Violation of the Traditions?

Nurses Recovery

Published

Hi all...been awhile!!!

Locally, (NE Ohio) we are in need of nurse or medical professional recovery support groups. I tend to stick with AA in my area and of course have no ill will towards any other fellowships. Anyways, a few nurses around here are looking to start a local nurse support AA meeting once a week. I asked someone else in the program for a little support and was told sorry but something like that breaks at least two traditions and seems exclusive. Any opinions? I didn't see it as any different than womens or mens meetings or gay only meetings but the argument was made that technically those types of meetings break tradition too.

Like a typical alcoholic, I can take a million supportive comments but I'll really worry about the ONE person who was negative towards the situation. Whattya'll think?

Specializes in diabetic education, dialysis.

Hi ya'll!!! I forgot I posted this question here!!! Thanks for all the great responses! My contract with the Alternative program does not require me specifically to attend nurse professional support groups per se. It only requires 2 12 step meetings per week, or whatever my treatment center (completed) or probation (which I am on until June 7th) requires me to do. The closest thing to a professional group is about an hour away.

Turns out I play softball on the afternoons this meeting is getting together so I don't know how many I'll attend until after the season...

But I think they are starting out meeting as just a support group, not exactly affiliated with aa or na which helps get it off the ground. We still have to help pay rent to keep the doors open and issues like that. I'm curious to see what happens next.

I do see the opposing point in a way. My sponsor gets on me because I keep seeing myself as "different", she says to please try to stop seeing the differences and just see us all as sick people with a common illness. When you see yourself as different or special you seperate yourself from the group as a whole. But I am really seeking out a specific kind of support! ~the kind I find here on AllNurses/nurses in recovery. I do think we have a special set of challenges we could use a group of like people to tackle.

Ahhh I might be rambling. Nice to see you all on here. xo

Specializes in Impaired Nurse Advocate, CRNA, ER,.
Hi ya'll!!! I forgot I posted this question here!!! Thanks for all the great responses! My contract with the Alternative program does not require me specifically to attend nurse professional support groups per se. It only requires 2 12 step meetings per week, or whatever my treatment center (completed) or probation (which I am on until June 7th) requires me to do. The closest thing to a professional group is about an hour away.

Turns out I play softball on the afternoons this meeting is getting together so I don't know how many I'll attend until after the season...

But I think they are starting out meeting as just a support group, not exactly affiliated with aa or na which helps get it off the ground. We still have to help pay rent to keep the doors open and issues like that. I'm curious to see what happens next.

I do see the opposing point in a way. My sponsor gets on me because I keep seeing myself as "different", she says to please try to stop seeing the differences and just see us all as sick people with a common illness. When you see yourself as different or special you seperate yourself from the group as a whole. But I am really seeking out a specific kind of support! ~the kind I find here on AllNurses/nurses in recovery. I do think we have a special set of challenges we could use a group of like people to tackle.

Ahhh I might be rambling. Nice to see you all on here. xo

I attended the NCSBN Forum on Substance Use Disorders last week in Chicago. A most interesting 2 days. There is a huge move to standardize the way BONs and Alternative Programs (APs) deal with all of this. Amazingly, there is a wide range of ways the BONs and APs deal with the impaired nurse (do I need to place a "sarcasm" warning? :rolleyes:)

There IS difference between a support group comprised of nurses and an AP/BON sanctioned Nurses Support Group (notice the capital letters on the sanctioned group?) If the group is sanctioned it usually needs to be led by a professional, many times it has to be a nurse or co-led by a nurse. So, since you haven't been "ordered" to attend a sanctioned support group, start your own (as has been recommended)!

It never hurts to share our experience, strength, and hope with those who know exactly the challenges we face. Keep on rambling!!!

Jack

Jack, you know how the enlightened NYS BON handles an impaired nurse who turns herself in? License surrender followed by some rehab.

Specializes in Impaired Nurse Advocate, CRNA, ER,.

Oooops! I forgot to say one other thing (Mark...here I go again with the long answers). While a agree with your sponsor in that we all share the same disease and the biggest obstacle facing a nurse with this frickin' disease is getting them to stop thinking they're status as a nurse makes them "special". In fact, that's one of our major obstacles in the profession and society at large.

