If you are drunk, don't drive!

Nurses General Nursing

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If you are a nurse, and you drive while you are drunk; the Board of Nursing can suspend your nursing license for good!!! This is hard to believe...but it is true!!!!

Specializes in Cardiology, Oncology, Medsurge.

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Yah.

Well how about if a peds nurse loses a pt and goes down to the local watering hole with other nurses and has a couple and on the way home gets a DUI?

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I think that we as a profession should examine a carte blanche policy such as caught drinking and driving lose your license. We need to consider the circumstances for the person's DUI and not just go about it hastily taking a person's right to practice away from him/her.

What one does on one's own spare time is his/her business and should not be the business of others to condone or condemn.

Are we not taught in nursing school to withhold judgement until we consider all the evidence surrounding a patients circumstance? Shouldn't we do the same for our fellow nurse?

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Specializes in jack of all trades.

I think that we as a profession should examine a carte blanche policy such as caught drinking and driving lose your license. We need to consider the circumstances for the person's DUI and not just go about it hastily taking a person's right to practice away from him/her.

What one does on one's own spare time is his/her business and should not be the business of others to condone or condemn.

Are we not taught in nursing school to withhold judgement until we consider all the evidence surrounding a patients circumstance? Shouldn't we do the same for our fellow nurse?

Hmm, well then why does a nurse have to end up in programs such as VRP or under suspension if a pre-employment or random drug screen turns up positive for THC/marijuana use? Ex: your on vacation for a week and at a party smoke a joint. Returning to work a week later are random tested. Your reported to the BON by that employer which in turn you cant work as an RN for a period of time, pay $ for addiction evaluations, pay for weekly or more random ua's, pay $ for continues counseling, attend daily AA/NA meetings, report to a case worker and call in daily to see if you have to pee in a cup? Please dont say it's different because it's an "illegal drug" as Drunk driving is also "illegal". I know of 3 nurses in my 24 year career who have lost due to this very scenerio. So it's ok not to be disciplined for DUI but ok for a positive THC? It doesnt mean they were impaired at work either and were on thier own time also. One of the very nurses I knew also was undergoing chemotherapy and smoked to relieve the side effects of her chemo. She did continue to work as much as her health allowed but was disciplined by the BON for having a positive screen. I'm just pointing out the same could be argued in many other situations but it still happens. The BON's are looking out for Public safety and definitely not for the nurses health and well being nor our ability to continue to make a living.

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One time I went out to drink with the CNA after an 8 hr evening shift on a medical unit. I had a pt who had had an AAA repair, with ischemia via the mesenteric artery to her abdominal region, plus She was also a post code and had had some neurological effects from that as well.

The CNA and I had to do a dressing change on her. She had an enormous cavity in her abdominal region where the ischemia had caused utter necrosis to the tissues. I've never seen anything so horrible. I could visualize her spinal column while I removed the packing during this sterile drsg change with the help of my assistant. The pt was confused, but verbal, and kept telling me that she felt like something was gnawing at her as I accomplished this horrific procedure.

We went out to a bar and I had a gin and tonic and I smoked a rare cigarette and blew smoke rings.

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It is the demonstration of poor judgement that is the problem.

Drinking excessively alone demonstrates poor judgement. Nurses that get hooked on narcs demonstrates poor judgement, yet are allowed back in nursing after rehab. Nurses who engage in promiscuous unprotected sex demonstrates poor judgement. The list is endless. The fact is, every single human being demonstrates poor judgement many times in their life.

By virtue of passing the NCLEX, nurses have demonstrated the minimum requirements of licensure, which includes nursing judgement.

There is no concrete evidence to support your arguement that poor judgement in private life equates to poor judgement on the job.

Just where do you, et al, propose the line between the workplace and private life be drawn??

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I just can't understand why this discussion is even ongoing. What part of DRINKING AND DRIVING KILLS do people not understand?

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
[mouse][/mouse]

I think that we as a profession should examine a carte blanche policy such as caught drinking and driving lose your license. We need to consider the circumstances for the person's DUI and not just go about it hastily taking a person's right to practice away from him/her.

What one does on one's own spare time is his/her business and should not be the business of others to condone or condemn.

Are we not taught in nursing school to withhold judgement until we consider all the evidence surrounding a patients circumstance? Shouldn't we do the same for our fellow nurse?

I think your minimizing drinking and driving. I do allow you your opinion.

When one is engaging in illegal activites, then it's a public problem that needs attention, not a situationi that is one's personal business.

Definately we should not judge or condemn another person as individuals. Leave that to the traffic courts and the Boards of Nursing.

Finally, are we not taught in nursing school coping mechanisms in dealing with dying patients? Does it include drinking and driving as a coping mechanism?

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Specializes in Case Management.

My drinking days are far behind me.

I just never understood the enjoyment.

It was never fun for me and towards the end I was always the designated driver because I didn't like the way it made me feel, especially the next day.

But I ask this, where does the responsibility lie, when bars are competing for business by offering 2fers and other promotional gimmicks that promote ingestion of too much alcohol. It is not hard to blow a .18 when you are leaving a bar after a couple of hours of drinking.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, PSYCH, PP, CEN.

When I was a young adult we would drink and drive all the time. "Have one for the road" was a common comment. Thirty years later and god knows how many dead people later it has been recognized that drinking and driving kills, kills, kills. I have had kids die and said I was going home and get drunk. But I know better than to stop at the bar and drink on the way home. After you have that first drink your common sense leaves and if you are already depressed you will not be a good judge of when to stop drinking.

I used to drive drunk all the time when I was a young adult, but the news flash is in (a long time ago) and I now know that you can not drive drunk ever, it is too dangerous.

When we become nurses we accept a level of responsibility above the general public, just like cops and firemen etc. We need to hold ourselves to a higher standard. And if that means I have to go home before I get drunk, well that's a small price to pay.

There is no legitimate way to rationalize drinking and then driving. I also feel this way about working too many hours and then driving. This has been shown to be a deadly duo too.

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Specializes in Government.

I'm not sure people understand how pervasive this problem is. I am a nurse for a state DOT. My unit for medical-related driving issues has 7 people (I'm the only nurse). That's for the whole state of 4 million drivers. Our OWI/DUI unit? Has 40 people! That's all they do...walk people through the OWI process!

In my state, you are required to notify your BON. However, it is extremely easy to get an occupational driver's license after an OWI.

I'd prefer a law much like the Scandinavian countries. They have quite severe penalties for drinking and driving without as many loopholes. If it isn't tolerated, maybe people would do more of their drinking at home.

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Specializes in ER/Trauma.
Drinking excessively alone demonstrates poor judgement. Nurses that get hooked on narcs demonstrates poor judgement, yet are allowed back in nursing after rehab. Nurses who engage in promiscuous unprotected sex demonstrates poor judgement. The list is endless. The fact is, every single human being demonstrates poor judgement many times in their life.

By virtue of passing the NCLEX, nurses have demonstrated the minimum requirements of licensure, which includes nursing judgement.

There is no concrete evidence to support your arguement that poor judgement in private life equates to poor judgement on the job.

Just where do you, et al, propose the line between the workplace and private life be drawn??

Thank you.

cheers,

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Specializes in Cardiology, Oncology, Medsurge.

Just where do you, et al, propose the line between the workplace and private life be drawn??

Well said!

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
I just can't understand why this discussion is even ongoing. What part of DRINKING AND DRIVING KILLS do people not understand?

I would think THAT would be reason enough to not do it, nevermind the whole lose-your-nursing-license thing.

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