Drug addicted nurses

Nurses Recovery

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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!!

Gianna, Good Luck. I hope you are able to stay with your children. I think a lot of us have the potential to become addicts, and have no idea how we keep from it. I had the experience when I was weekend supervisor at a LTC facility of a nurse coming to me to tell me that she was sick and had taken one of the pts phenergen. I don't know if she was wanting help? I felt bad for her (she was a good nurse and a nice person), but I had to tell someone. I gave her the opportunity and she turned herself in and was allowed to just quit her job. I don't know what happened after that. I hope she was able to get straightened out.

This surprises me... when we have staff who are vomiting, we routinely give phenergan (of course, we have a standing order from the doctor that applies specifically to staff members).

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
(of course, we have a standing order from the doctor that applies specifically to staff members).

I don't understand how that's legal.

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I don't understand how that's legal.

When they sign onto our insurance, our primary doctor becomes theirs if they choose. Then we have a signed statement from them accepting the care of him. That way we can give Tylenol, MOM, or Phenergan, but no narcs or anything. The Phenergan is only in drastic cases and when the employee signs. The doc signs it next time he comes through.

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Good luck to you, Gianni. Your problems caused by drugs are not the sum of the person you are. You'll get throught this and life will be good again.

My hat is off to the nurses who recognize their problem and turn themselves in. I haven't never had a problem with drugs, but I know it could be any one us.

I'm all for giving people a second chance in life. I think the rehabilitation program is a perfect example of how a compassionate profession should work. Of course there will be those who don't follow the program, but all health care professionals should be given the opportunity to prove themselves again.

Thanks to all who shared their story.

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to Steelcityrn

Please remember the mind is like a parachute, it works better when opened.....Dali Lama

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I was one of those nurses that Lori is talking about. The one that everyone knew was stealing drugs but nobody said anything. At one job it was because they didnt want to work short, at my other jobs it was because they liked me.

Guys, if you even think a nurse is diverting drugs, be your patient's advocate and report them to your state peer program!!!!!!! I cant yell this loud enough.

It can be done with an anonymous phone call. You just call them and tell them what you suspect. They will take it from there. If it is true, then you may have saved both the life of the nurse and the life of a patient. If it isnt true, then no harm is done. Even if you report them to the BON, if it isnt true, then nothing will happen. They will simply do an investigation. I cant stress this enough.

No, I dont think that if someone had turned me in earlier it would have made me stop taking drugs. You dont stop until YOU are ready and even the BON cant make you if you arent ready to stop. What it would have done though, would have been that it got me out of the clinical setting where I couldnt do any more damage. So what if I didnt kill anyone....enough people suffered needless pain by my actions. I stole drugs and I worked impaired. I was so high that I would fall asleep sitting straight up at times or would throw up. I am an RN for God's sake. I had NO business on the job.

Sure, I'll be honest and say that I am glad noone turned me in and I didnt go to jail or I didnt hurt anyone. But now that I am clear headed all I can do is thank the Good Lord above He was watching over me and my patients.

It is hard to say this to you guys. I feel I have to say it. Dont feel guilty if you suspect someone of doing drugs and you turn them in. You are legally bound to turn them in. Dont feel guilty.

What if you do turn them in and it saves their life like it saved mine?

I am now married to the man of my dreams, have the greatest job ever and I tell yall....if life were any better, I'd have to be twins!!

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southern rn brat. I am really happy that you turned your life around. Would you be so kind as to give us some insider "tips" on how to spot nurses who are taking the patient's meds? Thanks:)

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Southern RN Brat,

I think it may help a lot of people suffering with this disease right now to hear from you about your recovery. For example, what kind of services did you go to for help, how did you find them, what helped the most etc. Some people just don't know where to turn or how to start the process of recovery. Thank you. You give everyone afflicted with this disease so much hope for a better life. Thank you for sharing. Krisssy

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Southern RN Brat,

I think it may help a lot of people suffering with this disease right now to hear from you about your recovery. For example, what kind of services did you go to for help, how did you find them, what helped the most etc. Some people just don't know where to turn or how to start the process of recovery. Thank you. You give everyone afflicted with this disease so much hope for a better life. Thank you for sharing. Krisssy

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Specializes in MICU, neuro, orthotrauma.
I think it's great that nurses go into recovery programs and overcome their drug addiction. However, I feel if I had a drug addiction problem I would not ever want to work around narcotics again. It would be too easy to relapse because of the easy access to narcotics. I would try to find a nursing job where I wouldn't be around narcotics period.

