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paper on substance abuse among nurses
paper on substance abuse among nurses
paper on substance abuse among nurses
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What is an impaired nurse? An impaired nurse is a nurse whose practice has deteriorated due to chemical abuse, alcohol abuse, or mental illness. There are different types of impairments that can impact a nurse and they may even overlap. Impaired nurses can be detected through various methods but the most noticeable way to detect them is through recognition of signs and symptoms of impairment. After an impaired nurse is detected, there are measures to redirect them. Ways to redirect an impaired nurse vary. This paper will discuss the types of impaired nurses, ways to detect impairments, and ways to redirect them.
Types of impairments include alcohol abuse and addiction, drug abuse and addiction, and mental illness. Nursing can be a rewarding profession; however, it can also be extremely demanding and stressful. This can contribute to impairments, such as alcohol and substance abuse (Kunyk & Austin, 2012). Types of impaired nurses are not limited to just alcohol and substance abusers. Some nurses suffer from mental illnesses, which can impair their nursing practice. Impaired nurses may have multiple addictions and impairments hindering their nursing practice (Guidelines for managers of impaired nurses, 2009).
Detection of impaired nurses is extremely important. There is a necessity for education of nurses about impairments to raise awareness for early detection of impaired nurses. These nurses are not only harming themselves and putting their career in danger, but they are putting patient safety at risk. This can lead to negative patient outcomes (Servodidio, 2011). It is imperative that nurses are made aware of the reporting requirements for their state board of nursing and those of the facility that employs ...
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...k. The bottom line is that impaired nurses should be detected and redirected so that they can return to practicing nursing as safely as possible.
Works Cited
Guidelines for managers of impaired nurses. (2009). ISNA Bulletin, 35(3), 8-12.
Kunyk, D., & Austin, W. (2012). Nursing under the influence: A relational ethics perspective. Nursing Ethics, 19(3), 380-389. doi:10.1177/0969733011406767
Monroe, T., & Kenaga, H. (2011). Don't ask don't tell: substance abuse and addiction among nurses. Journal Of Clinical Nursing, 20(3/4), 504-509. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2702.2010.03518.x
Servodidio, C. A. (2011). Alcohol Abuse in the Workplace and Patient Safety. Clinical Journal Of Oncology Nursing, 15(2), 143-145. doi:10.1188/11.CJON.143-145
Zerwekh, J., & Garneau, A. (2014). Nursing today transition and trends. (7th ed., pp. 429-430). Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Co.
Pauly, B. B. (2008). Shifting moral values to enhance access to health care: Harm reduction as a context for nursing ethical practice. International Journal of Drug Policy, 19(3), 195-204.
Transitioning from academic nursing student to Registered Nurse/New Graduate Nurse (NGN) within the healthcare environment is a challenging task for many NGNs. They may encounter a number of challenges, such as the following: transition shock, professional isolation, lack of clinical experience, stress, lack of a support network and cultural incompetence. At the end, this essay will discuss the rationale for developing my two most important goals for the next twelve months.
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
Painter, L. M., & Dudjak, L. A. (2010). Actions, Behaviors, and Characteristics of RNs Involved in Compensable Injury. Journal of Nursing Administration, 40(12), 534-539. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/NNA.0b013e3181fc19eb
Nurses have to make decision every day that must be accounted it for, and ethical standards .in order to make an appropriate decision nurses requires of how the laws, ethics and nursing interface. Nurses must balance their approach towards
Current literature continues to reiterate the indicators of a major shortage of registered nurses (RNs) in the United States. The total RN population has been increasing since 1980, which means that we have more RNs in this country than ever before (Nursing Shortage). Even though the RN population is increasing, it is growing at a much slower rate then when compared to the rate of growth of the U.S. population (Nursing Shortage). We are seeing less skilled nurses “at a time of an increasingly aging population with complex care needs and an increasingly complex technological care environment” (Mion). According to recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Department of Health and Human Services, it is estimated that “more than a million new and replacement nurses will be needed over the next decade” (Diagnosis: Critical).
Nurses are the ones whom trust is placed to care for the sick, but with the growing population of chemically impaired nurses, patient care is in danger. Factors that are contributing to substance abuse among nurses need to be further explored to combat the issue and provide better quality care for patients.
