Drug addicted nurses

southern_rn_brat · Dec 12, 2005

loriAlabamaRN,
Ever heard of karma?

karma? she suspected a nurse of drug abuse on the job and did the right thing. As a nurse, you are required to report any suspected drug use. Patient safety is supposed to be our #1 concern. Hopefully addicts can get the help they need with an intervention but a drug using nurse needs to be out of patient care while using.

Balder_LPN, LPN · Dec 12, 2005

I think you misunderstood the situation I described. It WAS a nurse working with me, and she not only used on the job but was busted for forging stolen prescriptions. She then used her stockpile of meds to attempt suicide, all while 6 months pregnant. It was not just me who sent an anonymous tip to the Georgia BON, I did it with three coworkers at my last job. That was because this nurse was not only a danger to herself, but also to her patients. I never cross-referenced anything. I said that I figured the BON could do that with Alabama's BON. I'm not seeking to randomly turn people into the board. I'm not evil or malicious as you have described me. This nurse was absolutely out of control, and by the anonymous tip we hope that if she DID manage to get a job where she handled narcs on another license, she will be safely removed from the situation.

You did the right thing

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Dec 13, 2005

(How about getting back to the subject at hand???? :rolleyes: )

Bipley · Dec 14, 2005

(How about getting back to the subject at hand???? )

We are discussing the topic at hand. Behaviors have consequences, even for those who should know better than calling this a choice.

Nurs.shel · Dec 14, 2005

PROFILE OF A CHEMICALLY DEPENDENT NURSE:

1. Usually occurs in adult life.

2. Initial use does not take place for "kicks"

3. Likely to have history of chemically dependent family.

4. Chemical usage is solitary, not social.

5. Continues to feel responsible about work and tries to meet work and family responsibilities.

6. Street crime is not generallu a means to obtain drugs.

7. History is usually negative for childhood or adolescent delinquincy problems.

8. Has conventional life attitude : traditional background.

9. Is demanding of self: has a tendency towards denying or ignoring tension, depression, boredom, and unhappiness.

10. Expresses more guilt / shame about drug use than general population.

11. For those who have been disciplined for diversion, Demerol is the drug of choice.

12. Male nurses, ER and critical care nurses are high risk categories.

13. Alcohol is drug of choice for a large number of addicted professionals.

14. Usually graduate in the upper 25% of their class.

15. Have advanced degrees, anbitions and are achievent oriented.

16. Have demanding and responsible jobs.

17. Are Very highly respected for their excellent work.

southern_rn_brat · Dec 14, 2005

congratulations on 17 days sober:kiss

jerseyboy · Dec 16, 2005

Nurs.shel,

You more than likely aren't an addict. Of course you will be labeled one, everyone who walks throught the doors of a treatment center is. You have to be so they can bill your insurance company. You say you have suffered from life long depression. That is more than likely your problem and one reason you didn't want to quit because the Dilaudid made you feel normal. You say that the Dilaudid seemed to flip a switch in your brain that antidepressants didn't. There may be a reason for that.

http://wired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,65053,00.html?w=wn_tophead_4

Doesn't is seem ironic that for all of your honesty you got reported to your board, the police and fired from your job? Perhaps someday opiates will be available to those who wish to use them, just like they were for some 40,000 years prior to 1914.

Nurs.shel · Dec 18, 2005

Thanks, Jerseyboy! That makes so much sence! I appreciate your feedback. :rolleyes:

Tula · Jan 14, 2006

I personally have a zero tolorence for a nurse who has stolen medication and or uses drugs and is able to keep a nursing license.

I'm sorry you feel that way. Nobody is perfect, and everybody deserves a second chance. It's sad that you cannot try to understand addiction because it's everywhere and is a growing issue in nursing. Surely someone you work with has a drug addiction that you don't even know about. Try to learn and understand before you judge.

TazziRN, RN · Jan 14, 2006

I am a nursing student and in one of my classes we have recently talked about nurses and substance abuse. I think that it is hard for me to wrap my brain around the issue. My questions are:
1. what do you do as a fellow nurse and friend of someone who is involved in substance abuse...especially in the workplace?
2. is this really prevelent and have any of you been put in this position?
Thanks!!

I had to think for a few minutes about how to answer this. I am a nurse who was addicted to codiene and I have nearly 12 years sober. If you were able to find out how many of us are addicted to drugs/alcohol, your mind would be blown. Not all of us divert, but many do. Not all of us are addicted to drugs, many use only alcohol. I know a retired OR nurse who was so desperate she would take ethyl alcohol home and drink it. The first time I went to a meeting I was scared and ashamed, but my eyes flew open when I saw how many nurses I knew were at that same meeting. Narcotic addiction is most prevalent among critical care nurses and anethesiologists because of ease of access.

If you know or even suspect a coworker (or even a doctor) is under the influence or is diverting, you NEED to report it. You can do it anonymously. The thought may cross your mind that "What if I'm wrong?" But what if you're right? In California there is a diversion program to help impaired nurses and doctors and get them back into the workplace, so it's not a death sentence for your license. I have reported people twice; once I was right and on the other I never found out the outcome.

TazziRN, RN · Jan 14, 2006

Anyone ever know of a nurse that was allowed back to the same job after drug rehab, if the nurse was stealing drugs on the job?

I posted my first reply without reading all the replies (because there were so many!!). To answer this question, yes: me. I went back for 5 more years and finally left. Although everyone was civil towards me, I never regained anyone's trust again, which I understand. And anytime a narc came up missing the fingers were first pointed at me, even in the beginning when I had no narc access. It finally got to be too much for me. I moved to another facility where, through the grapevine, the NM knew my history but was willing to give me a chance anyway. I literally blossomed there and have gained the respect of everyone I work with, including my DON.

LilPeanut, MSN, RN, NP · Jan 14, 2006

I just had to throw out there after reading this whole thread - A Million Little Pieces is a piece of fiction, as is the one after. Just to keep in mind :)

On the issue itself, I am torn, but think that perhaps that narc addicted nurses should find nursing positions that do not allow them access to narcs.