I was a heroin addict from 1992 to 1994. I work around narc every day and I don't have the desire to steal them or get high under any circumstances. Some people grow out of it truly. I had to take a darvocet recently for pain and I stopped it after one pill because I could not stand the feeling it gave me. It made me feel out of control and I couldn't think properly.

I am also pretty hard on other addicts. Addicts in the health field? Zero Tolerance. If I ever found out someone was diverting I would not hesitate confronting them, and if I felt that they were the slightest bit resistant to getting help I would turn them in at the drop of a hat.

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I have worked with a nurse whom we all knew was diverting. Noone in management would do anything (this was at my last job). Myself and otehr nruses printed out the evidence- this nurse was taking out pain meds on EVERYONE's patient, then stating "oh, they told me they were hurting and I didn't want to bother you." One time she did this on her day OFF. ("I came in for my check and a lot of people down in the gym said they were hurting so I did you guys a favor"). She would also sign out narcs on her patients liek clockwork, sometimes a coupla hours early. Patients would complain, but since this girl was an RN and we were understaffed, nothing was done about it until she was caught. Not caught by my facility, even though we had reported her over a dozen times, but caught because her addiction had surpassed what she could get at work. She stole a prescription pad from one of our docs, wrote scripts for Oxycontin in both her and her husband's names, and turned them in to a local pharmacy to be filled. The pharmacy checked them out, and called the police. When this nurse found out, she took an entire bottle of Ambien, almost died, and spent three weeks in a psych ward. The saddest thing? She was pregnant while this was all going on. SIX MONTHS pregnant. I have no idea how her baby turned out. The thing that really pisses me off, though, is apparently she is back working as a nurse, just one state over. I have no idea how that happened or what has happened with her forged script charges. Maybe they were thrown out on a technicality or something. Sad, sad story that could have been so different if our DON had been willing to turn in an RN and work short for a while.

Lori

I'm sorry but why was she not reported to your state's BON, by anyone. All states have impaired nurses programs and it is mandatory to report anyone you suspect of abusing any type of drug. And any nurse who loses or has their license suspended, in one state, must report it in any other state she applies to or is license in. If you know her name, you have a responsibility to report her to her current state BON and let them investigate.

Grannynurse:balloons:

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Southern RN Brat,

I think it may help a lot of people suffering with this disease right now to hear from you about your recovery. For example, what kind of services did you go to for help, how did you find them, what helped the most etc. Some people just don't know where to turn or how to start the process of recovery. Thank you. You give everyone afflicted with this disease so much hope for a better life. Thank you for sharing. Krisssy

For 5 months I went to counseling with EAP weekly and did weekly drug screens with my job. Noone at work knew but the DON and administrator and employee health. My EAP counselor begged me for those months to go to treatment but I thought I could do it on my own. I had turned myself in to my job but during those months found out I was being investigated by the BON from my last job I had left a year before. I ended up having to go in front of the screening board for the BON and they "helped" me make the decision to go to treatment:p . lol

Actually they said I HAD to go, then sign a contract with TNPAP and my license is on probation until my contract is over. I have 2 more years to go now.

During those months that I just went to counseling and trying to stay clean on my own, I stayed clean thanks to the weekly drug screens. Other than that, nothing in my life changed. I thought that just by not using, I was recovering.

In AA they say "if nothing changes, nothing changes". Truer words were never spoken.

