RN's w/chronic pain, using narcotics

gr8rnpjt, RN · Jan 19, 2007

Deehaverrn, If you have not been to a pain clinic yet, I urge you to go. Long acting morphine is available and does not impair you at all. Read the post after yours, she is in a pain clinic and there are ways to compound meds so that it is tailored to you. You will get much more relief if you go to a pain clinic and they will work with you to make your ability to work without pain a priority.

Comanche_1 · Jan 25, 2007

I am unsure what the nursing regulations are but I'm sure they are similar if not the same as the ones in EMS. You are not allowed to work while you are on narcotics. You will be considered to be under the influence and putting yourself as well as others at danger.

Not that I agree with this as I have my own health issues that can be taken care of by narcs but I also see where they are coming from. Where can you draw the line??

CLAIRE'S COWBOY · Mar 13, 2007

I WAS A WORKING RN FOR OVER 20 YEARS. I HAD SEVERAQL BACK AND NECK SURGERIES. IN 2002 I ENDED UP HAVING MULTIPLE SURGERIES AND FUSIONS ON 10 DISCS. IT WAS LIKE ONE DAY WAKING UP AND YOUR WHOLE LIFE IS GONE. I LOVED NURSING, BUT BECAUSE OF SEVERAL REASONS MY ONLY OPTION WAS TO GO ON LONG TERM NARCOTICS.

EVEN THOUGH I WAS SAD AND VERY DISAPPOINTED. I CANCELLED MY RN LISCENCES IN 5 STATES i DID SOME TRAVEL BURSING) AND THEN WENT TO THE DMV AND TURNED IN MY LISCENCE FOR A STATE ID.

THIS WAS ESP. HARD BECAUSE MY ONLY DAUGHTER LIVES IN SWEDEN AND I HAVE ONLY MY BOYFRIEND TO GET ME AROUND. WE LIVE OUT IN THE DESERT 50 MILES TO TOWN.

IT IS NOT THE STATE OR YOUR EMPLOYERS. DIDN'T ANY OF YOU READ YOUR NURSE PRACTICE ACT. FROM THE VERY BEGINNING I KNEW I COULD NOT TAKE NARCOTICS AND WORK AS AN RN IN THE ER OR FLIGHT.

I KNEW TAKING THESE NARCOTICS MAKES IT AGAINST THE LAW TO DRIVE.

REGARDLESS WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING THESE ARE THE FACTS.

OUR NURSE PRACTICE ACTS WERE WRITTEN BY OTHER NURSES.

YOU MAY THINK YOU ARE NORMAL - BUT REMEMBER YOU HAVE A BRAIN WITH NARCOTICS FLOATING AROUND TELLING YOU THAT.

BELIEVE ME IN ER AS NURSES WE WERE ALWAYS THE FIRST TO ACCUSE PTS. OF DRUG ABUSE.

YES, I HATE BEING SICK AND DISABLED. AND YES I THINK THE WORK WE DO OFTEN CONTRIBUTES TO THE PROBLEM AND THAT IS WHERE WE SHOULD PROBABLY FIGHT FOR RECOGNITION AND SOME TYPE OF COMPENSATION.

BUT I HAVE TO SAY EVEN THOUGH I HAVE DAYS I SEEM NORMAL TO ME I WOULDN'T WANT A NURSE ON NARCOTICS TAKING CARE OF ME OR MY FAMILY, NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE NARCOTICS EFFECT, BUT BECAUSE THEY ARE WILLING TO KEEP QUIET ABOUT A MAJOR ISSUE THEY AGREED TO WHEN ACCEPTING THEIR LISCENCE TO WORK AS AN RN.

