Impaired Nurses

Nurses Recovery

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I've just recently learned about a program for nurses that may need help with a drug or alcohol problem known as the impaired nurses. I was just wondering what your thoughts were on this subject. Should nurses that have a problem be allowed back into the work place after they have received help? What if they have a relapse?

No, I don't think they should be allowed to practice depending on the drug they are addicted to. (med. drugs, or street drugs). If it is med drugs, then NO. They will work in an area that is swimming in them. If it is street drugs, then yes. If they are in a program that is working.

I got something that's really going to grab you and make you think "what"??

At the hospital I work at, they have become a non-smokeing hospital. And the rules state that if caught smoking or with any tobacco product on your person or in your locker. You will be terminated!!! But if you are caught with crack cocaine in your system, on your person, or in your locker. They will help you get into a recovery program and clean up, all paid by them. (you still keep your job, and only get a slap on the wrist...for CRACK!!) What's up with that!!!! Some times I think the whole world has gone nuts! What's your answer to that, anybody give me a good one. Cause I got nothing!:uhoh3:

Your funny ! Sadly true but funny none the less. Would you agree "Big Brother " just needs to go away.....leave us alone? If a nurse is impaired test them, leave the rest of us alone. If one of my nurses smokes mary jane on a Friday night , comes in a does their job without being impaired,that's all I need. I don't care to baby sit them on their free time. If they get caught at home with illeagal stuff of come in impaired then we have issues. But , I have enough to do without worring about their home life issues. I would feel the same it a nurse come in that has prescribed percs or is taking benadryl and comes in impaired.I would also consider a nurse impaired if they are overburdened by home issues, depressed etc.... Doesn't mean I would have them arrested just means I would give them direction for help so that they can come to work and do the job they were hired for. I'll deal with it on a day to day basis, I don't need to know how they choose to party. I want to know they are preforming a task well pt's are safe and the eployee is healthy. Guess I'm a 70's rebel.---;)

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No, I don't think they should be allowed to practice depending on the drug they are addicted to. (med. drugs, or street drugs). If it is med drugs, then NO. They will work in an area that is swimming in them. If it is street drugs, then yes. If they are in a program that is working.

Wow.......you've got a lot to learn about chemical dependency. Doesn't much matter what the chemical is, dependency is dependency. You think someone who is in recovery after using heroin wouldn't relapse on morphine?? And why can street drug users in a working program be considered safe but not med drugs users in a working program?

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the control of some of these drugs are unbelievable

you may not be interested in a nurses private life but what happens on the outside has effect on the inside

if a nurse comes forward and requests assistance it is much better for them than if they are caught impaired at work or on a random test

i know several who have been thru program some have back slide some have made it so far..

but yes they should be welcomed back into nursing, they still have a living to make and a contribution to society

they say that once impaired always impaired but at some point in time ou have to trust that they are going to take responsibility for their own acts

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Specializes in Acute/ICU/LTC/Advocate/Hospice/HH/.

Wow! A "plethera" of information from all sides of the ever-present hypodermic. Years of experience coupled with true compassion and just a dab of "can you be that stupid?" My therapist is going to have a field day tomorrow. And I thougt I had actually made progress!! Really though, I have 8 mo of TPAPN left and I am faced with the reality that I have used/abused most of my life. Nothing in moderation!! All stages of denial/grief and am lucky to have come this far with my marriage, children and new RN degree intact. Who says you can't get on the Tpapn train as an LVN and get off it an RN? Still working on the "Core Issues" and the Love/Hate relationship with TPAPN. Love to hear it from all of you but need to ask WoodenNik "R U SERIOUS?" Thanks