I went to Cornerstone of Recovery here in Knoxville. I am so lucky that one of the best rehab centers in the country is in my backyard! I didnt do inpatient treatment because I had been clean for so many months but now I wished I had. I went into their 8 week impaired professionals outpatient rehab and it changed my life.

When I got there, I was beat. Addiction had finally kicked my ass. I WANTED to be clean. They told me when I got there that I had done a pretty crappy job of running my own life and while I was there to let them be in control. It's that control that addicts dont want to give up. That's where the willingness comes in. I had to learn to be willing to let people help me. So I jumped into treatment with both feet. I was brutally honest with myself by being brutally honest with them. For the first time, I looked deep inside me and got to the root of my addictions. Thats a HUGE part of rehab...figuring out what makes you need to use...figuring out what is it in your life you are covering up and hiding from by using drugs/alcohol so you dont have to feel. It is about facing your fears.

They also say in AA that "our secrets keep us sick". It is so true! Once I finally was able to talk about the things that I felt were so horrible about me that if anyone ever knew they would run away as fast as they could, I found out I wasnt the only one that felt "that" way...no matter what "that" was! That was freedom for me! To be able to finally talk to people and not be afraid of judgement. I was able to identify issues in my life that were unresolved and start resolving them. I learned to love unconditionally the people I thought had done me wrong. Most of all though, I learned to love ME. The root of most addict's problems is that we have no self esteem. We hate ourselves and dont care if we die. Our drug loves us, it makes us feel better, it's always there for us. But it doesnt love us...it lies and wants to kill you. The more you use, the more you hate yourself and the more you cant stop.

I used to look in the mirror every day and say "I hate you! I wish youd die!". After treatment, I look in the mirror every day and say "I love you wendy!" and I mean it.

Along with working on your personal issues, treatment gives you tools to live clean and sober. You learn about triggers and the things that made you use. You learn coping skills that enable you to not HAVE to pick up that first drug ever again.

People dont relapse because they HAVE to, they relapse because the WANT to.

You get all kinds of assignments in treatment that are tailored for you. I did alot of work on self esteem, boundaries, perfectionism, co dependecy, anger. And the assignments I didnt get, I asked to have when I graduated so I could work on them at home lol.

I learned to love my "inner child". They gave me a teddy bear I named Little Wendy. I learned to love myself by loving her the way I should have been loved when I was little. She is now my best friend:) She loves to play dressup and go shopping at Wal Mart. And I am teaching her to crochet:)

I had a great class in rehab called Relapse Prevention. In that class I learned to formulate a plan for when I wanted to use. Now I have a plan, and when using thoughts hit me...the plan goes into action! It has helped me more than once.

Treatment gave me a toolbox to carry around with the tools I need for life. All I have to do is open the toolbox now and I can make it thru anything.

After treatment, I signed a contract with TNPAP for 3 years. My license is on probation. Cornerstone also sent me to an addiction therapist. I still see her weekly. Along with drugs and alcohol, I am also addicted to sex and food. I work as hard with her as I did in treatment. This is MY life afterall, I am fighting for it!

I go to AA meetings 5 times a week. I remember at first when they told me I needed to go to 90 meetings in 90 days. I thought WHOOOOOOAA now thats too much. Ya know what? I sure as heck used every day. If I dont put as much into my recovery as I did my using, I will use again.

I got married last year on my one year sober birthday to the man of my dreams. He has been sober for 4 years and stood by me thru my addiction and treatment. I'm still in the same job....weekend supervisor, and I love it. I found out that Baylor is exactly what I need.

I also go to a nurse support group every week. It is required by TNPAP. And I still go to aftercare at Cornerstone.

I've seen alot of people say "i cant go to treatment. what will my family do while I'm gone? how will I pay for it?" and a million other reasons. You just do it. For once, you do something for yourself and you do it. The money will work out. Your family will survive. Your life is more important than a job. So you made need to take a job in a different field for a while. Thats ok. But when you come out on the other side........WOW! Life is waiting!!!!

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