SAD, WISH IT HAD TURNED OUT DIFFERENT, BUT NOT THE FIRST.

morte, LPN, LVN · Mar 13, 2007

I WAS A WORKING RN FOR OVER 20 YEARS. I HAD SEVERAQL BACK AND NECK SURGERIES. IN 2002 I ENDED UP HAVING MULTIPLE SURGERIES AND FUSIONS ON 10 DISCS. IT WAS LIKE ONE DAY WAKING UP AND YOUR WHOLE LIFE IS GONE. I LOVED NURSING, BUT BECAUSE OF SEVERAL REASONS MY ONLY OPTION WAS TO GO ON LONG TERM NARCOTICS.
EVEN THOUGH I WAS SAD AND VERY DISAPPOINTED. I CANCELLED MY RN LISCENCES IN 5 STATES i DID SOME TRAVEL BURSING) AND THEN WENT TO THE DMV AND TURNED IN MY LISCENCE FOR A STATE ID.
THIS WAS ESP. HARD BECAUSE MY ONLY DAUGHTER LIVES IN SWEDEN AND I HAVE ONLY MY BOYFRIEND TO GET ME AROUND. WE LIVE OUT IN THE DESERT 50 MILES TO TOWN.
IT IS NOT THE STATE OR YOUR EMPLOYERS. DIDN'T ANY OF YOU READ YOUR NURSE PRACTICE ACT. FROM THE VERY BEGINNING I KNEW I COULD NOT TAKE NARCOTICS AND WORK AS AN RN IN THE ER OR FLIGHT.
I KNEW TAKING THESE NARCOTICS MAKES IT AGAINST THE LAW TO DRIVE.
REGARDLESS WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING THESE ARE THE FACTS.
OUR NURSE PRACTICE ACTS WERE WRITTEN BY OTHER NURSES.
YOU MAY THINK YOU ARE NORMAL - BUT REMEMBER YOU HAVE A BRAIN WITH NARCOTICS FLOATING AROUND TELLING YOU THAT.
BELIEVE ME IN ER AS NURSES WE WERE ALWAYS THE FIRST TO ACCUSE PTS. OF DRUG ABUSE.
YES, I HATE BEING SICK AND DISABLED. AND YES I THINK THE WORK WE DO OFTEN CONTRIBUTES TO THE PROBLEM AND THAT IS WHERE WE SHOULD PROBABLY FIGHT FOR RECOGNITION AND SOME TYPE OF COMPENSATION.
BUT I HAVE TO SAY EVEN THOUGH I HAVE DAYS I SEEM NORMAL TO ME I WOULDN'T WANT A NURSE ON NARCOTICS TAKING CARE OF ME OR MY FAMILY, NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE NARCOTICS EFFECT, BUT BECAUSE THEY ARE WILLING TO KEEP QUIET ABOUT A MAJOR ISSUE THEY AGREED TO WHEN ACCEPTING THEIR LISCENCE TO WORK AS AN RN.
SAD, WISH IT HAD TURNED OUT DIFFERENT, BUT NOT THE FIRST.

i think you may need to reread your nurse practice act, with a dictionary at hand...

