Do we need to take drugs.. in order to do our job?

mrmedical, ASN, BSN · Mar 6, 2012

mrmedical,
Obviously that is not a good coping mechanism. What interferes with nurses pursuing healthy coping mechanisms?
Instead of placing blame on nurses that resort to this kind of coping, what about the system of nursing needs to change to support nurses in coping?
Rivernurse

I'm not trying to be demeaning. But it is a truly vexing situation to me in that it seems like a "do as I say, not as I do" type of care that some are giving. I understand that it is a serious issue and I'm not attacking or belittling those nurses that do partake in that mindset.

Maybe it's because I'm young and naive or idealistic, but I personally as a nurse don't believe in putting my health - mental or physical - second to that of my patients. I suppose I have the school of thought that one must take care of themselves first before they can care for others.

Tying these ideas together, I wonder why other nurses let themselves get beat up on shift after shift only to dull the pain away later. Obviously I don't know their personal issues, but if the job is taking that toll on you, why stay? Furthermore, I suspect it's just not our job that drives people to this place, because there are those that are rx meds vs those that make it through 4 shifts a week and are happy as a clam.

It's my intuition that those people who succumb to stress or are more vulnerable to anxiety or depression and want meds to deal with those issues would be the same in any other job. They just happen to be nurses.

Guest372004 · Mar 7, 2012

Interesting topic for sure. Fact is, we are a medicated society and in my opinion it will not change. Medications are there to "help" people. We all have our own level of coping. It is what it is. It is impossible to measure stress. We give out medications all shift long. My belief is that it is best not to judge. Plain and simple. We do not walk in anyone elses shoes.

Guest372004 · Mar 7, 2012

How do you know that people are unable to cope? We truly do not know how others are feeling and how/if they are coping. I do agree that we are told (look at the t.v. advertisements) that we are depressed. So many anti-depressants are being thrown at us. My belief is that most people who take anti-depressants are not depressed. But if it helps them, so be it and who am I to judge? They are available. My husband comes home from work every night and has two beers. What is the difference? Some take a pill and some have a beer and then of course some go overboard due to their lack of control.

mazy · Mar 7, 2012

I'm not trying to be demeaning. But it is a truly vexing situation to me in that it seems like a "do as I say, not as I do" type of care that some are giving. I understand that it is a serious issue and I'm not attacking or belittling those nurses that do partake in that mindset.
Maybe it's because I'm young and naive or idealistic, but I personally as a nurse don't believe in putting my health - mental or physical - second to that of my patients. I suppose I have the school of thought that one must take care of themselves first before they can care for others.
Tying these ideas together, I wonder why other nurses let themselves get beat up on shift after shift only to dull the pain away later. Obviously I don't know their personal issues, but if the job is taking that toll on you, why stay? Furthermore, I suspect it's just not our job that drives people to this place, because there are those that are rx meds vs those that make it through 4 shifts a week and are happy as a clam.
It's my intuition that those people who succumb to stress or are more vulnerable to anxiety or depression and want meds to deal with those issues would be the same in any other job. They just happen to be nurses.

The job market is tight; competition is fierce, and nurses do not have the option of walking out of a job just because it is too stressful. There is not guarantee that the next job -- if they even find one -- is going to be any less stressful, and chances are that it will be equally as bad if not moreso than the job they just left.

We stay because we need the paycheck and we are stuck between a rock and a hard place. This is the job, it is the nature of the business, and nurses need to do what they have to do in order to keep working.

It's definitely not right but it's a little bit like David and Goliath, with a bunch of employees, who have no real leverage, taking on the massive health care industry, which is geared toward sucking the life out of their employees to make a buck.

cdsga · Mar 7, 2012

The amount of folks on medication for depression-not just nurses-is mind boggling. Nurses are not exempt from this condition. Not everyone is in the right place career-wise. You do have choices. You need therapy/counseling along with medication. You then can make better life choices. I think "boot-strap" mentality is not always doable. Life is difficult, you just have to get through the fog to determine if you have made foggier. Seek clarity and enable yourselves to make choices that suit you better. Quit thinking everything is life-changing and permanent. It is true that you have to go through "hell" sometimes to learn, but as long as you see it as a phase or passage to something better (and it may take a long time) you can find a more peaceful daily life. It's hard, but speaking personally, I have not learned too much when things were "peachy". I only learned from the hard times.

