Controlled substances

Specialties CRNA

Published

Recently, a student nurse anesthetist was found dead in the on-call room of a drug overdose. People I know who work in PACU, OR say there is NO accountability for controlled substances. That pretty much, the 'ologists have quite a stash in their jackets, "just in case" they get called for a stat intubation. I would imagine that becoming a CRNA might be an attractive proposition for an impaired professional. What's the concensus?

well it wouldn't be the first time i was mistaken....however.....

it would only make LOGICAL sense that if someone was in a rehab program or was caught using that they wouldn't be placed in a position where it was readily accessible and ultimately sacrificing patient care. THAT is a lawsuit waiting to happen.

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I am just a 'CRNA to be', so my perspective might be a little different than yours.... but I think there are very few institution that would hire a CRNA if the CRNA were "disabled" due to an addiction problem in their past. It is too much liability and reflects badly on the institution when the info gets out into the public. Media frenzy... Can't you just see this story on the news: "Hospital X being sued by patient CS because of awareness during surgery and did you know that her CRNA has been in drug rehab before being hired by hospital X... did the anesthesiologist steal the patient's drugs? stay tuned to channel 9....more info when we return.....".

Also, think of this scenario: would you want your children to be supervised by a day care that employed a person who "used to have a problem" with child Mediaography? Even if the person has received therapy, I would still consider them as dangerous when it comes to my child. I think it is the same reasoning with hiring someone who used to have an addiction problem to dispense controlled substances in an environment relatively free of checks and balances to safeguard from substance abuse. The risk and temptations are too high. Sounds like to me that the hospital setting and stress levels are too much for SOME CRNAs/MDs/RNs without addictions to cope with and they start using. These people are not addicted when they are in school (maybe they are functional addicts - possibly)... how much more temptation will the same environment be to someone with a history of substance abuse problems?

Lastly, using a personality trait test to justify discrimination would open the gate for litigation. I think a such test might be helpful to look at "at-risk" populations and provide information, education, counseling (say studies have shown that people with X characteristics have a higher probability to abuse), but to exclude those CRNA candidates based on a test of personality traits instead of deviant actions is not fair.

Sounds like an idea for a future research paper........

Christine

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Speaking of drug testing, does anyone know if most CRNA jobs even test for drug use? The RN job I have never tests anyone, and it's a 200 bed level trauma center.

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Speaking of drug testing, does anyone know if most CRNA jobs even test for drug use? The RN job I have never tests anyone, and it's a 200 bed level trauma center.

We do pre-employment drug testing on everyone - MDA, CRNA, AA, secretaries, billing staff, etc.

There is no random testing but we have a very detailed procedure that is followed if someone is suspected of using drugs.

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