Substance Abuse Among Nurses

Submitted By netta4life
Words: 912
Pages: 4
Open Document
Introduction
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, &ump; 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, accessibility to drugs in the work environment has played a significant role. Substance abuse among nurses is an arising issue in need of attention, it is alarming to know that patient safety and care is in danger when a chemically impaired nurse is in the workplace.
Thesis
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.
Analysis
There are several contributing factors to substance abuse among nurses such as family, and stress. Nurses who have family members with emotional problems and inability to cope, alcoholism, and drug use, have been linked to a higher risk of substance abuse (Talbert, 2009). Coming from a family that relies on substances tempts the nurse to be chemically dependent when experiencing high job demands. "Stress in the workplace is another reason cited for nurses abusing substances" (Talbert, 2009). Stress in the workplace varies among the unit the nurse works in. As in the emergency department, nurses were 3.5 times as likely to use marijuana and cocaine (Young, 2008). Nurses are using substances as a coping mechanism to their stressful work environment. Excessive workload due to the nursing shortage, shift rotations, working longer hours and floating to different units leads nurses to high stress levels (Epstein et al., 2010). In addition to alcohol and substances nurses can access in the streets, nurses can also abuse substances at work through their patients medications.
Easy access to the drugs is another important factor contributing to nurses who substance abuse. As stated by Serghis (1999) the availability of medications in the workplace has been linked to substance abuse among nurses (as cited in Talbert, 2009, p.17). Part of the nurse’s duty every day is to give medication to their patients, which exposes them to have easy access to drugs. Nurses who take medication from their patients for their own personal use are "always using the maximum PRN dosage when other nurses use less" (DeClerk, 2008, p. 12). The healthcare field accepts the use of medication and so nurses may perceive the wrong idea by making use of patients drugs themselves. "Medications are easily accessible to nurses, who may believe erroneously that they have the ability to control their own medications use because of their experience with administering medication to patients" (Talbert, 2009, p. 17). In the case revealed by Talbert (2009) a nurse was presenting irrational behavior and decrease work ethic when her colleagues realized that many of the nurse's patients had been complaining of pain even though records indicated that medication had been given to them. Nurses consuming patient’s medication at work, places an impact on job performance, and patient safety making nurse unable to care for their patients
Show More

Related Documents: Substance Abuse Among Nurses

Study Guide Essay examples

Principles of Sociology Chapter 1 Study Guide *Directions: To get the best use of this study guide, study for personal understanding instead of simple memorization. Your tests will have scenarios on them and simple recall questions. In scenarios, one must apply what is known; therefore, if you just memorize and do not understand what you have memorized, you will not succeed. *The questions below are not the questions that are on the test; however, the topics they include will be on the test:…

Words 586 - Pages 3

Study Guide Essay examples

a stimulus. Example: we can habituate to those close and present in our daily lives like our lovers or family. Sensitization: an example of non-associative learning in which the progressive amplification of a response follows repeated administrations of a stimulus. Increased response to a stimulus after the first instance with the stimulus. Ex: if you are mugged at a certain park. Next time, when you pass through that park you will get scared. Example of negative response. An example of a positive…

Words 6017 - Pages 25

study guide Essay examples

Positive Psychology - Study Questions for Test 2 I. Study Questions for Open-ended Questions (each will be worth 1 out of 15 total points): A. What is the most important and/or meaningful thing that you have learned in this class SINCE THE LAST TEST? (be prepared to write at least one paragraph) B. How have you applied something that you have learned in this class to your life? (be prepared to write at least one paragraph) II. Study Questions from PowerPoints for Multiple…

Words 586 - Pages 3

Final Study Guide Essay examples

STUDY GUIDE FOR EXAM #4 11 December 11:30 U.S. History 10613 -People in BLUE -Non us people are in -Military events in Green Battles = normal green Wars will be in this green Military idea and weapons are in -Domestic affairs like polices based and for us citizens in red -U.S Forein polices and affairs in pink -Other countries forein affairs are in brown -elections will be in orange -president Administrations and scandals is in purple Bataan Death March -The…

Words 3540 - Pages 15

Econ Study Guide Essay example

economics and scarcity; - Economics is the study of how people, businesses, governments, and other organizations make choices when there is scarcity. Scarcity means that the resources we use to produce goods and services are limited. consequences of scarcity; -Since human wants are unlimited, the trade-offs associated with making choices: • You have a limited amount of time. If you take a part-time job, each hour on the job means one less hour for study or play. • A city has a limited amount…

Words 4821 - Pages 20

Nueroscience Study Guide Essay examples

I. Phrenology- 1st Neuroscience 1. Sir Francis Gall: invented phrenology, a popular but ill-fated theory that claimed bumps on the head could reveal our mental abilities and our character traits; phrenology, however, did correctly focus attention on the idea that various brain regions have particular functions; popular 1819-1820 in Britain(Victorian Period); Moral and intellectual faculties are innate; brain is the source of all mental activity; key word: organs, bump; ex: A prominent protrusion…

Words 1953 - Pages 8

Study Guide for Economics Essay example

B. Answers to Short-Answer, Essays, and Problems 1. What are the major features of monopolistic competition compared to pure competition and pure monopoly? In monopolistic competition, there are a relatively large number of firms, not the thousands of firms as in pure competition. The monopolistically competitive firms produce differentiated products, not the standardized products of pure competition. Product differentiation means that monopolistic competitors engage in some price competition…

Words 7370 - Pages 30

Philosophy 101 Study Guide Essay examples

STUDY GUIDE FIRST EXAM PHI 101 When: Thursday, the 26th Day of September, 2013, 3:00pm – 4:15pm Where: The same location our class normally meets What to bring: Your ASU Student ID, for when you hand in your exam & An Exam book (blue book or green book) available at the bookstore & A Scan-tron form (bubble-in forms) available at the bookstore & TWO number 2 pencils for filling in the scantron form & A blue or black ink pen (optional – pencil ok), for your exam book. I will not have…

Words 3879 - Pages 16

study guide 2 Essay examples

Seventeen-and-a- Half Anne puts a sign on her tree house that says, “For Sale, $500.” The sign is an ___________________, which is defines as ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Bob sees the sign and says to Anne, “Ill give you $450 for the tree house,” Bob has now made an ___________________in which Anne is the ______________________________________…

Words 1201 - Pages 5

Bio study guide Essay examples

• Atom: the smallest part of an element that retains its property • Molecule: (can be an element or a compound) 2 or more atoms chemically bonded together- smallest it can be divided and retain essential chemical properties • Element: Pure substances that cannot be broken down chemically different/smaller substances • Compound: when elements combine chemically 1st and 2nd Laws of Thermodynamics: Law of Conservation Energy: Energy cannot be created nor destroyed, only changed in form. The…

Words 1703 - Pages 7