drug prevention in health care workers

Nurses Recovery

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I graduated in 1979 with an A.D. in Nursing, then got my Paramedic. I don't remember taking any classes about the high incidence of drug addiction in health care workers and how to prevent it, how to recognize the signs of it, both in yourself and in your peers. I began to divert after a bad car wreck in which I fractured my sternum and nearly died from addiction. I worked in a ten bed Critical Care unit and at the very same time two other nurses (from CCU) were also diverting! One of them went to jail and the other lost their child. It devastates lives. Do they teach anything about it in Nursing school now? I am now retired and live in a small town and don't know any new grads or brand new R.N.'s. In school is it barely touched on or is it discussed in full? Or not mentioned at all?

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

Thread moved to our Nurses / Recovery for best input of members.

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Specializes in pediatrics; PICU; NICU.

It'll be interesting to see the responses to this topic. I graduated in 1978 from an ADN program. We were taught nothing about addictions at all. I think back then the subject was a bit taboo especially if it involved medical professionals. If this isn't being taught in nursing schools, it definitely should be. All it takes to see the scope of the problem of addiction in nurses is a search on allnurses.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

I'm in my first semester and we've just covered addiction over the last couple of weeks. I know from reading AN that addiction in general and diversion of medications in particular are huge issues in nursing but my instructor didn't touch on it at all - all of the content was geared toward recognizing and treating addiction in patients.

Now that I think about it, diversion wasn't covered when we went over med administration either. I wonder if it's because they don't think it's a big issue or if they're just wary of putting the idea in our heads. Either way I think the topic certainly warrants some frank discussion in the classroom.

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I graduated in 2010 and the topic of addiction in patients was covered, not including nurses. Even more disturbing, we had a nursing legal/ethics class that covered the consequences for failing to chart...no mention of drug/alcohol uses. It's really quite sad!

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Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.

I graduated from LPN school in 91 and RN in 96 and it wasn't covered at all. I wish it had been.

Anne, RNC

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I attended a hospital-based diploma school in the early 1980s, and this was covered in detail, in our psych class when we talked about addiction in general, and a number of different times in talking about general professional and licensure issues. Another thing our school did every year was drive all the seniors to attend a BON meeting (the BON office was ~3 hrs drive from the school; the school had a bus, it was an all-day field trip), including whichever disciplinary hearings happened to be taking place at that particular BON meeting. Several of the hearings we sat through were related to drug diversion/abuse, and that experience really put the fear of God (as the saying goes) in all of us. I remember discussing afterwards, with classmates, that we were pretty sure that none of those individuals had gone into nursing thinking that this would be a cool way to get hold of drugs, or that it would be fun to throw away their licenses, after all the trouble they had gone to to get them, and that must mean that this could happen to anyone, and we would have to be really careful to be sure it didn't happen to us.

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Specializes in Na.

Thank you for your comment. I wish more nurses were understanding but "they shoot their wounded". It was hard for me to accept that this disease does not recognize a license and hard won nursing degree. Just because we are nurses does not change the fact that we are human and have the same opportunity for any disease. This taboo subject and the prejudice that we experience is devastating. Like you mentioned we did not plan to become addicts or alcoholics. Other nursing professionals should recognize " there but the grace of god go I ". It could happen to anyone with the right circumstances.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving.

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I graduated in 2012 and I'm pretty sure the topic was addressed only briefly. Mainly what signs to look for in substance abusing co- workers. I work in a drug & alcohol detox/ rehab facility and we get a lot of nurses as patients. Your right addiction knows no boundaries, everyone is susceptible.

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It's my dream, I should say goal, to do more in my community to help make the stigmatization for drug abuse in nursing a little less. I have contacted a couple coordinators for local nursing programs here and only one was very receptive--but my therapist, who also designed the addictions curriculum at the local college, is encouraging me to do something like a one-day presentation with him on addiction and especially addiction within the healthcare community. I just have so much going on in my life right now that I need to get moving and make it more of a priority. I would really love to help keep someone from having to go through losing everything before they get help.

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I graduated in 1979 with an A.D. in Nursing, then got my Paramedic. I don't remember taking any classes about the high incidence of drug addiction in health care workers and how to prevent it, how to recognize the signs of it, both in yourself and in your peers. I began to divert after a bad car wreck in which I fractured my sternum and nearly died from addiction. I worked in a ten bed Critical Care unit and at the very same time two other nurses (from CCU) were also diverting! One of them went to jail and the other lost their child. It devastates lives. Do they teach anything about it in Nursing school now? I am now retired and live in a small town and don't know any new grads or brand new R.N.'s. In school is it barely touched on or is it discussed in full? Or not mentioned at all?

I appreciate your topic abundantly. When I was in school the subject of addiction was not discussed, i believe it should be, as well as coping skills. As someone who is being affected by this topic personally. For the most part, nurses are caregivers from the heart. Some suffer from codependency and will take on other's problems and not handle our own. Once God has restored me and society sees it as that, I also want to be apart of educating. This is a must.

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I graduated in 2012 and I'm pretty sure the topic was addressed only briefly. Mainly what signs to look for in substance abusing co- workers. I work in a drug & alcohol detox/ rehab facility and we get a lot of nurses as patients. Your right addiction knows no boundaries, everyone is susceptible.

I am new to the forum, and would love to network with you all. I am not sure if I can give my email. I too am in recovery and have dreams of helping people to recovery even before picking up. Together we can!

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