A Nurse Suffering From Substance Abuse In Nurses

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Recommended: substance abuse in the nursing profession

A nurse suffering from substance abuse is an issue that terrorizes the adequate skills to the standards of the nursing profession and providing the excellence of care. Nurses are legally and ethically accountable to report colleagues who exhibit actions of impairment. Nurses must not only be advocates for patients, but additionally be advocates for other nurses.
The leading factor that puts nurses at the greatest risk for alcohol abuse is a family history. Nurses, who hold a history of emotional damage, drug use, alcoholism, or emotional mistreatment in the family, may result in a low self-worth of the individual. Overload of work and over success is at a greater risk for abusing substances. A stressful environment in the workplace is another factor that can lead to alcohol dependence. The demands of healthcare are on the rise, from the nursing shortage of staffing, increase in higher acuity patients, and working overtime can lead to stress and alienation. Nurses can be more drawn to turn to alcohol abuse in ways of coping with the stress.
The prevalence to the abuse of alcohol is on the rise in nurses. “10%–15% of nurses will abuse alcohol during their professional careers” (Servodidio, 2011, p. 143). According to the general population of the United States, the rates assessed the amount of intoxicated nurses would be about 40,000. (Servodidio, 2011, p. 143). The nursing career is categorized as one of the highest 10 careers that is affected from the abuse of alcohol. Statistics show that “more than one third of nurse’s drink more than is considered safe,” An additional estimate also shows that “10%-15% of nurses will have alcohol or drug abuse issues at some point during their professional career” (Servodidio, 2011, p. ...

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... nurse who they believe is in a troubling situation. By recognizing alcoholism as a chronic illness the nurse is more significantly to get involved and those living with alcoholism can seek the help they require.
It is important for colleagues to give the nurse support and avoid judgment. One study showed that employee supervisors remained further inclined to a more disciplinary approach action; however staff nurses were convinced and recognized alcoholic nurses as having a curable illness. Recognizing alcohol impairment may be easier to recognize once the stigma is removed. Then the essential discussions followed by the crucial stages for help and support can occur.
Nurses are legally and ethically accountable to report colleagues who exhibit actions of impairment. Nurses must not be only advocates for patients, but additionally be advocates for other nurses.

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