Drug Abuse Among Us??

Nurses Safety

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Am I that nieve?? A nurse on my unit was arrested for"drug diversion" Is this rampant among us?? I know we have all taken the occasional tylenol from work, but controlled substances ??

But the BON will still be notified and if they think it is worth investigating, they will contact you with all the info they have on the situation, and tell you that they have 6 months before they have to let you know what will happen with your lic. .... TPAPN is suppose to help you get clean and stay clean and it helps for your BON INVESTIGATION. Thats what I know. Hope it helps. You can call the TX BON or go to the web site and ask if you have been turned in and what the accusation is. :o)

thanks for the info......have found out quite abit of info lately.....some good some bad.....tpapn is so strict i sometimes wonder if it is worth it....i would have to travel 150miles a day to out patient treatment....which with no job for gas would be hard to do let alone pay for the tx.....im not sure which way to turn...

Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.
thanks for the info......have found out quite abit of info lately.....some good some bad.....tpapn is so strict i sometimes wonder if it is worth it....i would have to travel 150miles a day to out patient treatment....which with no job for gas would be hard to do let alone pay for the tx.....im not sure which way to turn...

Depends on how much you want to keep your license

thanks for the info......have found out quite abit of info lately.....some good some bad.....tpapn is so strict i sometimes wonder if it is worth it....i would have to travel 150miles a day to out patient treatment....which with no job for gas would be hard to do let alone pay for the tx.....im not sure which way to turn...

I'm a recovering addict too, but I never heard of TPAPN. Someone please enlighten me.

Specializes in ICU, ED, Transport, Home Care, Mgmnt.
I'm a recovering addict too, but I never heard of TPAPN. Someone please enlighten me.

Texas Peer Assistance Program. It's for nurses with drug or alcohol problems. They have to sign a contract and are assisted by RN peers with special training, they have volunteered to do this. It is a confidential program and nothing happens to your license if you successfully complete the program. If you don't, and all of the nurses I've known who went throught the program have back slid and had to repeat.

nrsrattched74 part of the program and the recovery is to do what you must to succeed. It will be expensive in both time, money and probably the humiliation factor. If you are doing this voluntarily thn hold your head high and know you are doing the right thing personally and professionally. You have to make amends for your past mistakes but you can rise above your past. Hang in there. You are doing the right thing.

Specializes in Alzheimer's, Geriatrics, Chem. Dep..
it was my understanding that if you did tpapn you could protect your liscense....does anyone out there know???? :o

I dunno, but God bless you anyway...

Specializes in Alzheimer's, Geriatrics, Chem. Dep..
Someone who out of the blue voluntarily steps up and admits they have a problem gets my sympathy...

Hi Tom -

Basically what you are saying is that you would "NEVER EVER do something so heinous!"

You know what?

These addicted nurses said the same damn thing to themselves at one time!

Now here they are, seeing themselves doing just that - wow, can you imagine doing something totally against your WILL?

That is what addiction is.

Maybe the person can see that they have crossed a line. But suddenly they can no longer say no! WOW!

So they think, "I'll stop tomorrow", and then tomorrow comes and they just CAN'T - to them it is like AIR - could you quit using AIR?

Sometimes though the bottom falls out and they realize they can't stop on their own, that their behavior is despicable.

And sometimes yes, it takes being dragged out in handcuffs and total demoralization.

Just count yourself the lucky one, Tom, the very extremely lucky one. But before you judge what you couldn't possibly understand, recognize that in doing so you are just as "sinful" as the one you have no sympathy for. And take some responsibility for trying to learn more! Maybe volunteer at your local detox and see the once respectable Doctor who can't put down that drink or drug. Watch them suffer as the drugs leaves their body. Watch the faces of the children who have essentially lost their parent, or who have had to take over that role themselves for their siblings! Or who have been physically and emotionally abused because their parent can't stop abusing chemicals!

It ain't about "wanna", it ain't about "choice". Try choosing yourself out of needing insulin.

Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.
Hi Tom -

Basically what you are saying is that you would "NEVER EVER do something so heinous!"

You know what?

These addicted nurses said the same damn thing to themselves at one time!

Now here they are, seeing themselves doing just that - wow, can you imagine doing something totally against your WILL?

That is what addiction is.

Maybe the person can see that they have crossed a line. But suddenly they can no longer say no! WOW!

So they think, "I'll stop tomorrow", and then tomorrow comes and they just CAN'T - to them it is like AIR - could you quit using AIR?

Sometimes though the bottom falls out and they realize they can't stop on their own, that their behavior is despicable.

And sometimes yes, it takes being dragged out in handcuffs and total demoralization.

Just count yourself the lucky one, Tom, the very extremely lucky one. But before you judge what you couldn't possibly understand, recognize that in doing so you are just as "sinful" as the one you have no sympathy for. And take some responsibility for trying to learn more! Maybe volunteer at your local detox and see the once respectable Doctor who can't put down that drink or drug. Watch them suffer as the drugs leaves their body. Watch the faces of the children who have essentially lost their parent, or who have had to take over that role themselves for their siblings! Or who have been physically and emotionally abused because their parent can't stop abusing chemicals!

It ain't about "wanna", it ain't about "choice". Try choosing yourself out of needing insulin.

Wow what a scorcher there, congrats

However you cant compare drug addiction in the same way as needing air or needing insulin for diabetes, there is no comparison there.

And I understand addiction, Ive worker ER for a long lomg time.

Ive seen what addicts do to themselves

Ive seen what addicts put their families and friends through

Ive seen what addicts do to others who dont even know them, whether its from criminal activities, or accidents from driving while impaired or whatever.

