Tired of impaired nurses

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Ok...I have been a nurse for almost 20 years and thought I had seen it all. My current employer seems to be a becon for impaired nurses. We currently have 3. The latest one is causing loads of issues. She was a great nurse that worked with us for 1 year. It was found out that she was removing approximately 40 percocets per shift for patients she was not assigned to. Management aproached her and sent her for a drug test. Since she had a personal prescription for the drug, nothing was done. Many of the staff were very uncomfortable when she was around. (She was not signing the MAR--you had to look in the pxysis for the last dose given) Management pushed the issue and she up and quit. Well 6 months go by and she is back (rumor has it that she was terminated from the last place). I questioned my manager about this and she said there would be stipulations. I see none. Her first day back was today and I snooped around in the pxysis. She gave 10 percocet in one shift and once again failed to sign them out on the MAR. None of these patients are alert enough to report that they had not gotten the medication.

What can I do? Does any one know what actions I can take if management continues to turn a blind eye? I know we are short on RN's, but this is crazy. We already have a tough enough job without worrying about team members stealing drugs! A group of us are really upset and not sure what steps to take next. Help!!!

I guess all are different. But my definition of addiction by accident is for example a friend of mine was caught in a piece of machinery several years ago at work. After many many surgeries she is now on so many meds that she is addicted and can not live without pain medication. Yes she would need rehab for addiction but probably still would need medication because of the pain from the injury. Didn't mean to step on toes.

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Alcohol is a drug. Should alcohol abusers have their licenses pulled as well? So you are saying not all nurses should have the option for treatment and recovery? I must say it is certainly scary reading some of these posts! The government sure got their money's worth on their brainwashing techniques.:nuke:

It's not the addiction itself that concerns people. It is the idea that a nurse may be working impaired or stealing needed medication from his or her patient. If an alcoholic nurse is coming to work drunk and hooking up to an ethanol drip during lunch I'm sure people would be concerned about that nurse, too.

If a demerol addict was getting high at home and getting it in a way that doesn't harm patients, you know, I'd have no problem with that. I tend to think that people should have a right to do whatever they want with their bodies, up to the point where they start harming others.

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Specializes in Med Surg, LTC, Home Health.

It isnt a point of stepping on toes. It is a point of accepting people and the mistakes they make. How do you feel about those people that you dont feel should be allowed to be a nurse because of addiction being a lawyer, or a construction worker, or even an amusement park ride operator? Are these other jobs suitable for this unworthy soul? Or is it only nursing that requires infallibility? I tell you all these jobs can have human lives in their hands, and anybody who wants drugs can get them. So maybe this ex-nurse is better off just going to prison so they can provide the clothes and shelter for him/her. After all, he/she did drugs and is now not suitable to be in our workforce any longer! (Surely our forgiveness of others should extend much further than that!):wink2:

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Specializes in ER, PACU, Med-Surg, Hospice, LTC.
But my definition of addiction by accident is for example a friend of mine was caught in a piece of machinery several years ago at work. After many many surgeries she is now on so many meds that she is addicted and can not live without pain medication. Yes she would need rehab for addiction but probably still would need medication because of the pain from the injury.

I think you might be confusing ADDICTION, DEPENDENCE and TOLERANCE.

Your friend sounds as though she is dependent on her pain medication. She continues to have pain and continues to need medication for pain management. Perhaps she needs a higher dose or stronger medication to manage her pain because she has developed a tolerance. Yet, she is taking the medication to manage her pain. Yes, she could go through withdrawl if the medications were suddenly stopped (very dangerous by the way).

Say your friend is no longer having any pain r/t the work injury, but continues to take Opioids because it feels good, releases stress, etc......then I would say she has an Opioid addiction. She is using is using a drug excessively, or for purposes for which it was not medically intended.

A physical dependence on a substance (needing the drug to function) is not always part of the definition of addiction. Some drugs (for example, some blood pressure medications) don't cause addiction but do cause physical dependence.

It can be confusing. :confused:

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Specializes in icu, er, transplant, case management, ps.
I think you might be confusing ADDICTION, DEPENDENCE and TOLERANCE.

Your friend sounds as though she is dependent on her pain medication. She continues to have pain and continues to need medication for pain management. Perhaps she needs a higher dose or stronger medication to manage her pain because she has developed a tolerance. Yet, she is taking the medication to manage her pain. Yes, she could go through withdrawl if the medications were suddenly stopped (very dangerous by the way).

Say your friend is no longer having any pain r/t the work injury, but continues to take Opioids because it feels good, releases stress, etc......then I would say she has an Opioid addiction. She is using is using a drug excessively, or for purposes for which it was not medically intended.

A physical dependence on a substance (needing the drug to function) is not always part of the definition of addiction. Some drugs (for example, some blood pressure medications) don't cause addiction but do cause physical dependence.

It can be confusing. :confused:

Too many nurses believe that a patient who is dependent on pain medications is an addict. And they couldn't be more incorrect. Too many of us have an incorrect understanding, based on old knowledge, as to who an addict is. A nurse who has successfully completed her state's impaired nurses program is no worse a hazard then any other nurse.

Woody:twocents:

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perhaps it is time to start hoding people accountable for their behavior and not allow them to hurt others anymore.

why such hatred?

i don't quite get the correlation.

drug addiction is an uphill battle that can be won. we all deserve second chances.

well said, but not a third chance.

the government sure got their money's worth on their brainwashing techniques.

so, if someone doesn't agree then that person must be have been brainwashed? geez.

