Yet, we fail to recognize those same signs in healthcare professionals who work alongside us.

 

As the national epidemic of drug abuse increases, healthcare professionals are not immune. There are three common misconceptions about nurses and drug addiction:

 

Nurses Know Better – Addiction does not discriminate. The number of potentially impaired nurses is significant: the American Nurses Association estimates that 8-10% of nurses are abusing drugs or alcohol to the point of work impairment. The high-stress hospital environment, fatigue, and potentially co-occurring disorders can easily steer nurses toward drugs and alcohol as coping mechanisms. When coupled with the prevalence of drugs in the workplace, self-medication can quickly escalate to addiction.

 

Nurses Don’t Fit the ‘Profile’ of an Addict – Unlike common “junkie” stereotypes, the new wave of addicts use opioids and painkillers, not street drugs. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 21-29% of addicts are patients who were prescribed pain medication. A user often is a professional with a good job and family who began their addiction as a result of chronic misuse of painkillers. Nurses can continue functioning at a high level while impaired, but most are unable to provide safe, quality care — putting patients and coworkers at risk.

 

Nurses Know How to Identify Signs – By its nature, substance abuse is a clandestine activity. The secretive nature of addiction becomes exponentially more dangerous in the healthcare field when users begin to divert patient medication to satisfy their “fix.” Sometimes, fellow nurses may see indications of abuse but hesitate to report for fear of retribution or angering their friend.

 

When we recite the Nightingale Pledge, we promise to “devote ourselves to the welfare of those committed to our care.” We must extend the meaning of this oath to caring for each other. Not only do nurses with substance issues have impaired judgement and slower reaction times, but they also can do significant harm to patients, co-workers, or themselves.

 

Recognition of impairment and timely reporting are paramount for maintaining a safe, healthy workplace with quality patient care and helping the impaired co-worker return to their duties as functional member of the healthcare team. Broward College is providing a self-paced, fully online course which provides an overview of the signs and risk factors of impairment, the mandatory reporting laws and ethical and legal obligations of reporting, the steps for reporting an impaired worker, the treatment and support options for impaired healthcare workers, and employee initiatives and assistance. The course satisfies the two contact hours required by the Florida Board of Nursing for license renewal, effective August 2017.