Substance Abuse During The Medical Profession

As the article The Impaired Nurse stated, “Impaired nurses can become dysfunctional in their ability to provide safe, appropriate patient care” (Thomas, C.M., & Siela, D. 2011). As we learned in class the four ethical principles include; beneficence which is the act of doing the most good, non-malfeasance which is the act of doing the least amount of harm, autonomy which focuses on allowing each individual to make their own decisions and justice which focuses on being fair to all involved. Nurses who are abusing substance typically can’t follow these for ethical principles to the best of their ability because they are too focused on themselves. As mentioned in the article Substance Abuse among Nurses, nurses who are abusing substances are not able to complete tasks and function as a typical nurse would (Talbert, J. J. 2009). These types of nurses are not able to apply the four ethical principles to their everyday work environment because they are too focused on the substances they need. These nurses would not be able to function and apply to principle of doing the most good because they will not be doing the best if on substances. As mentioned in both articles, these nurses will spend a good amount of time in the bathrooms hiding and using, take medications from patients, and forget tasks that need complete. Beneficence and non-malfeasance in my opinion could not apply to nurses who are abusing substances because they are not caring for their patients as

Attention Getter: Imagine 60,000 people in one city, all dealing with the same problem, addiction. According to an article written by Carter M. Yang for ABC news on March 14th of this year, there are 60, 000 people in Baltimore alone that are addicted to illicit drugs. These numbers are disheartening and unfortunate. I can relate to every one of these people struggling with substance abuse, because I am an addict. A program called Narcotics Anonymous has

Jackie was one of the growing numbers of nurses who are impaired because of addiction. Sullivan (1994) cited that “nurses who abuse substances not only place themselves at risk for physical, emotional, and professional harm, but also create hazards for the institutions in which they work as well as the public” (p. 20). To deal with the issue posed by an impaired nurse, “nursing leaders must consider legal, regulatory, ethical, humanistic, and practical considerations in

The definitions have progressed from tolerance or withdrawal symptoms from a specific drug to chronic intoxication, continued use with increased dosage, dependence, and damaging effects to user (Reinarman 2005). Both of these definitions proved to be too restrictive because all drugs do not have the same effects on every user. The current definition used by physicians and the criminal justice system is based on seven criteria (Reinarman 2005). The constant evolution of how the professional world views drug dependence mirrors society’s change in the understanding of addiction. Historically, “the drink” was viewed as the devil and drugs were often thought to be the cause of many criminal acts (Schneider 2003). After the medicalization of addiction and dawn of decriminalization of drug abuse, public opinion of deviant alcohol and drug use has changed. For the family unit, it is much simpler to accept and approach treatment for addiction if it is classified as a medical disease. In society, drug users can be framed as patients instead of criminals based on current standards. By looking at addiction as a treatable set of signs and symptoms instead of holding the individual accountable for actions they committed while intoxicated, the disease concept releases a lot of the stigma that goes along with

The responsibility of regulating nursing practice that ensures public safety, health and welfare and accountability to the public for proper governance falls on the State Boards of Nursing (BONs). Substance abuse is the most common disease that affects healthcare workers (Darbro, 2009). The disease of substance abuse disorder is preventable (Darbro, 2009). The intent of this paper is to discuss the ethical issues of nurses with substance abuse disorder, stigma of addiction, challenges that nurses with substance abuse problems face to include acceptance of the disease, treatment, rehabilitation and monitoring, the incidence of addiction among nurses, how to recognize an impaired colleague, nurses’ attitudes about addiction within the profession and the ethical issues that the nurse, employer and society face when dealing with a nurse who is an addict. It was in the 1980s that professional nursing organizations recommended alternative to discipline (ATD) programs to help rehabilitate nurses (Sigma Theta Tau, 2014). In the past 20 years 46 states have gone with this approach as opposed to traditional discipline (Trussman, 2003). In most cases, these ATD programs provide nurses with intense monitoring for 5 years to aid in their recovery so they may return to work and provide safe patient care to the

Over the years, substance abuse in the United States has become a persistent issue affecting many individuals. In 2008, it was estimated that 17.8 million Americans over the age of 18 where substance dependent (Epstein, Burns, & Conlon, 2010). Many of these individuals being affected are nurses. Ponech (2000) stated that "approximately 10% of the nursing population has alcohol or drug abuse problems, and 6% has problems serious enough to interfere with their ability to practice" (as cited in Talbert, 2009, p.17). Studies show that nurses have a 50% higher rate of substance abuse compared to the rest of the public (Epstein et al., 2010). Among the many factors that contribute to the nurse’s issue of substance abuse,

