Prescription narcotics or benzodiazepines while working?

MomRN0913 · Jan 2, 2011

Hmmm, very intereseting. I had taken Xanax before a shift twice before. My husband had just left me when my baby was 6 months old.... I would have ot see him before a shift to drop her with him, it owuld cause me much emotional turmoil....I was prescribed xanax 0.5 mg PRN anxiety. Well, I was so worked up and upset twice before a shift I couldn't think clearly, I took 0.25. I was much calmer and clear headed and provided safe and effective care....much better than I would have in the previous state I was in.

I had ot go to the ER during a shift when I was having a sever, severe tooth ache. I wasn't busy, so I went. They have me 2 percocet. I was fine. pain was relieved, I wasn't loopy. I asked if it was oK to go back to work, they said no problem. I had one hour to go. i was much more functional in my pain free state.

However.... I know my limits. I can handle pain meds well. Some people are really loopy. I just get relief of a little pain on 2 percocet. You need ot know your body and how they affect you. If you have no idea, then you shouldnt be working for them.

Would you want an ADHD nurse treating you off their meds? Some people funtion normally on pain meds or anti-anxiety drugs. Some people just get loops as hell.

BabyLady, BSN, RN · Jan 2, 2011

Should a nurse be working while on Ativan, Xanax, Lortab, Percocet, or some other prescribed medication that may impair a person? I always thought this was a no no, even with a prescription. Don't these drugs impair ones judgment? Yet, I heard on another thread that nurses take Ativan to get through their shift.
Aren't there warnings on these meds 'do not drive while taking'. Isn't it common sense that, if you shouldn't drive while on a medication, you probably shouldn't be making nursing judgment calls, dispensing risky medications, transferring patients, and so forth.
What is the policy on this? What about the Nurse Practice Act?

Unless I saw evidence of impairment, I would mind my own business.

People with TRUE levels of pain process pain medications differently than abusers that have no pain....they do not have the swimmy, lightheadedness, because of the daily or frequent therapy, like you and I would.

I have two co-workers that have RA that would be in significant amounts of pain and wouldn't be able to work, if not for the pain meds. I have never been able to tell if they were taking them vs not.

Rocknurse, MSN, APRN, NP · Jan 2, 2011

I am prescribed Dilaudid for stage 4 Endometriosis after 3 surgeries left me in constant chronic pain. It's funny but I am a very active person, I run, lift weights, go to the gym, but my job causes me terrific pain because of lifting patients and pushing beds. Those are the two things that cause me the most pain and the pain, once started, last for hours. I never take Dilaudid before work and in fact only ever take it rarely, if the pain is very bad around my period. I take monster doses of Advil every shift...800 mg every 3-4 hours and I was worried about side effects, so I went back to my doctor to work out another pain killer that I could use. I told her I didn't want narcotics because I am an ICU nurse and couldn't function on them. She tried me on Celebrex which was a wonder drug up until I had a severe allergic reaction (all over rash and anaphylaxis). Mobic gave me excrutiating stomach pains so bad that I would cry whenever I went to the bathroom.

Then she suggested the Fentanyl patch. I had it on for 6 hours by which time I was dizzy, nauseous and felt like I wanted to die. I ripped that thing off in the middle of the grocery store because I couldn't take it anymore. No way I could tolerate that while working. So...back to square one and my trusty Advil. I will go as far to say I will never understand why people abuse these drugs for pleasure, as they make me feel absolutely horrible! I always avoid them if I can.