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!!!

Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.
Not one of the in recovery individuals on this forum has asked for yours or anyones sympathy. We take full accountabilty and responsibility for the choices we made that led to our addictions. But we also have the right to accept the responsible actions and choices we made to recover, get well and return to the field of work that we love. Just don't stand in judgement and get in our way.

ms. papa - I thought that it was just me, maybe I had missed something, I know we all differences of opinions, but I didn't ask for their sympathy either. I do not need them standing in judgement of my and my POOR choices. I know who I answer to, now on earth and then after.

Peace to you and fellow addict nurses!

Anne, RNC

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Specializes in Neuro ICU, Geriatric Rehab.
i understand what you're saying patty.

i feel the same way about active drug users.

but once they've been on the road to recovery and walk that very long walk, i have nothing but admiration for them.

leslie

And this, my dear leslie, is all any of us can ask for. I appreciate your comments more than you will ever know.

I do have some sympathy for the active addicts myself because after having been there I understand their faulty thought process. I don't really agree with the idea of addiction as a mental illness myself but I see it more as a developmental delay. Its like the drug users developement is stuck back in the teenage years and they are still afflicted with invincibilty syndrome. They know some people may get addicted but they don't believe they willl. Then one day they wake up and realize it is to late. Not to say that is the end of the road, for me it was the beginning of living like an addict. I used the fact that I was hooked as an excuse for continuing to use for about a year. Then I did the lowest thing I could personally live with: I convinced my younger sister, who had 3 young children, to give me her last $25 to buy pills b/c I was in such bad withdrawls. She couldn't stand to see me that sick so she did it. Horrible. That was the beginning of my road to recovery. And I certainly never thought that was gonna happen when I started getting high in high school. A treatment counselor said once that your emotional developement stops when you start using drugs/ETOH. I don't know that is true, but it sure seems like it may be.

So thanks again for your understanding and compassion. There is a lot of personal growth behind true recovery, and I think that some of us end up knowing a lot more about ourselves then most people.

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I am a big believer in personal responsiblility. I find it ridiculous to consider addiction a 'mental illness'. You choose what you put in your body- end of story. I just see it in a very black and white way, and I have zero sympathy for drug users. As far as those who choose addiction and are nurses, or then become nurses, I really can't say. I think each person's situation is so individual that you can't put a yes/no answer to that. I don't think anyone has a perfect answer.

The way that I see it is that yes, the first time people use these drugs it is a choice. But sometimes that is all it takes, that one dumb mistake, to change your brain and make you addicted. I just too abnormal psychology and the teacher was telling us there is a big difference in the structure of the brain (can't remember exactly what it is) from a non drug addicted brain. So yes while the first time is a choice, after that I feel it is indeed a mental illness. Also it has been shown that a lot of people have a predisposion to become addicted to things.

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I am not a nurse and just got accepted into nursing school. I was accepted into two programs, but being I am prescribed medication by my doctor and he does not think that I need to come off it at this time I had no choice but to turn down one of the schools. They say no medicine in system prescribed or else.. not even a diet prescribed med. I find this very hard to believe you can do this to a person but my situation leaves me in no place to argue. I have taken the acceptance to the other school and will have a drug test soon. I am going into nursing b.c I want to not for the money. My current job makes as much if not more, so this is something I really want. I am so afraid that my meds will prevent me in the end....upset

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Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.

kford - Hey - are you serious?? So if you are meds for seizures or diabetes, you are just crap out of luck if you wanted to go to nursing school?? Is it all meds, or just certain meds? Seems to me like they couldn't legally deny you entrance due to certain meds. I understand that maybe if it was a liability, for like narcotics or something. That's got to be the stupidest thing I have heard of in quite a while. Just my .02

Anne, RNC

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
i understand what you're saying patty.

i feel the same way about active drug users.

but once they've been on the road to recovery and walk that very long walk, i have nothing but admiration for them.

leslie

That pretty much sums it up for me, zero tolerance for the active addict - get them out of nursing stat, while at the same time having compassion that they are sick people with the capacity to get well, rather than someone that should tossed out of nursing.

The person in recovery has every right to remain in practice and not judged by their past if they are staying clean. (I hope so because I am one of them. LOL)

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

As we often do with hot topics, the threads have been merged. Is there really anything more to say?? LOL

Carry on.

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Specializes in OB, HH, ADMIN, IC, ED, QI.
Should drug addicted nurses be allowed to return to practice when their rate of relapsing is incredibly high?

Should they be allowed to potentially harm pts. and compromise the careers of innocent RNs in their attempt to place blame for their behavior on others?

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

I agree in essence with your post, but wish that regulkations would be made for Nurses who are involved in programs, go to meetings regulkarly, and see their "sponsor" on a regular basis.

Recivicism is a problem in drug addiction that can be averted with involvement in programs known for their a proven successes. The 12 step ones are everywhere and attendance can be monitored for someone who truly is interested in maintaining their recovery. Judgment by others is not relevant or helpful. :redpinkhe

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Specializes in OB, HH, ADMIN, IC, ED, QI.

"treatment works much better in lieu of punitive measures. "

I don't agree with the above statement, as unless punishment is involved, an addicted person will not hit "bottom" and admit they have a problem (the first step toward recovery).

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"treatment works much better in lieu of punitive measures. "

I don't agree with the above statement, as unless punishment is involved, an addicted person will not hit "bottom" and admit they have a problem (the first step toward recovery).

Really?

I have never been arrested or fired r/t alcohol. And I sure hit bottom all by my very self, thankyouverymuch.

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Me either. I was in my first career. Just tolling along. I was 24 years old, with my dream career, making a heck of a lot of money, and had no direction in life. Had fly by night friends, who were living life the same as me. I knew I was spiraling down. Never arrested, never had a DUI. But I did know it was going to happen soon. I was scared. I saw a DR. on a talk show speaking about the 12 steps. Had NO IDEA what that meant. I wrote him a letter and he called me!! Two days later I was in treatment center out west.

Wow, it's amazing how one person reaching out to another can truly change a life! I am grateful to that (famous) Dr. every day!

In a few months I'll have 19 years clean and sober.

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Specializes in Med Surg, LTC, Home Health.
unless punishment is involved, an addicted person will not hit "bottom" and admit they have a problem

Punishment? I think that perhaps the perpetual misunderstanding of addiction by so many is punishment enough. It almost seems like a foreign language that some just dont seem to understand.

I have seen elderly people in nursing homes that were addicted to oxycontin. They didnt even realize that their behavior was demonstrating addiction. Imagine a patient that was in an accident, took a prescription for a few weeks, and wound up an addict. Their path was not a conscious choice.

We must break this stereotype that we have of addicts, and hopefully then understand that it could easily be any one of us or our loved ones.

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