Guest372004 · Mar 7, 2012

Mazy you are correct IMO. Some people here keep going on and on about how nursing employers need to change things. It is not going to happen. They use the "economy" as a means of controlling nurses. My thought is that ALL RN's who are working in management are obligated to work one day/week on the floor. That is my thought of the day.

Ann Cannoy · Mar 7, 2012

I have depression. The last job I applied for I gave them a list of my meds and they required a letter from my Doctor stating that the drugs that were prescribed would not interfere with my ability to perform my job. Most important I had been taking them for a long time and was already past any side affects they might of caused.

Chiggysmom · Mar 7, 2012

people, listen to yourselves. is popping a pill preferable to getting a handle on things? is this like tv, where every time you turn it on you hear some variation on, "i had a pain, i took a pill, my pain went away!"? are we so captivated by this marketing of urgency and convenience and entitlement that we can't slow the heck down and do something that's better for us? be bold. think about it.

green tea i so agree with you but i don't know how we "slow the heck down". when i'm at work it's almost like being in a game show or something. i just run, run, run the entire 12 hr shift and every time think i'm going to sit down and take a minute, i realize something else has to be done! i survived my husband leaving me 24 years ago with a 4 year old daughter and a 15 month old baby boy to raise by myself and i didn't have to go on any medications to cope then but i feel like i need something today to cope with the unbelievable amount of stress i have on my job! i don't use anything now (except natural stress relieving supplements) but there are many times when i think i really need to see the dr. and ask for something. i think the stress we nurses deal with is the big pink elephant in the corner that everyone just ignores. i mean why aren't there any studies being done on this and the side effects of long term exposure? i guess nobody is going to pay for something that they don't want the results for and don't want ever exposed?

Lpn1213 · Mar 7, 2012

By the end of Nursing school (LPN) 5 of us were on ativan. Class of 25 of us. They had us so stressed out. And i had experience in the medical field!

Lpn1213 · Mar 7, 2012

Me too. Although there is a family history (Mother). I quit smoking when I became a nurse and am pretty active, and HTN kicked in. Norvasc 10mg I take it before I go to bed every night. I am new to this site and so glad I found it. I can truely relate to so many of these posts. Thank all of you!

Chiggysmom · Mar 7, 2012

Here's how I see it:
If you had physical pain that made it hard to do your job, you would take a pill. Joints ache after 10 hours, do you quit? All of these people scoffing how they'd never take a pill to do a job....have you toughed out every work-related migraine? If so, why???
Meds aren't an easy fix. The side effects can be terrible. Switching to find a good fit is common ( all those chemical changing your brain all the time are no fun). And no doc I've ever worked with doesn't also recommend, if not require, therapy. And even on meds, you'll have days where you are anxious, days when you are blue, days when you are happy. It doesn't make everything sunshine, roses, and smiles. Plus, if you have good, healthy brain chemistry, they aren't going to do much to help you in the first place (except a benzo or something, I guess). A normal person taking my anti-epileptic wouldn't notice a difference in mood, according to my doc. I do. Q.E.D.
I'm saddened that so many health care providers still hold the old "buck up" attitude. Trust me, trust me, trust me, I'd kill to be able to buck up, and NOT need all these interventions...not drag myself out of bed in the mornings, not wake up with dry mouth all night, and to be able to lose the 10 lbs I've gained on my meds. I'd have a lot more cash and a lot more free time without all the doctors appointments.
I agree it is sad that people are given meds by their PCP instead of therapy. The coverage system is wacky, and we need to do a better job providing therapy and proactive education about coping skills. I'm shocked hospitals don't require training in stress management. But....telling someone in crisis to shoulder the burden of getting themselves well, and somehow implying it is a moral failing or a lack of will that they aren't coping better is pretty crap-tastic.

You are so right.:-(

Guest372004 · Mar 7, 2012

I don't think that is legal in California to ask someone what meds they take for a job. Personally if asked, I would not give out that type of information.