As a nursing student, I am concerned with the prevalence of drug addiction among nurses. How can nurses, who are well educated on the subject of medications, their uses, their benefits, and also the dangers of addiction, allow themselves to become victims of this very epidemic? On the surface, this seems counterintuitive. Nurses and caregivers often have firsthand knowledge of the negative effects of abusing medication by virtue of caring for those who have become addicted. The first peer-reviewed article I chose was called “Don't Ask Don't Tell: Substance abuse and addiction among nurses.” This article was published in the Journal of Clinical Nursing (JCN) in 2011 by Todd Monroe and Hedi Kenaga. Todd Monroe is a registered nurse, who has …show more content…
This paradigm was created as a non-punitive program, offering substance abuse treatment and support to addicted nurses, without having a negative effect on their license, as long as they meet specific requirements. This approach not only protects the confidentiality of recovering nurses, but also supports them during rehabilitation and recovery. The ADT is a three- to five-year program that includes mandatory twelve-step meetings, random screenings, and counseling. If a recovering nurse does not comply with these requirements, he/she may be referred for a disciplinary …show more content…
The punitive approach doesn't advocate for nurses, their recovery, or their return to work and puts patients at potential risk. The second peer-reviewed article that I chose was called “The sneaky prevalence of substance abuse in nursing.” This peer-reviewed article was published in Nursing 2015 by Kristopher T.Starr. Kristopher T. Starr is a Juris Doctor (JD). He graduated from Widener University School in 1999, with his doctorate and professional degree in law. He also has completed academic qualifications as a Registered Nurse (RN), Master of Science (MS), Certified Nurse Practitioner (FNP-C), Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) and has extensive experience and knowledge related to pediatric nursing care
She explained how she relapsed after being 3 months clean. Since the relapse in 2015 to 2016 she became clean again in August of 2016 with the help of her fiancé and her family. Since she took responsibility for her actions and explained that she does have a problem. I believe that is the first step to recovery. She was very adamant about how she does do wrong and then she had a plan to do what was right in her life for herself and not for anyone else. It may seem selfish, but that is the only way to control an addiction within one’s self, in my opinion. Accepting what is wrong and willing to deal with it is a start and having a great support system will help tremendously. The State Board of Nursing should allow her a second chance to prove that she can overcome and control her addiction while preforming the career she worked hard to achieve. The board should place a strict probation, and tasks that she can perform should be evaluated periodically. In the Nurse Practice Act it states, “Use or unlawful possession of any controlled substance, as defined in chapter 195, or alcoholic beverage to an extent that such use impairs a person 's ability to perform the work of any profession licensed or regulated by sections 335.011 to 335.096 (pg.
Noone, J. G., Cleary, B. L., Moulton, P., Wiebusch, P. L., Murray, J. L.,Yore, M., & Brunell, M. L. (2010). Toward standardization (Part 1): assessment of state and national nursing workforce data sources. Policy, Politics, & nursing Practice11(3), 173-183. Doi10.1177/1527154410390521
Fisher, G. L. & Harrison, T. C. (2009). Substance abuse: Information for school counselors, social workers, therapists, and counselors (5th ed.). Boston: Pearson - Allyn and Bacon.
Napp, Carol. (2012). Am. sub. sb 83: Final analysis. Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Retrieved from http://www.nursing.ohio.gov/PDFS/AdvPractice/SB83_Analysis.pdf
...y, H. (2008). Drug use and abuse: a comprehensive introduction (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth.
Trinkoff, A.M, & Storr, C L. (1998). Substance use among nurses: differences between specialties. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1508454/?page=1
Most APNs or NPs posses a master’s degree; however the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) member institutions voted to change the current level of preparation for advanced nursing practice from a masters degree to a doctorate level by 2015”. “An individual who wished to apply for a license must meet the following requirements; a complete application, pass the NCLEX, provide any felony or misdemeanor conviction information, any drug related behavior, functional ability deficit and license fee to Virginia State Board of Nursing”. Most RNs gain their clinical experience by working a staff nurse before entering into a graduate program for their nurse practitioners, but once they gain a significant of experience as a nurse t...
Polit, D. F. & Beck, C. T. (2012). Nursing research: Generating and assessing evidence for nursing practice (9th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott.
Substance abuse in the field of nursing has become a serious problem. Every day exposure to drugs in addition to other factors have contributed to the issue of substance abuse among nurses and the impact on patient care. Some may still be unaware of the substance abuse problem nurses struggle with, and they don't realize until they see the consequences on overall patient outcomes and work productivity. Learning to recognize the chemically impaired nurse has allowed the health care field to expand its awareness and begin to take action on this issue. “To ensure productivity, safety, and quality of care, most hospitals have instituted drug-free workplace programs...that identify prohibited behaviors and the consequences of violating the policy” (Epstein et al., 2010, p. 515). In hope of change to this issue, further action continues to be a work in progress.
Substance addiction is becoming an epidemic. While some people can quit using a substance without any help, most people need help to their recovery. Narcotics anonymous is an important support group for our society. There are many different narcotic anonymous programs to join that have meetings throughout the week. The members of the support group all share one thing in common, they suffer from different types of chemical dependency. Members help each other because they have the same problems and worries that everyone in the room has. Though they may be struggling with different stages in their life, for the most part, they all relate to what each is going through. Just as AA, NA focuses on the 12-step program. The members of
Patient safety should be the highest priority when it comes to health care, so why wouldn't the administrators reduce the ratio of nurse to patients to provide maximum patient care? Nurses that have a higher workload of patients are probably more prone to commit a medication error because they may not have the time to do the five checks of medication administration: the right drug, the right dose, the right route, the right time, and the right patient.
Polit, D., & Beck, C. (2006). Essentials of nursing research: appraising evidence for nursing practice (7th ed.). Phildelphia: Lippencott Wilkins & Williams.
The rate of death due to prescription drug abuse in the U.S. has escalated 313 percent over the past decade. According to the Congressional Quarterly Transcription’s article "Rep. Joe Pitt Holds a Hearing on Prescription Drug Abuse," opioid prescription drugs were involved in 16,650 overdose-caused deaths in 2010, accounting for more deaths than from overdoses of heroin and cocaine. Prescribed drugs or painkillers sometimes "condemn a patient to lifelong addiction," according to Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This problem not only affects the lives of those who overdose but it affects the communities as well due to the convenience of being able to find these items in drug stores and such. Not to mention the fact that the doctors who prescribe these opioids often tend to misuse them as well. Abusing these prescribed drugs can “destroy dreams and abort great destinies," and end the possibility of the abuser to have a positive impact in the community.
Drug abuse and addiction are issues that affect people everywhere. However, these issues are usually treated as criminal activity rather than issues of public health. There is a conflict over whether addiction related to drug abuse is a disease or a choice. Addiction as a choice suggests that drug abusers are completely responsible for their actions, while addiction as a disease suggests that drug abusers need help in order to break their cycle of addiction. There is a lot of evidence that suggests that addiction is a disease, and should be treated rather than punished. Drug addiction is a disease because: some people are more likely to suffer from addiction due to their genes, drug abuse brought on by addictive behavior changes the brain and worsens the addiction, and the environment a person lives in can cause the person to relapse because addiction can so strongly affect a person.
Drug addiction is a very big problem in today’s society. Many people have had their lives ruined due to drug addiction. The people that use the drugs don’t even realize that they have an addiction. They continue to use the drug not even realizing that their whole world is crashing down around them. Drug addicts normally lose their family and friends due to drug addiction.