Wanted to pose this question here for more experienced nurses to answer.
We as orientees were invited out to a pharmaceutical dinner by our manager/master preceptor. We were doing night shift, but they decided to have us show up for dinner at 7 and the plan was to go into work after dinner. A nice deviation from orientation and just sort of a perk they offered us.
Well, it was a very fancy steak dinner place and when we walked in, everyone was offered a glass of red or white wine before dinner by the wait staff. I accepted a glass of red wine, carried it to my table, sipped from it slowly before dinner, didn't even FINISH it, drank water with my meal and had a cup of coffee afterwards. I probably consumed less than 2 oz of wine and had it with an enormous 2 lb steak and potato.
After dinner I was actually wired and alert from the coffee and doing fine. I am totally used to having a glass of wine with dinner, especially with such an upscale meal.
But my manager just totally got on me during a routine meeting going over my weekly evals. I mean -- she was ALL over me, saying HER license was at risk, that I could have been "impaired" from drinking during dinner, etc. and that I should not have accepted it.
I see her point, but I just again, feel like my character has been denigrated. I am a 44 year old mother of 3, the most safe and responsible person on earth -- I wouldn't DREAM of getting buzzed before work, know my limits, etc. It was a glass of wine, not a whisky double for God's sake!!
I told her it would have been better if they had perhaps given us a gentle reminder that it would not be wise to drink since we were expected at work that night -- that THEY invited us to this before a worknight and that wine was available at this event and if they didn't want us to drink, they should have given us a gentle reminder.
I don't know -- again, I just work my behind off at work, do a good job, yet I'm chastised for such a small offense over which nothing happened and no one got hurt. In looking back she was saying something about it at dinner, but was very indirect about it and I just paid no attention to it.
Any thoughts? Was I totally inappropriate to accept a drink before going on shift 2-3 hours later. I guess I was, but was there a better way to handle this on their part?
I haven't been "drunk" in probably over 10 years. I don't get drunk. I hate to even be drunk. I do like my wine with dinner when I go out because it compliments the meal. I suppose I was wrong, but I'm having a hard time dealing with this for some reason.
To me, especially after living in Europe for over 6 years, to drink wine with a meal is like having table water. You just drink it. I guess my values and my ideas are different -- maybe I was being irresponsible and showing poor judgement -- but it's a tough pill to swallow and hard to be scolded over it.
Specializes in ER and family advanced nursing practice.
Can I just clear up this little misconception, nurses in the UK do not drink on or before duty, it is a disciplinary offense and will result in the nurse being sent home and being reprimanded.
That makes perfect sense to me. I did not think that would be the case. Thanks for setting the record straight!
I do remember in England back in the 90s my old ward sister on the Orthopaedic ward used to pull out a bottle of something at Christmas and we'd all have a drink in the office before work. Very naughty by today's standards but we didn't think anything of it back then. Also, we used to get beer or sherry ordered for elderly patients who were used to drinking every evening at home and who were very restless. We would actually get a small can of beer sent up from Pharmacy! They would love a little tot of Sherry after dinner and it kept them happy. I can't see that happening nowadays, but then I still remember when patients were allowed to smoke in bed! I must be getting old!
And I can remember new moms getting either a champagne breakfast or wine with dinner for the first meal post delivery, but you won't see that happening now.
I do remember in England back in the 90s my old ward sister on the Orthopaedic ward used to pull out a bottle of something at Christmas and we'd all have a drink in the office before work. Very naughty by today's standards but we didn't think anything of it back then. Also, we used to get beer or sherry ordered for elderly patients who were used to drinking every evening at home and who were very restless. We would actually get a small can of beer sent up from Pharmacy! They would love a little tot of Sherry after dinner and it kept them happy. I can't see that happening nowadays, but then I still remember when patients were allowed to smoke in bed! I must be getting old!
Actually if we get elderly patients who are partial to a tipple at home I will prescribe them a can of beer or glass of whisky for night time if it't not contraindicated with thier condition or other meds
Specializes in ER and family advanced nursing practice.
At this level II trauma center where I worked as a paramedic we kept a 12 pack of Samuel Adams beer in the pharmacy fridge for ETOH withdrawal patients. I was a nursing student at the time and broke as all get out, and I remember thinking, "How lame! I have to drink crap beer at the house, but the homeless guys at least get something decent...":bluecry1:
Of course, I have to be careful when talking about the quality of beer with those of you from the UK. US beer is awful...
We used to keep a bottle of brandy in the drug trolley and still have patients prescribed a can of beer "TDS with meals PRN." Although I was always under the impression that we had to have a BAL of 0.00 (0.05's over the limit for driving here), 1) I've never heard of a nurse being breath/blood tested at work and 2) I've just combed through the Nurses' Board of Victoria website and can't find anything about alcohol consumption, BAL etc.
I think there are two issues - should you abstain from alcohol before work for patient safety, and should you abstain from being seen to consume/have consumed alcohol?
It seems to me the issue, at least in this case (moderate intake, some hours before work, with a substantial meal, in a well rested practitioner), is more to do with the perception. And no, I wouldn't want to be cared for by a nurse (or doctor) with alcohol on their breath. But if I had any say I also wouldn't want to be cared for by a clinician who was sleep deprived, hung over, unwell, emotionally distracted or overconfident and underexperienced. It's just that those are all a lot harder to detect.
I think there are two issues - should you abstain from alcohol before work for patient safety, and should you abstain from being seen to consume/have consumed alcohol?
It seems to me the issue, at least in this case (moderate intake, some hours before work, with a substantial meal, in a well rested practitioner), is more to do with the perception. And no, I wouldn't want to be cared for by a nurse (or doctor) with alcohol on their breath. But if I had any say I also wouldn't want to be cared for by a clinician who was sleep deprived, hung over, unwell, emotionally distracted or overconfident and underexperienced. It's just that those are all a lot harder to detect.
Different country, different rules. Here in the US you have to have a BAL of ZERO in order to work without issue. I understand that many nurses work after having fun the evening before and it hasn't all cleared out, but the expectation is that the BAL will be zero. If the nurse is reported for any infraction and there is alcohol in the system, s/he will have an extremely short leg to stand on in his/her defense.
People blow things out of proportion a lot. so even when you say your own personal opinion on topics people just go off on you and tell you to "keep your comments to yourself".
Tell that to the BON. Until you have had to defend your actions/license because of chemicals, you do not have the knowledge to say that 2 oz is not a big deal, especially when it's right before your shift. Realistically you are right, but in this environment it is a very big deal.
They should have not served red or white wine to the staff before work. I honstly do not believed she had the right to chasitised you about it. Yes maybe you shouldn't have drank it but that was unprofessional on your facilities behalf to serve alcohol.
I'm sorry but doesn't everybody know that you CANNOT drink any alcohol before a shift in any hospital in any country? And I came from England, the sherry in the office was many many years ago when nurses still smoked in the office!! Also the beer for patients is also used in the us. diamorphine is only used in very few cases and is extremely tightly controlled.
ivanh3
472 Posts
That makes perfect sense to me. I did not think that would be the case. Thanks for setting the record straight!
Ivan