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Mar 16, 2007

I WAS A WORKING RN FOR OVER 20 YEARS. I HAD SEVERAQL BACK AND NECK SURGERIES. IN 2002 I ENDED UP HAVING MULTIPLE SURGERIES AND FUSIONS ON 10 DISCS. IT WAS LIKE ONE DAY WAKING UP AND YOUR WHOLE LIFE IS GONE. I LOVED NURSING, BUT BECAUSE OF SEVERAL REASONS MY ONLY OPTION WAS TO GO ON LONG TERM NARCOTICS.
EVEN THOUGH I WAS SAD AND VERY DISAPPOINTED. I CANCELLED MY RN LISCENCES IN 5 STATES i DID SOME TRAVEL BURSING) AND THEN WENT TO THE DMV AND TURNED IN MY LISCENCE FOR A STATE ID.
THIS WAS ESP. HARD BECAUSE MY ONLY DAUGHTER LIVES IN SWEDEN AND I HAVE ONLY MY BOYFRIEND TO GET ME AROUND. WE LIVE OUT IN THE DESERT 50 MILES TO TOWN.
IT IS NOT THE STATE OR YOUR EMPLOYERS. DIDN'T ANY OF YOU READ YOUR NURSE PRACTICE ACT. FROM THE VERY BEGINNING I KNEW I COULD NOT TAKE NARCOTICS AND WORK AS AN RN IN THE ER OR FLIGHT.
I KNEW TAKING THESE NARCOTICS MAKES IT AGAINST THE LAW TO DRIVE.
REGARDLESS WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING THESE ARE THE FACTS.
OUR NURSE PRACTICE ACTS WERE WRITTEN BY OTHER NURSES.
YOU MAY THINK YOU ARE NORMAL - BUT REMEMBER YOU HAVE A BRAIN WITH NARCOTICS FLOATING AROUND TELLING YOU THAT.
BELIEVE ME IN ER AS NURSES WE WERE ALWAYS THE FIRST TO ACCUSE PTS. OF DRUG ABUSE.
YES, I HATE BEING SICK AND DISABLED. AND YES I THINK THE WORK WE DO OFTEN CONTRIBUTES TO THE PROBLEM AND THAT IS WHERE WE SHOULD PROBABLY FIGHT FOR RECOGNITION AND SOME TYPE OF COMPENSATION.
BUT I HAVE TO SAY EVEN THOUGH I HAVE DAYS I SEEM NORMAL TO ME I WOULDN'T WANT A NURSE ON NARCOTICS TAKING CARE OF ME OR MY FAMILY, NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE NARCOTICS EFFECT, BUT BECAUSE THEY ARE WILLING TO KEEP QUIET ABOUT A MAJOR ISSUE THEY AGREED TO WHEN ACCEPTING THEIR LISCENCE TO WORK AS AN RN.
SAD, WISH IT HAD TURNED OUT DIFFERENT, BUT NOT THE FIRST.

I feel sorry for you chronic condition But I applaud your brave decision in knowing what you can and cant do. My prayers are with you.

abbaking · Mar 22, 2007

Being a RN with severe chronic back pain myself, I can attest to the pains of the Nursing profession that being a nurse causes. Alas, working with under the influence of narcotic pain medication is unethical and places your patients and you at many risks. Sadly, many fellow RN's and myself with severe pain conditions have HAD to pop a Vicodin or Norco at work on breaks just to take the edge off from terrible pain. My advise would be to err on the side of caution, and refrain from using narcotic meds at work unless the pain is terribly severe. Do what you gots to do!

SRbear · Apr 18, 2007

Doesn't time go by in the blink of an eye........I have not nor do I plan to get back into nursing. But what is keeping me out is this dang fibromyalgia. I did hear back from the board of nursing, instructing me to go to an addictionologist at my expense to determine if I could handle taking the oxycontin and be competent at work. All I could think of was that song..."take this job and shove it....." so, I told them after 28 years of hospital nursing.. I am DONE.

It is really a shame that as nurses we are expected to work in pain, work double shifts, work when sick, etc, with no regard to what it is doing to us.

I have no great words of wisdom, or answers to any of life's mysteries, but I do know that if we do not take care of ourselves.......who will?

jewels123 · May 16, 2007

My story. My husband is an RN who was prescribed pain medication for chronic pain from a motorcycle accident 4 years ago. He tried for a long time to not take anything but over the counter. His life was interuppted, he was depressed, in pain and desperate. He went to a pain management Dr who prescribed a low dose of pain meds knowing he was a nurse. He has never been an addict but was scared to ask his Dr for a higher dose and wanted more relief. He made a wrong and horrible life altering choice by diverting some pain meds from work. This is the consequences of his actions. He was terminated. He was referred to our states diversion program. He is out of work and will not be able to work in nursing for quite some time. When back to work he will have to be monitored for up to 5 years including telling all potential employers of his previous actions. He is not allowed to take any pain medication that is prescription opiate or non opaite without paying for a $4000 neuro study to determine if he is imparied. There is no guarantee that even if it shows no impairment that he will be able to gain employment. He is working for a $10.00/hr college student job becuase all he has ever done is nursing. Our savings is gone, our bills are barely covered. Treatment, meetings, drug testing and other fees have to be paid montly in addition. I never knew that being a nurse would mean a choice between pain medication and your career.

