Nurses and Substance Abuse

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the implications of nurses who abuse drugs and alcohol, especially while on duty. First, the paper takes a historic look at this issue, citing past literature on this subject. Next, the causes of substance abuse among nurses is considered. Implications of substance abuse are explored, such as low-performance, financial risks and ethical, legal and security issues. The paper concludes with recommendations for modes of prevention, intervention and rehabilitation.

Outline:
Introduction: the Problem
Causative Factors
Relevance and Implications
Discussion
Recommendations and Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The importance and the seriousness of the issue of nurses and substance abuse were underlined by Sharon Rossi, a speaker at the American Association of Critical-Care convention in Orlando in 2004. Her subject was "Chemically Impaired Nurses" and she emphasized that various incidents relating to nurses and substance abuse made it "...imperative that administrators, managers and fellow nurses increase their knowledge about the problems that substance abuse in health care can cause and how to identify common signs seen in nurses who abuse drugs and/or alcohol." (AACN: Substance Abuse Among Nurses--It's Everybody's Problem) She referred in particular to an incident where a nurse had been found dead on duty due to a drug overdose. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• American Nurses' Association. (1984). Addictions and psychological dysfunctions in nursing: The profession's response to the problem. Kansas City, MO: ANA Publications. 1984 May;(PMH-6):i-iv, 1-36.
• AACN: Substance Abuse Among Nurses--It's Everybody's Problem. ( 2004) Retrieved May 1, 2006, from http://www.nursezone.com/stories/SpotlightOnNurses.asp?articleID=12506
• Backer, T. E., & O'Hara, K. B. (1991). Organizational Change and Drug-Free Workplaces: Templates for Success. New York: Quorum Books.
• Beisecker, A. E. (1991). Interpersonal Communication Strategies to Prevent Drug Abuse by Health Professionals and the Elderly: Contributions of the Health Belief Model. Health Communication, 3(4), 241-250.
• Griffith J. (1999) Substance abuse disorders in nurses. Nurs Forum. Oct-Dec;34(4):19-28. Retrieved 3 March, 2006, fromhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&list_uids=10795265&dopt=Citation

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