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

"hit bottom all by my very self, thankyouverymuch." quote from Suesquatch post

And did you survive/recover without treatment?

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

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.

There is separation of the term "addicted" involving cause. The medically addicted people are as you described the accident victim.

When/if that medically addicted person goes on to procure the substance he/she craves, illegally, that progresses their disease to an unlawful use of addictive substances (by making the rounds of enabling MDs for prescriptions).

Then if the seemingly neverending cycle continues without treatment, the stereotyped individual steals to support their illness, and that places them on the slippery steeply downward slope toward incarceration and eventually, death.

What has not, unfortunately, become the stereotype, is the recovery through sheer grit that evolves with drug treatment/therapy/12 step programs. I have seen them work, :yeah:and less press is given those who benefit and want to have their addictive disease remain anonymous.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
"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).

The first step towards recovery is admitting one has a problem and actually doing something about it. Many people get into recovery by realizing they have a problem and asking for help. They reach an emotional bottom that is their own private hell, but doesn't necessarily involve them get caught and punished.

Many nurses are caught diverting and are removed from practice and offered treatment. This could be their bottom in which they rise up and say "yes I do have a problem, I need help and I'm going to accept the help and do whatever it takes." Many of these people were smart and productive nurses and when the addiction is dealt with safely return to practice.

There are so many situations in which one can call a bottom.....from going to jail and being punished for crimes, to homelessness, to having your children removed from your custody, to dying of liver failure. But there are also those who somehow see the light to where they are headed and are able to get help and don't loose a thing.

What has not, unfortunately, become the stereotype, is the recovery through sheer grit that evolves with drug treatment/therapy/12 step programs. I have seen them work, :yeah:and less press is given those who benefit and want to have their addictive disease remain anonymous.

I'm not 100% sure I'm understanding you here, but I'm thinking I agree with you. Since this thread is primarily about nurses in recovery (or it should be given the original topics of the two threads that were merged) the stereotype should be of us who are productive citizens and good nurses whom have recovered through sheer grit, determination and devine intervention and are just like every other nurse on the unit because we keep it to ourselves. I guarantee my peers would faint dead if I told them my story.

The stereotype of us not being able to recover, always on the verge of relapsing and killing our patients, of needing to be removed from practice hurts.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
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.

It is our loved ones in way too many families. The statistics are bafflilng.

Just about all of us are touched by alcoholism and drug addiction, either through a close aquaintence or through a family member.

I think this sometimes is what causes such lack of compassion because so many of us come from alcoholic homes, or have had a sibling drug addicted, and such that there is so much anger at our loved ones for not getting better, for constantly letting us down, and for choosing booze/drugs over family over and over again that people just get fed up.

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"hit bottom all by my very self, thankyouverymuch." quote from Suesquatch post

And did you survive/recover without treatment?

What do you mean by treatment?

I recovered solely through going to AA. All day, every day for a long time. But that wasn't mandated, and there were no "dues or fees for AA membership."

I did have a lot of support from my mother, in particular, who can still shut me up/stop me in my tracks with The Mom Look.

"Whut? Wha'd I do?!"

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Specializes in Primary Care and ICU.

Back when pyxsis had a password you type in before we started using our fingerprints, there was a nurse that stole my password and stole a PCA VIAL OF MORPHINE! She messed up because she did it on a day that i was off. I've looked up her public records since then, and she's had her license revoked. She was in IPM and violated her contracts. Very wicked case.:nono:

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Specializes in OB, HH, ADMIN, IC, ED, QI.
What do you mean by treatment?

I recovered solely through going to AA. All day, every day for a long time. But that wasn't mandated, and there were no "dues or fees for AA membership."

I did have a lot of support from my mother, in particular, who can still shut me up/stop me in my tracks with The Mom Look.

"Whut? Wha'd I do?!"

You did a good thing by going to AA and attending as many meetings as possible. I hope you had a "sponsor" too, and work the steps to recovery. That's treatment! :yeah:

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Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.
The first step towards recovery is admitting one has a problem and actually doing something about it. Many people get into recovery by realizing they have a problem and asking for help. They reach an emotional bottom that is their own private hell, but doesn't necessarily involve them get caught and punished.

Many nurses are caught diverting and are removed from practice and offered treatment. This could be their bottom in which they rise up and say "yes I do have a problem, I need help and I'm going to accept the help and do whatever it takes." Many of these people were smart and productive nurses and when the addiction is dealt with safely return to practice.

There are so many situations in which one can call a bottom.....from going to jail and being punished for crimes, to homelessness, to having your children removed from your custody, to dying of liver failure. But there are also those who somehow see the light to where they are headed and are able to get help and don't loose a thing.