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Specializes in Hospice.
I am just not sure between this and your first post which addicts you deem worthy of getting their licenses back. In the first one you mentioned those that get addicted by accident as being an exception to your opinion that you don't think addict nurses should return to work. Now I think you may be saying non-recovering should not. But those (like I) who reached, hit and returned from our bottoms, and know how and why it happened (and daily go to EVERY length to keep it from happening again) may be ok. Not trying to put words in your mouth, just trying to understand the "ex" in you 1st post.

It's not my place to "deem" anyone "worthy" of anything ... sorry if I sounded arrogant enough to think so. That being said, I'm not sure I understand your question. I think you might have me mixed up with another poster?

Regardless of how an addict comes by her/his habit, if she/he is in recovery, she/he should be allowed to return to work with any necessary supports and controls she/he needs to stay sober. If not in recovery, she/he should not. It's knowing the difference that's tricky.

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Specializes in Neuro ICU, Geriatric Rehab.
It's not my place to "deem" anyone "worthy" of anything ... sorry if I sounded arrogant enough to think so. That being said, I'm not sure I understand your question. I think you might have me mixed up with another poster?

Regardless of how an addict comes by her/his habit, if she/he is in recovery, she/he should be allowed to return to work with any necessary supports and controls she/he needs to stay sober. If not in recovery, she/he should not. It's knowing the difference that's tricky.

:uhoh3:You are so right about me mixing you up with an earlier post by rdop5388!! Sorry, I had read what was put in his post earlier (u can go read it if ud like but I haven't figured out multi quotes and or links to posts yet) but I made a semi sarcastic response to how one gets addicted by "accident" and you responded. I didn't notice u were a different person but I did notice the totally different tone (duh-ur a different person) so I got confused b/c I thought there was contradiction (duh- ur a different person) I should not be reading/responding when my baby is fussy:bluecry1: I guesss! Sorry, oh and that also means you were NOT arrogant enough to "deem" anyone "worthy"!!:bugeyes:Sorry again:saint:

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Specializes in Hospice.

No problem, ms. papa

I have to say I've enjoyed this discussion. The OP has not been back - still seems like she was posting from a personal experience.

I wonder ... there's a forum here for sober nurses. Might it be helpful to have one similar to al anon that creates a space for those who work with or have been harmed by active addicts on the job? There's no denying that dealing with the fallout from an addict's behavior can create some mighty powerful resentments. We can't always hash these out in the workplace ... if for no other reason than that the job is not a therapy group.

Because the topic is so emotionally charged, these threads frequently devolve into snipe sessions, accusing each other of inhumanity, irresponsibility, lack of compassion ... onandonandendlesslyon! Hooray for all of us for not going there! Heron

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Specializes in ICU, ER.

As long as they are clean and sober, sure they should be allowed to practice. But I guarantee you they will be watched and monitored more closely..if not obviously.

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Specializes in Neuro ICU, Geriatric Rehab.
No problem, ms. papa

I have to say I've enjoyed this discussion. The OP has not been back - still seems like she was posting from a personal experience.

I wonder ... there's a forum here for sober nurses. Might it be helpful to have one similar to al anon that creates a space for those who work with or have been harmed by active addicts on the job? There's no denying that dealing with the fallout from an addict's behavior can create some mighty powerful resentments. We can't always hash these out in the workplace ... if for no other reason than that the job is not a therapy group.

Because the topic is so emotionally charged, these threads frequently devolve into snipe sessions, accusing each other of inhumanity, irresponsibility, lack of compassion ... onandonandendlesslyon! Hooray for all of us for not going there! Heron

Yes I have been waiting to hear from the OP also. I was interested when I saw her more reserved attempt to spark the conversation in this forum where I think she was trying to get support for her opinions. However, it does seem that the concensus is in favor of nurses in recovery and clean that are being monitored being allowed to practice! I really think its naive for anyone to believe that I am more of a risk then someone who has never had or at least admitted to having a problem. AA/NA always speaks of the "yets" and anyone who has never become dependent on anything always needs to remember that just like us it is really only YET b/c we are all human. That is not to say that I think everyone is one cockatail away from the gutter but rather that we are all humans and I attempt to reenter nursing fully aware that I will have difficulty obtaining a job and once I get one I will have to maintain meticulous charting and narc counts, make sure I always have a witness when I waste and maintain patience if anyone questions me about anything. I deserve to be under close supervision and answer to my higher ups and work to regain their trust (EVEN THOUGH I NEVER DIVERTED- b/c that to could be viewed as a "yet" to someone that doesn't know how committed to my sobriety I am). I will need to prove myself and that is ok, but I do deserve the chance to do so. Once.

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Specializes in Neuro ICU, Geriatric Rehab.

And yes I do think that there should be a forum for those who have been burned by an addict. B/c I will agree that in our active phase we addicts absolutely suck!! We hurt & harm and take & take. We don't care about the feelings of anyone else and that does leave some pissy, bitter feelings. Understandably. And if that is why the OP is so against this issue I am sorry. I think though that if they start a forum like that we shouldn't go in and try to explain away or excuse the behaviors away, and we should leave them in peace to have their disscussions. Just like I want to be left in peace to discuss things in it N in Recovery threads without being berated. Have a good day, I have to go to my meeting!!:smokin:

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