[pickledpepperRN]

Phenomenon:

You can to this!
You made it through nursing school and passed boards. That proves you have self control

Good luck. I hope you don't mind prayers because they are being silently said.

[Cattitude]

Phenomenon:

Congrats for takiing that first step towards recovery.
It is hard and challenging but I have been there and living prrof that it can be done. It is a day to day struggle but NOTHING beats staying clean. NOTHING!!!!
I love the way I feel now and look forward to getting up each day. I too have chronic pain issues and using oxy only made it worse. Hopefully you are getting into a good program that has experience with dealing with addicted medical professionals... Good luck and feel free to contact me at any time for questions or support.

Beez, grateful fellow recovering addict

[5east]

most nurses are honest. pull her aside and tell her what you suspect in a
generic way such as. do you think that someone's taking drugs? and just
leave it at thAT. She will feel your suspicion and it may be enough to get
her looking for therapy.

[asoldierswife05]

Originally Posted by 5east

most nurses are honest. pull her aside and tell her what you suspect in a
generic way such as. do you think that someone's taking drugs? and just
leave it at thAT. She will feel your suspicion and it may be enough to get
her looking for therapy.

I do not agree with this advice.

It is your professional responsibility to report an impaired nurse. Typical signs and symptoms of an impaired nurse include but are not limited to: obvious changes in mood or behavoir, pinpoint or dilated pupils and slurred speech or uncoordinated movement, excessive sluggishnish or bursts in energy, patients of said nurse who complain of pain or state that the pain med was not given to them although it was charted, narcotic counts always coming up short when said nurse is on shift, etc. Sometimes an addict can become so proficient at hiding the signs that the problem will go unnoticed for long periods of time. They may be in denial that they have a problem or may be so dependent upon their job for their supply that they accuse others. Their addiction is beyond their control and beyond hoping that a little guilt will kick in an convince them to clean up their act!

They need an intervention. They need to be directly confronted with the problem. A good co-worker would go immediately to their supervisor and report their suspicions. State the facts. A good manager will call the co-worker in and have a very well-thought out confrontation, one that is not meant to scare the employee but confront the problem and allow them to own up to their actions. Drug testing at that moment must be mandantory if they deny the accusations. If it were me, I believe the employee deserves the chance to report themselves immediately to the BON and enter an impaired nurse program. If they refuse, then it is the manager's professional obligation to dismiss the employee immediately and report the incident to the BON.

You can NOT make a suspicion known haphazardly in HOPES that an impaired nurse will feel guilty and clean up his/her act. If you do so, you are just as guilty as putting patients in harms way as the nurse who is practicing under the influence. Shame.

[Cattitude]

Originally Posted by asoldierswife05

I do not agree with this advice.

It is your professional responsibility to report an impaired nurse. Typical signs and symptoms of an impaired nurse include but are not limited to: obvious changes in mood or behavoir, pinpoint or dilated pupils and slurred speech or uncoordinated movement, excessive sluggishnish or bursts in energy, patients of said nurse who complain of pain or state that the pain med was not given to them although it was charted, narcotic counts always coming up short when said nurse is on shift, etc. Sometimes an addict can become so proficient at hiding the signs that the problem will go unnoticed for long periods of time. They may be in denial that they have a problem or may be so dependent upon their job for their supply that they accuse others. Their addiction is beyond their control and beyond hoping that a little guilt will kick in an convince them to clean up their act!

They need an intervention. They need to be directly confronted with the problem. A good co-worker would go immediately to their supervisor and report their suspicions. State the facts. A good manager will call the co-worker in and have a very well-thought out confrontation, one that is not meant to scare the employee but confront the problem and allow them to own up to their actions. Drug testing at that moment must be mandantory if they deny the accusations. If it were me, I believe the employee deserves the chance to report themselves immediately to the BON and enter an impaired nurse program. If they refuse, then it is the manager's professional obligation to dismiss the employee immediately and report the incident to the BON.

You can NOT make a suspicion known haphazardly in HOPES that an impaired nurse will feel guilty and clean up his/her act. If you do so, you are just as guilty as putting patients in harms way as the nurse who is practicing under the influence. Shame.

Great advice in all aspects. I'm very curious and hope you can answer my question. I notice that you are a student or maybe just graduated so I don't believe you could have possibly yet worked with an impaired nurse. How did you come up with such accurate information? Is it possible that they are actually addressing this issue in nursing school now? I would be thrilled if they are because they were not 13 years ago when I went and they should be. When I was impaired I, like many impaired RN's, thought I was the only one ever to be in this situation. Information and education can help fight this horrible disease and if I can be a part in helping just one nurse not succumbing, I will... I am in recovery and will be doing my best to educate (speaking at seminars and such).
Thank you if you do answer and if its personal and you choose not to answer, I understand completely...

[asoldierswife05]

Originally Posted by CASbeezgirlRN

Great advice in all aspects. I'm very curious and hope you can answer my question. I notice that you are a student or maybe just graduated so I don't believe you could have possibly yet worked with an impaired nurse. How did you come up with such accurate information? Is it possible that they are actually addressing this issue in nursing school now? I would be thrilled if they are because they were not 13 years ago when I went and they should be. When I was impaired I, like many impaired RN's, thought I was the only one ever to be in this situation. Information and education can help fight this horrible disease and if I can be a part in helping just one nurse not succumbing, I will... I am in recovery and will be doing my best to educate (speaking at seminars and such).
Thank you if you do answer and if its personal and you choose not to answer, I understand completely...