I'm not 100% sure I'm understanding you here, but I'm thinking I agree with you. Since this thread is primarily about nurses in recovery (or it should be given the original topics of the two threads that were merged) the stereotype should be of us who are productive citizens and good nurses whom have recovered through sheer grit, determination and devine intervention and are just like every other nurse on the unit because we keep it to ourselves. I guarantee my peers would faint dead if I told them my story.

The stereotype of us not being able to recover, always on the verge of relapsing and killing our patients, of needing to be removed from practice hurts.

Tweety - that last sentence in your post just about says it all! Ihave gotten the feeling on this thread some posters think that "we" as addict nurses are "no good" when we get caught, or self report, or whatever the case, almost like we have an expiration date, a "use by_____" on our toocus (sp?) and then we just need to be discarded. We can be recycled, so to speak, and people can see that we can still be productive, compassionate nurses who once again can give their all to their patients.

ANNe, RNC :paw::paw::paw::saint::saint:

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Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.
The first step towards recovery is admitting one has a problem and actually doing something about it. Many people get into recovery by realizing they have a problem and asking for help. They reach an emotional bottom that is their own private hell, but doesn't necessarily involve them get caught and punished.

Many nurses are caught diverting and are removed from practice and offered treatment. This could be their bottom in which they rise up and say "yes I do have a problem, I need help and I'm going to accept the help and do whatever it takes." Many of these people were smart and productive nurses and when the addiction is dealt with safely return to practice.

There are so many situations in which one can call a bottom.....from going to jail and being punished for crimes, to homelessness, to having your children removed from your custody, to dying of liver failure. But there are also those who somehow see the light to where they are headed and are able to get help and don't loose a thing.

I'm not 100% sure I'm understanding you here, but I'm thinking I agree with you. Since this thread is primarily about nurses in recovery (or it should be given the original topics of the two threads that were merged) the stereotype should be of us who are productive citizens and good nurses whom have recovered through sheer grit, determination and devine intervention and are just like every other nurse on the unit because we keep it to ourselves. I guarantee my peers would faint dead if I told them my story.

The stereotype of us not being able to recover, always on the verge of relapsing and killing our patients, of needing to be removed from practice hurts.

What do you mean by treatment?

I recovered solely through going to AA. All day, every day for a long time. But that wasn't mandated, and there were no "dues or fees for AA membership."

I did have a lot of support from my mother, in particular, who can still shut me up/stop me in my tracks with The Mom Look.

"Whut? Wha'd I do?!"

Hey - Suesquatch, my mom has the same look!

Anne, RNC

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Treatment facilities provide the place where we are separated from our environment. The real deal begins when you work with a sponser. I floundered for about a year after treatment. Sure, I went to meetings every day, but so many of them were just -itch sessions. But I did hear a group of people who talked about a solution. Spoke about finding true peace and serenity. I was tired of being clean and sober but living each day in fear. Not just fear of relapse.

My sponser took me through the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous.

From page 1. Not like the other Big Book studies where each person reads a chapter and interputs it to their own meaning. But a book study based on the text book of AA. I knew if I wanted to truly recover, the first 100 members of AA had a set a path for me to follow.

I went through the book, with my sponser, starting with the forward.

From there every chapter was a class for me. My recovery is based on the foundation and principles that are written in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. I have had the pleasure of hearing many "Joe and Charlie" Big Book studies around the country, listen to their CDs in my car. I have made the trek to Akron to see Dr. Bob's home and to Vermont to see the home of Bill Wilson. I have attended meetings in Paris and London, and in little towns across the US.

Treatment was just the begining for me. Recovery and AA are a way of life for me.

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Specializes in Home Care, Hospice, OB.
"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).

wrong, wrong, wrong.... and overgeneralized!:banghead:

do you have any personal or professional experience with addiction??? the only "punishment" that motivated me was intrinsic. please don't make general statements about a complicated problem.:nono:

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Why do recovery people think that meetings help? Why going to a meeting several times a week should help.?? I don't get it. If a person really wants to quit something, they will find their way to do it. I went to Hazelden tx for a month, totally use less!!!! All a waste of time. Then I had to go to outpt. tx for 5 months(3hrs/day at 3x week) and sit and listen to other peoples problems.(GROUP) How is that suppose to help my recovery?? Then my time was up, gone thru the program. Time to go back to work, because I have to pay my bills,BON said ok you must be recovered now, back to work. I went back, incredibly depressed, embarrassed, shamed and OMG NERVOUS!! I took my own prescription of Ativan that first night back to work. I have heard the should haves: call my sponsor, call the supervisor-sick, take a break.

Well I didn't and am now fired because I took a "mind altering drug". Wow, I suck!! am stupid!! everything else. I was trying to just chill a bit. If this is how the BON deals with people with a "disease" so they say, I am done with it, forever. THe BON then said they did an investigation on this incident, nobody even talked to me about this incident. I don't understand? I'm DONE.!!!

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