There was no excuse for his actions, it was wrong in so many ways morally and criminally. This post is for those who have taken that path or might consider it. Please "Stop, Think and Dont"

gr8rnpjt, RN · May 16, 2007

My story. My husband is an RN who was prescribed pain medication for chronic pain from a motorcycle accident 4 years ago. He tried for a long time to not take anything but over the counter. His life was interuppted, he was depressed, in pain and desperate. He went to a pain management Dr who prescribed a low dose of pain meds knowing he was a nurse. He has never been an addict but was scared to ask his Dr for a higher dose and wanted more relief. He made a wrong and horrible life altering choice by diverting some pain meds from work. This is the consequences of his actions. He was terminated. He was referred to our states diversion program. He is out of work and will not be able to work in nursing for quite some time. When back to work he will have to be monitored for up to 5 years including telling all potential employers of his previous actions. He is not allowed to take any pain medication that is prescription opiate or non opaite without paying for a $4000 neuro study to determine if he is imparied. There is no guarantee that even if it shows no impairment that he will be able to gain employment. He is working for a $10.00/hr college student job becuase all he has ever done is nursing. Our savings is gone, our bills are barely covered. Treatment, meetings, drug testing and other fees have to be paid montly in addition. I never knew that being a nurse would mean a choice between pain medication and your career.
There was no excuse for his actions, it was wrong in so many ways morally and criminally. This post is for those who have taken that path or might consider it. Please "Stop, Think and Dont"

(((jewels123)))

There but for the grace of God...

If your husband hasn't found this forum yet, he may be interested. There is a lot of support out there:

http://www.voy.com/140037/

LilgirlRN, ADN, RN · May 16, 2007

Many people who take narcotics for chronic pain function just like anyone else, their medication does not make them foggy and in many instances opiates can act like medication for ADD and help people with a "bouncy" brain function better. This is neither here nor there, it's all about how the law reads. Here in AL, if you use narcotics and you get screened for whatever reason and you don't have an RX for it, you can really get in trouble. Same goes for any substance, even alcohol. You go out and party the night before, stay out till 2 Am come home and got to work at 7, someone smells it on your breath, you'll be in sent to treatment before you can say I'm not an alcoholic.

Josh L.Ac. · May 21, 2007

After reading some of the stories on this thread, I was reminded of a very poignant episode from the first season of "Boomtown", which was a very interesting police drama where the story was told from several perspectives.

In the episode "Blackout" [i think it was that one], one of the main characters is an alcoholic that is highly functioning...I think he was a city attorney. He is attending a dinner in the honor of his boss, the district attorney, and stands up and gives a little story about how is boss is no-nonsense and fair. People are laughing at his punch lines and he is the center of attention.

Later in the episode, when the story is told from the viewpoint of a reporter who happens to be at the benefit dinner, the events are quite different. The reporter notices that the attorney is slurring his words and keeps clanking his wine glass against the dishes on his table...as he tells a rambling story about the district attorney. People aren't laughing at the story - they are doing that nervous laughter that people do when something incredibly inappropriate happens in public.

My point is that many people think they are acting and behaving completely normal when they are under the influence, but they really aren't. And just because nobody gets in your face and calls you on your impairment does not mean you are unimpaired.

What is incredibly sad is that sometimes the medications that are vital in allowing a person to be pain-free enough to work also have the unintended side effect of taking the person off their game. This might not be too much of an issue depending on the type of work...but it might.

Sigh.

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · May 26, 2007

Do you want someone under the use of narcotics driving a car. Do you want a nurse using narcotics to control pain to take care of your family members. I have to answer....No

I have to answer yes. There are many professionals in all fields who have valid prescriptions for narcotics. When I applied for my job I had to declare what prescription meds I am on. I've done this with 3 or 4 jobs over the past 10 years and never a problem. I take Ativan BID and have for 8 years at least. It does not impair me in any way. I think the issue here is if the professional is using more than they are legally prescribed leading to impaired judgement.