Yes, I just graduated in December and no I have not yet had personal experience with an impaired nurse.

I was given a very good education in school about the subject. We examined nursing trends, the psychological components of addicition, why nurses are susceptable secondary to high stress and immediate availability, legal ramifications and rehab programs, signs to recognize a possibly impaired nurse, and the professional obligation to report it. It was covered in theory lecture, in psychology, and in our leadership classes.

I am no expert but the professional obligations were made very clear to me in my education. It must be reported. There are some excellent rehab programs for nurses who suffer from addiction available today. It is not only our duty to protect our patients and help them with their disease process, but to also protect our co-workers and extend them help in such extreme circumstances. Turning your head and hoping they work it out on their own only enables the addiction, put's patient's in harm's way, and does nothing to help your co-worker who is suffering from self-destructive behavoir.

[traumaRUs]

I think you owe it to the nurse, her patients and co-workers to report it.

[Cattitude]

Originally Posted by asoldierswife05

Yes, I just graduated in December and no I have not yet had personal experience with an impaired nurse.

I was given a very good education in school about the subject. We examined nursing trends, the psychological components of addicition, why nurses are susceptable secondary to high stress and immediate availability, legal ramifications and rehab programs, signs to recognize a possibly impaired nurse, and the professional obligation to report it. It was covered in theory lecture, in psychology, and in our leadership classes.

I am no expert but the professional obligations were made very clear to me in my education. It must be reported. There are some excellent rehab programs for nurses who suffer from addiction available today. It is not only our duty to protect our patients and help them with their disease process, but to also protect our co-workers and extend them help in such extreme circumstances. Turning your head and hoping they work it out on their own only enables the addiction, put's patient's in harm's way, and does nothing to help your co-worker who is suffering from self-destructive behavoir.

That's great to hear. We were taught nothing about it in my ADN or BSN program. I'm glad that's changing. I didn't know how big the issue was until I got into recovery. I probably worked with several addicts in my career and didn't know it.

There's a ton of help now for nurses that need it, it wasn't always like that. Year ago, they just fired nurses. Now the nurse is given a chance for recovery/sobriety (usually, some places are still punitive). But always report to your supervisor IF YOU ARE 110% sure that said nurse is using substances. Please be sure first.

There are many prescribed meds that cause weird side effects or personal situations that can cause mood changes. Just be sure...As I have said in a previous post, if you do report it and the nurse gets help, the majority of the time, they will be grateful you did report them...


Beez

[ladytraviler]

There are others out there who are going through the same thing. I am a recovering alcholic and addict. I will always be recovering. I started when was a medic, got caught, did inpt therapy, attend AA & NA meetings. Was clean for 5 years before nursing. Yes the temptation is there, but when I think about it I aknowledge that this time around I would loose my life as well as everything that makes life worth living. I go to events where people around me drink and I think just one wont hurt, Then I remember what it was like when I was actively drinking. I let my doctors know that I am an addict so that they will not prescribe large amounts of narcotics if I need them. I am so careful to comply with the drug testing my company requires. I have many friends who ask me how do you do it? I can only say that I have someone who takes the temptation and shows me the reality of addiction.

I am sorry this is so long. I think the issue of addiction needs to come out of the closet and be realize as a two part problem. It is not just the active addiction that causes problem, but the self loathing and denial that contribute to it. How can recovery start when there are many nurses who don't understand the process of addiction. If you take a close look at your life, you will see that all of us have an addiction. It may be to coffee, coke, cigaretts, or chocalate. The drug addiction cause problems for not just the nurse but for co-workers who unknowingly help them, the patients who think that they did get the med but no relief, and the family of the addicted. It is not just a lack of will power, nor the need to feel the high. I am very close to this subject so I will shut up before I really get on my soap box.

The best piece of advice I got from my sponser was "What is reality for you? Can it come from a bottle or a pill? Or is it in the feelings that life evokes that you are trying to avoid? Answer those when you feel you must have a drink/drug. Then if the answer is yes you still need, call me." And I did call alot in that first year. I still call 10 years later. Sad to say she died of a drug overdose this year. But I will make it. I have to for me.

[Nursing On The Run]

Hi!

Add me to the list of recovering alcoholics/addicts who successfully works as a nurse in the hospital. I was sober a long time before becoming a nurse, btw. For my recovering friends out there: When you choose a password for withdrawing drugs, why not use your sobriety date? Or the famous page number from Doctor/Alcoholic/Addict aka Acceptance Was The Answer? I feel like that's a good reminder for me, everytime I'm grabbing a bunch of narcs


Anyway, I once worked alongside a nurse who later turned out to be stealing drugs from the hospital. (Sad to say, I was not quick to pick up on this at all). Two things come to my mind when I remember working with her, in terms of signs and symptoms. One is, she was prone to flying into temper tantrums. She happened to be very humorous, which may be why this was tolerated. But she was noticeably volatile.

The other thing I distinctly remember is once, when I was entering my password into the pyxis/omnicell, she seemed to be looking at the keyboard trying to see what my password was. Most people make a point of looking elsewhere.

Anyway, I agree with the advice to tell your nursing supervisor, and follow up to make sure more is happening than just offering the nurse the chance to resign. My kids want on the 'puter....

Hugs, and I love knowing there are people out there who put sobriety first, with their families, patients, and colleagues all benefiting....