No I truly understand addiction

I understand addicts

I also understand that they voluntarily undertook that first step, and that they voluntarily continued to take those steps untill they were addicts.

Then when that drunk runs into a family car and takes the parents away from 3 children, Im supposed to be sympathetic to him. I dont see it that way,

No matter how you slice it we are all responsible for our own actions and for how those actions affect others. That is functioning within the guidelines established by society...

Keep the faith

Keep it in the short grass

Specializes in Alzheimer's, Geriatrics, Chem. Dep..
Wow what a scorcher there, congrats

Sorry, truly. But I think you only have ONE HALF of the equation!

Are you trying to say you never drank or drugged? If this is so, great!

No I'm NOT saying people should use drinking/drugging as an excuse, but I also know people who reach a point where the consequences aren't enough to stop them.

My "enough" was a suicide attempt at age 25 - thank you God I survived, thank you God I got the message - that my drinking and drugging GOT ME in that condition!

I've been in AA for 19 years, boy, I have heard grown men cry - one was responsible for his passenger's death - the passenger was his best friend. Lost jobs, marriages, violence, lost licenses (two brothers lost their licenses due to drinking. What did they do? They collided with one another on BICYCLES!!)

Do you think schizophrenia is a disease, depression, bipolar? Addiction is too. Some of us are fortunate enough to get out of it alive.

Wow what a scorcher there, congrats

However you cant compare drug addiction in the same way as needing air or needing insulin for diabetes, there is no comparison there.

And I understand addiction, Ive worker ER for a long lomg time.

Ive seen what addicts do to themselves

Ive seen what addicts put their families and friends through

Ive seen what addicts do to others who dont even know them, whether its from criminal activities, or accidents from driving while impaired or whatever.

No I truly understand addiction

I understand addicts

I also understand that they voluntarily undertook that first step, and that they voluntarily continued to take those steps untill they were addicts.

Then when that drunk runs into a family car and takes the parents away from 3 children, Im supposed to be sympathetic to him. I dont see it that way,

No matter how you slice it we are all responsible for our own actions and for how those actions affect others. That is functioning within the guidelines established by society...

Keep the faith

Keep it in the short grass

Ouch.....that really hits the spot. Quite the eye opener...

Texas Peer Assistance Program. It's for nurses with drug or alcohol problems. They have to sign a contract and are assisted by RN peers with special training, they have volunteered to do this. It is a confidential program and nothing happens to your license if you successfully complete the program. If you don't, and all of the nurses I've known who went throught the program have back slid and had to repeat.

.

nrsrattched74 part of the program and the recovery is to do what you must to succeed. It will be expensive in both time, money and probably the humiliation factor. If you are doing this voluntarily thn hold your head high and know you are doing the right thing personally and professionally. You have to make amends for your past mistakes but you can rise above your past. Hang in there. You are doing the right thing.

Amen to that!

Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.
Sorry, truly. But I think you only have ONE HALF of the equation!

Are you trying to say you never drank or drugged? If this is so, great!

No I'm NOT saying people should use drinking/drugging as an excuse, but I also know people who reach a point where the consequences aren't enough to stop them.

My "enough" was a suicide attempt at age 25 - thank you God I survived, thank you God I got the message - that my drinking and drugging GOT ME in that condition!

I've been in AA for 19 years, boy, I have heard grown men cry - one was responsible for his passenger's death - the passenger was his best friend. Lost jobs, marriages, violence, lost licenses (two brothers lost their licenses due to drinking. What did they do? They collided with one another on BICYCLES!!)

Do you think schizophrenia is a disease, depression, bipolar? Addiction is too. Some of us are fortunate enough to get out of it alive.

I agree its a disease. But unlike being schizo or depressed or bipolar with inherited traits. You cant look at a newborn, basically a clean slate, and say he is going to be an alcoholic or a drug abuser. That research shows to basically start as a learned behaviour. But still they make a concious choice to take that first drink and or that first drug to get stoned and then they choose to continue untill its too late.

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
But unlike being schizo or depressed or bipolar with inherited traits. You cant look at a newborn, basically a clean slate, and say he is going to be an alcoholic or a drug abuser. That research shows to basically start as a learned behaviour. But still they make a concious choice to take that first drink and or that first drug to get stoned and then they choose to continue untill its too late.

During some of the posts I belive that some posters beleive people have made choices, and there are consequences for it...Absolutely.

But I think there is more to the situation than a person who is "just a drug addict/alcohol"

My father is an alcoholic...will that make me one? Perhaps-Perhaps not.

(and that may be essential learned behavior.)

I just want to applaud the people who have given their stories as well as admitted that htey do have a problem (this is just the beginning).

Another point that someone did raise is how to identify an impaired nurse/physician. Part of my studies included a lecture on the impaired nurse, If one of us became impaired, what is impaire according to state law.

You can have a cold, must go to work b/c you have noe sick time, need the money, and take extra strenth Benadryl...does thta make a nurse impaired, and if so, should their licensed be revoked, or put on probation.

This was one of the stories I did hear about "impaired" nurses (The nurse kept their license.)

Another point that was made is that we, as nurses do not always take care of ourselves-mentally, physically-leaving us vulnerable to the destructive desires, and a lot of people do not see it coming. if there can be a solution, I believe that employers, esp. nurse managers should step in and promote and treat their employees to wellness activites (massages, etc.). It may or may not be a deterrent, but nurses are so battered and abused that any thing promoting a positive and respectful thank-you is what i think any nurse is entitled to for devoting themselves to this profession.:)

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