some hard evidence, and this reported better come up with it.

I think somebody went the sensationalist route to make money.

[RN34TX]

Great.
Another fine piece of journalism to cause my patients family members to be looking over my shoulder with suspician with every move I make.
It goes up there with 20/20 type shows and their "hidden cameras" showing abuse of the elderly in nursing homes.
I could always tell from a common attitude from people on monday morning when they've all read or watched something like that.

[SharonH, RN]

What a load of garbage; irresponsible reporting at its worst.

[rntg]

I just read this article yesterday on our local tv news website, and it infuriated me. This is my response to the news dept. More responses would be welcome.

Hi Have just read and watched your report on Cincinnati.com dated 2/3/06 concerning impaired nurses. Your report, took an addicted nurses interview to say that 1 in 3 nurses either work impaired or are diverting drugs to become impaired at work. I want to know where the basis in fact for this figure comes form. That would mean that of the 30 nurses employed on the busy med-surg unit I work on, that 10 have addiction problems or are diverting drugs for personal use. I really find that hard to believe. While your story itself brings light to a problem in the field of nuring, it surely does the nursing field disservice and makes patients and families even more worried than they already are from too much media, concerning nursing shortages, etc. I have known some nurses in the past who have done just what is described in your report, but they are certainly the minority. It has gone so far that if you sign out a med, give it to your patient and forget to chart it, the narcotic squad shows up at your home. It is a scary thing. I commend the nurses you interviewed for coming forward, but I would interview the rehabbers, not the rehabbees for the facts.

Thanks for listening,
Terri RN (25yrs experience)

[SFCardiacRN]

Where can I send my response? I have some excellent sources to refute the garbage they printed.