Nurses fighting their own addictions
Nurses are relied upon to help others, but we may not consider that there are nurses who are in need of help. Addiction is not just a serious issue with the general public; it is also a serious issue within the nursing profession. The issue of nurses with addictions is not just an assumption; the issue of nurses with addictions is often verified by nurses with addictions themselves.
When nurses are addicts
Linda K. was a nurse who loved her job and thought others would not know she was an addict. She stumbled through her daily duties as a night-shift nurse at a hospital, as an addict. She was one of the lucky ones and now shares her story, not only with nursing and medical students but with other nurses suffering from addiction. Patricia Holloran, RN, is now the published author of a book that tells the details of the pain and struggle of her own addiction to potent painkillers. Even when confronted by the Drug Control Division of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection about missing narcotics, she kept telling herself that she was not an addict. But once she entered a treatment program so that she could save her job, she learned that she did not know as much about addiction as she thought and realized that she was, indeed, an addict.
One nurse, who asked not to be identified, told NurseWeek about her horrifying ordeal as a nurse-addict. Starting with vicodin, she graduated to mainlining morphine and other drugs. She stole drugs from the facility where she was employed and eventually started free-basing cocaine that she easily got from her sister, a cocaine addict who was also a nurse. This nurse chose to follow the advice of a physician who made arrangements for her to enter into a treatment program. She no longer wishes to work in positions where she has access to drugs. Some nurses have told stories of how they would take drugs that were supposed to be for patients, even going so far as to give the patient a saline drip instead of the prescribed morphine. There may be the occasional nurse who not only does not seek help, but also refuses to admit that he or she has a problem, going so far as to say so in interviews released to the general public.
Some nurses may be afraid to seek help for fear of losing their license and never being able to work in nursing again. But attitudes toward nurses who are impaired with addictions issues are being looked at and dealt with differently today than they were just a few years ago.
Support and assistance for nurses with addiction issues
One nurse who successfully completed treatment for her addiction wondered, as stated in the NurseWeek article, “If the people in the medical field truly believe that addiction is a disease, then why didn’t doctors want to hire me?” Unfortunately, there are places where the nurse may not be welcomed back from treatment with open arms. However, the American Nurses Association’s (ANA) policy regarding impaired nurses is grounded in Provision 3 of the Code of Ethics for Nurses. The resolutions that assists nurses with seeking treatment and following through on their recovery so that they can re-enter the nursing profession now supports more advocacy, rather than punitive measures when a nurse is deemed “impaired.”
The ANA also strongly supports the “peer assistance” and “alternative to discipline” programs offered in many states for impaired nurses. One such program is the Pennsylvania Voluntary Recovery Program. As long as the nurse adheres to guidelines, deferment will continue on any disciplinary action. In New Jersey, according to travelnursing.com, the New Jersey Recovery and Monitoring Program (RAMP), provides no guarantee that the nurse-addict will keep his or her job, but does assist in talking with employers, assists with treatment resources and dealing with licensing boards, and provides other ongoing advocacy. Nurses and Recovery Forum is available at allnurses.com to lend support to nurses and other health care professionals dealing with addictions issues. If a nurse is willing to seek assistance for addiction issues, there is a wealth of information, education, support and treatment services available, as well as assistance to remain in the nursing profession.