According to the SAMHSA (2010) report on the national survey on drug use and health almost 22.5 million people are reported to be associated with substance abuse disorder (SAMHSA, 2010). This illness was found to be very common in all age groups, both sex, and seniors. There are several effects on these individuals and their families. Many people who suffer from substance abuse disorders fail to acknowledge these serious consequences. First of all, no response of pain relief can be seen with smaller doses of pain medications, as their bodies are used to high levels of various substances at the same time. Nurses become frustrated when they try to treat and help these patients with pain. Sometimes it is difficult to think about ethical principles when nurses have to deal with such patients with pain and suffering.

The competency “apply the core functions of assessment, policy development, and assurance in the analysis of public health problems and their solutions” was met through reading chapter 5 in Public Health: What it is and How it Works, along with completing a discussion question on applying the essential public health services to gun violence in Chicago and by completing a group project where I had to describe substance abuse in terms of the ten essential public health services.

It is no secret that the United States is currently experiencing a shortage of nurses . “The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics ( 2009 ) estimated that more than one million new and replacement nurses will be needed by 2018 to meet the increased demands of the health care workforce” (). The stressful conditions under which nurses work, due in part to the nursing shortage, are among the risk factors that contribute to nurses’ abuse of illicit drugs and alcohol. Nurses are unique in that they work in an environment where they not only have access to controlled substances, but also are exposed to critically ill patients, traumatic situations, death and dying, the stress of which can increase the risk of substance abuse. (Epstein, Burns, & Conlon, 2010). Unfortunately, it is the patient that suffers the most.

Many people have turned to substance abuse or experience chemical dependency for a variety of reasons. Nurses experience chemical dependency as well. According to Kunyk (2013), “healthcare professionals, including nurses, are also potentially vulnerable to substance use disorders regardless of any special knowledge, skills or insights they might have owing to their education and professional experiences” (p. 54). This paper will define what chemical dependency is, report causes of chemical dependency in nurses, describe behaviors associated with chemical dependency, and explain what needs to be done upon reentry into the work place.

In first talking about substance use, abuse and addiction as it relates to the Nursing profession it is necessary to understand the aspect of addiction. Drug use is a broad idea that refers to the use of any chemical substance rather legal or illegal. This topic includes prescription drugs, street drugs, herbal supplements, and the like. The term Drug abuse is defined as “the use of a substance or substances in such a way that it leads to measurable personal, interpersonal, or social consequences” (Faupel, C., E., Horowitz, A., M., & Weaver, G., S., 2010, p.20). Drug addiction is then regarded as “a compulsive use of chemicals (drugs or alcohol) and the inability to stop using them despite all the problems caused by their use” (National

A survey has been recorded about the prevalence of chemical dependency in nurses. About 2.6 million registered nurses are employed in the United States (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2010). The American Nurses Association estimates that about 10% of the RN

Substance abuse is the harmful or dangerous use of any psychoactive substances including drugs, alcohol and even tobacco. The term ‘Substance Abuse’, as understood today was first used in 1987’s DSM-IIIR, before that social & cultural factors were not considered. Even with that change, many Americans still today consider drug and alcohol abuse to be moral weakness or character defect.

Drug and alcohol addiction is a very serious and widespread problem in America, and across the globe. Drug addiction is a constant craving, seeking, and using of a substance, despite the negative consequences it may have on the addict or those around them. When drug use becomes more frequent, it is considered drug abuse. Once an individual’s drug abuse is can no longer be controlled, and they are using the drug to get through everyday life, it beomes an addiction. A person on drugs has an altered way of thinking, behaving, and perceiving. There are treatment facilities all over the world dedicated to help those suffering with drug addictions. All

Substance abuse is one of the most detrimental social problems found in all societies. It has been the leading cause for generational breakdowns of families and communities, and is probably the most controversial social problem when developing corrective solutions. Substance abuse can be defined as the chemical dependence, or pattern of usage of both legal and illegal substances, that has adverse physical, psychological, and psychomotor effects on the human body. The use of substances does not always have to be a drug, but can also be anything taken into the body that can cause a mood-altering effect, such as inhalants or solvents. Additionally, substance abuse has many different faces and is the one social problem that crosses all