Zerwekh, J., Claborn, J. (2006). Nursing today: Transitions and trends (pp. 343-346). St. Louis, Missouri:
Q.3 Nurses as part of regulated health care practitioners are responsible and accountable to abide by the standards, codes and guidelines of nursing practice (NMBA, 2016). The nurse in the case study has breached the standard 1.4 of the Registered Nurse Standards for Practice. According to standard 1.4, the registered nurse should comply with "legislation, regulation, policies, guidelines and other standards or requirements relevant to the context of practice” when making decisions because this will be the foundation of the nurse in delivering high quality services (NMBA, 2016). The nurse in the scenario did not follow the hospital policy concerning “Between the Flags” or “red zone” and a doctor should be notified of this condition. Furthermore, the nurse failed to effectively respond to a deteriorating patient.
The nursing key challenges chosen for this essay include professionalism, preparation, personal factors, competency factors, patient-centered care and job satisfaction. These nursing challenges will be thoroughly discussed and supported by current evidence-based research and nursing literature. Transition is defined as a process or period of change from one state or condition to another (Oxford, 2016). In relation to nursing students, it is also defined as students transitioning from one program to another (Oxford, 2016). It is important that students have the ability to be competent in a clinical setting.
In conclusion, there are numerous legal and ethical issues apparent in the nursing practice. Nurses should study and be as informed as they can with ethics and legality within their field in order to ensure no mistakes occur. Ethical issues vary based on patient’s views, religion, and environment. Nurses are influenced by these same views, but most of the time they are not the same as the patients. As a nurse we must learn to put the care of our patients and their beliefs, rights, and wishes before our own personal
The nursing profession is constantly in a state of change becoming more complex over time. Registered nurses work to prevent disease, promote health and help patients cope. They develop and manage nursing care plans, instruct proper outpatient care, and help improve and maintain health within their community. They are educators of health governed by state laws. Registered nurses can work in many different settings which determine their daily job duties. Depending on their level of training a RN could work with geriatrics, in intensive care units, as an educator, as clinical study observers, a midwife, oncology, or palliative care. Hospital nurses make up the majority of the RN group. They work as staff nurses who carryout medical regimens and provide bedside care. Most registered nurses work in well-lighted comfortable facilities, work nights, weekends, and holidays, and spend a considerable amount of time on their feet. They have to be available at a moment’s notice. Nursing also has its hazards all employees of care facilities are at risk for infectious disease, radiation poisoning, back injuries, shocks from electrical equipment, and hazards posed by compressed gas. Nurses are the link between doctors and patients.
The focus of every health care professional is the patient and the goal is to return the patient to optimum health where the patient can be independent. When the patient’s safety is being compromised it’s everyone’s job to fix the problem and make sure that it doesn’t happen again. However, there’s a dark side to nursing. The nurse is one of the few health care workers that have the most daily contact with the patient. The nurse plays a very important role in the patients care from teaching to simply being a listener while withholding any judgement. When the nurse to patient ratio isn’t balanced, it causes nurse burnout. Nurse burnout is when the nurse becomes “physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausted” (Michigan, S. S. (n.d.). News.
In the healthcare industry, nursing is underrepresented in the development of healthcare policies. Current nursing practice depends on the use of standardized nursing terminology and documentation to accurately communicate and identify nursing diagnoses, nursing care provided, and interventions that were performed within healthcare disciplines. The essential solution to making nursing more visible, having necessary data to adequately measure the direct effects, and retrieve associated nursing care costs is to attach nursing care services with each patient. Minimum data sets for nursing are vital classification systems necessary to categorize the practice of nursing and they allow consistent collection of essential nursing data that provide
The Future of Nursing Being a registered nurse affords one the option of working in many diverse healthcare settings. In any practice setting, the climate of health care change is evident. There are diverse entities involved in the implementation and recommendation of these practice changes. These are led by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the Institute of Medicine (IOM), nursing campaign for action initiatives, as well as individual state-based action coalitions. Nurses need to be prepared and cognizant of the transformations occurring in health care settings, as well as the plans that put them at the forefront of the future.