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Specializes in icu, er, transplant, case management, ps.
hurtful ? no not at all. we all know pt's come back in time after time after time. if you work in hospital that it doesn't happen in there should be a major government study there. because that is an issue hospitals and dr offices deal with on a daily basis. actually, you reinforced my point. i'm not saying addicts shouldn't be responsible for their actions or that they should be treated with tender loving care. i'm saying that just as many other dx. (diabetes, copd were just examples) pt's have many underlying issues that cause them to continue on a distructive path, sometimes leading to a slow death. but just like any other disease, the pt. with the disease needs to take control and take responsibility for their own actions. some do this better than others. but as nurses we are responsible for treating the pt as non - judgemental care providers. i used to be a manager and worked with many nurses who were on the "alternative program for nursing" and they were some of the best nurses i had. they were open with me they were excellent employees. i will stand up for them and defend them as good people who had situations in their life that they never developed the coping skills many of the rest of us did.some were abused, battered and lived on the streets . not one of them came to me with a sob story. they were open up -front with me . i didn't learn about their stories untils some of them invited me to a meeting they all went to. that is where i really begane to appriciate the work they were doing to stay healthy. they were some of the most spiritual, kind people i have ever worked with. they were open about their addiction and ended up helping many other health care workers. so, no what you said wasn't hurtful at all. it just tells me you took it personally.i'm sorry for that. :owhat i said wasn't an acusation, it was a fact of things we see in our er on a daily basis, be it a diabetic, copd, addict, munchausen etc...the list goes on and on.

if you discharge your pt's from your hospital with complete knowlege of their dx and they never return with complications ----wow you guys are good. we can't seem to even get most of ours to understand why a pt with chest pain went back before thier complaint of tooth pain. let alone, that if they continue to smoke they will probalbly be intubated next time they come.

let me explain a few things to you about patient education (this is not directly related to this thread but it is). how much a patient retains, how much their family and others want to help or impede them, it varies from person to person. a person may want to follow their diet, while a diabetic, and take their medications but for some reason, their spouse does not want to help them. one of the major problems i have with my peers is that they love to believe that everyone should learn everything when they teach them. and with this imparted wisdom, they should never blacken their doorway again. tell me, did you learn everything that was taught to you the very first time? or did it take several attempts before you grasp the principle? some things i learned the very first time i was taught. but there were other things that took some more education. and i know my own i.q. and it is above normal range. but if you based your assesment on spelling, i would be rated a dummie. i can't spell worth a darn.

woody:balloons:

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I have an idea. How about requiring every nurse, in every state, to submit to random testing in order to retain their license. That way, we can ensure that no impaired nurse ever has access to patients. Or even legal drugs.

But what if a nurse was taking something like Percocet or Vicodin (prescribed by a physician) say for example back pain.......and if they couldn't take the meds while working, they might in a sense be 'impaired' because they are in pain....how would that work?

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Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.
Nurses should be monitored for the rest of their professional life. I wonder why physicians are not subjected to the same rules? Since the 'pee' test is totally random, it is impossible to guess when your phone is going to ring and you have to go in. And hand over a sample.

I have an idea. How about requiring every nurse, in every state, to submit to random testing in order to retain their license. That way, we can ensure that no impaired nurse ever has access to patients. Or even legal drugs.

All in favor:lol2:

Woody:balloons:

All nurse and doctors should have routine testing done. Im all for it

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Are you serious? This is America nobody is being tested at their place of work without some probable cause. I'm certainly not!

If you want that kind of supervision you can move to North Korea. The rest of us like our inalienable rights.

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.
Are you serious? This is America nobody is being tested at their place of work without some probable cause. I'm certainly not!

If you want that kind of supervision you can move to North Korea. The rest of us like our inalienable rights.

Yes, there are professions that do drug testing in the interest of public safety.

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I researched it and I couldn't believe what I found, though I shouldn't be too shocked. I still think it's unconstitutional though clearly that hasn't stopped the legislature and executive branch from trampling all over our rights.It doesn't help that people are actually asking that to be done!

It will be a cold day in he!! before I let the government test me unless I choose to work for them.

"Those who choose security over liberity deserve neither"

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I am very familiar w/ these programs offered. Not everyone in these programs is addicted. For whatever reason, they made mistakes. (Not talking about nurse who steal drugs and shoot them in b/n their toes). Instead, I am referring to less offenders. They made mistakes. And these programs are overkill. They group all the drug-addicts w/ the people who got a DWI w/ people who got drunk in public...some w/ offenses years before they became a nurse.

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Oh yeah, and I know I people w/ gambling disorders seeking help... or another nurse who started to drink heavily secondary to a weight issue. The board threatens your livelihood when you are already down

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