What, you say? :eek:

Yes! Our "cucumber" colleagues think nurses are special and therefore have increased protection/immunity from the disease (just like most of us believe until we find out the hard way that it's a disease that affects the brain and therefore behavior). This is exactly why there is so much stigma still associated with the disease among our supposedly learned colleagues, not to mention our non-medical recovering brothers and sisters.

I disagree with your sponsor in that those recovering "pickles" who are also medical professionals DO face challenges that those outside the profession do not, and cannot understand...like caring for multiple patients who are critically ill without enough help or time. Like having our own medical issues (chronic pain, depression, anxiety, etc.) and little support from our "compassionate" profession (mandated OT, less support staff, poor systems for reporting and dealing with crappy conditions, etc.) and the tendency of the profession to "shoot their wounded". When we share some of the things we did while our disease was active, our non-medical recovering friends at standard meetings (non-professional) can be appalled and judgmental. Not a very supportive atmosphere, especially early in recovery.

OK.....off the soapbox...:spbox:

Jack

Specializes in Impaired Nurse Advocate, CRNA, ER,.
Jack, you know how the enlightened NYS BON handles an impaired nurse who turns herself in? License surrender followed by some rehab.

Which is exactly WHY the NCSBN has spent the last 2 years researching all of this and trying to get standardization. One of the points I made at the meetingwas this:

We keep hearing safety, safety, safety, yet the word nurse never appears anywhere in the same sentence. Until nurse safety (as in recognizing the early symptoms of a potentially deadly disease, intervening to help the nurse get appropriate treatment, and to assist in a safe return to practice when their treatment professionals determine it's appropriate) is included with public safety, this "issue" will never be resolved. We must advocate for our own as well as the public...that's the professional AND ethical thing to do. Many, many attendees agreed!

They said they agree and will be working that into their final recommendations. I currently believe the committee does have the interests of the nurse with this disease at heart. I know several of the committee members definitely do. As for the entire committee? We'll see, won't we?

Jack

geesh Jack, I could follow that!

Mark

PS I miss my 'smoking" smiley drat

Specializes in Impaired Nurse Advocate, CRNA, ER,.
geesh Jack, I could follow that!

Mark

PS I miss my 'smoking" smiley drat

HAH!!!! Made ya look!!!!!! :D

:smokin: (Is that the smiley you're talking about?)

Jack

:smokin:Where the heck did he/she come from?? It's a plot isn't it!:smokin:

Mark

PS I am always looking:smokin:

Specializes in Impaired Nurse Advocate, CRNA, ER,.

PS I am always looking:smokin:

But the question is, are you GOOD looking?:confused:

:smokin:Where the heck did he/she come from?? It's a plot isn't it!:smokin:

I think you just had a :brnfrt:

the 4th tradition is a beauty..."each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting "whatever" A (NA, AA) as a whole. I live in a rural town where there are not nurse recovery groups available, ony AA and NA. I go to both fellowships and have found nurses in each. we tend to cling to eachother and share our experience, strength and hope. you can start your own group, call it whatever you want, and be completely autonomous. as long as you dont affect other groups.

Does anyone have information on starting a Caduceus AA meeting? Are there any guidelines for Michigan or is it (as I think) a closed AA meeting for Medical Professionals? Does H.P.R.P. have any authority or rules about the formation of new Caduceus meetings?

Specializes in Impaired Nurse Advocate, CRNA, ER,.

I'm sure there are rules if you want to start an "official" Caduceus group, i.e. one which is "recognized" by the state licensing agencies. However, there are no rules for starting your own "nurse recovery support group". I do recommend that you come up with some sort of structure and perhaps some goals in order to remain focused. One of the problems I've seen in many nurse support groups is the tendency to turn into **** groups...lot's of whining and complaining about how evil the case workers are, how unfair and lacking in compassion the state board is, how rotten things are at work (if you're lucky enough to have a job), how the significant other "doesn't get it", etc.

I've started 2 support groups dealing with childhood sexual trauma and a nurse support group for recovering nurses. Without those guidelines the groups fall apart pretty fast. You don't necessarily have to follow a strict 12 Step format, but it definitely makes the start less "bumpy". Decide what your "mission" is and then design the action steps to achieve that mission. Here are a few places to get some ideas. Good luck!

Jack

How to start a support group.

How to start a peer support group

Starting an AA Group (from AA)

Starting a support group

+ Add a Comment