substance abuse among nurses

SUBSTANCE ABUSE AMONG NURSES
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I experienced no trouble while accessing Excelsior college library. And it’s because the whole process was well explained and it was easy to follow. I am also satisfied with this search because I have found enough information on substance abuse by nurses. Information on substance abuse is relevant in the module we will cover next.
Tammy is a great and an accomplished clinician in the United States. Tammy is an excellent oncologist who even works overtime when the oncology section has shortage of staff. One night a patient who had been under Tammy’s care deteriorates in health. Upon following patients treated by Tammy, one nurse realizes that the patients complained of pain. They complain despite being processed using opioid analgesics by Tammy. Other nurses have also frequently voiced complains about Tammy’s actions such as taking longer and frequent breaks and decreased work ethics.
Drugs and substance abuse is a common problem in the United States, especially among the youth. Abuse of drug is a social-economic problem affecting young adults of all races (Dunn, 2005). Likewise, nurses too are affected by substance abuse and can therefore not deliver their services well. Due to abuse of drugs, nurses cannot carry out their functions due to two factors namely dependency on drugs and mental impairment.
According to research done, various factors lead to drug abuse. One is family history. If a family has a history of drug abuse, the nurse from that family may lack self-esteem.

This nurse ends up turning to drugs to boost his or her esteem. Stress in the working area is another cause of drug abuse among nurses (Dunn, 2005). The pressure may be brought about by long working hours and rotating shifts. These actions cause fatigue, and a nurse may turn to drug abuse as the way out. Availability of drugs creates their abuse. Nurses are in constant contact with drugs and tend to think they can self-medicate themselves. They thus abuse the drugs while solving their problems.
Abuse of drugs affect the delivery of services, and it is also against the nursing profession. Drug abuse among nurses differs with specialty. For instance, emergency nurses are more likely to use marijuana compared to general practitioners. On the other hand, psychiatric nurses may smoke more while oncologists may take alcohol to relieve the pain they witness in cancer patients.
Some symptoms of drug abuse among nurses may include absenteeism, disappearance from work and poor judgment. Other symptoms include a weak relationship with colleagues, mood swings and drug wastage (Dunn, 2005). These signs are witnessed in Tammy’s case, and it is possible that tammy game a patient the wrong drugs hence no change was seen even after medication.
Nurses always avoid dealing with colleagues suffering substance abuse. This has dealt a big blow to the fight against drug abuse amongst the nurses. The nursing department encourages the nurses to help individuals with abnormal behaviors. However, drug related cases are not reported due to friendship ties and avoid work problems latter. Failing to report drug cases puts both the patients and nurses at risk. When such a situation is taken to the nursing board, the victim is given the necessary care but not disciplined. There are over 39 states which provide rehabilitation services in the country. It is, therefore, a responsibility of the nurses to report cases of drug abuse so that the victim can be helped. Tammy’s case should be forwarded so that other patients and nurses can be safe.
In conclusion, the library has given me a deep understanding of drug abuse in the United States. Drug abuse is prevalent in the nursing profession due to family history and stress in the workplace. Nurses should report when they see the symptoms of drug abuse. Reporting ensure that the victim is treated and also guarantee nurses and patients safety.
Reference
Dunn, D. (2005). Substance abuse among nurses—De ning the issue. Association of Operating Room Nurses Journal, 82(4), 573–582, 585–588, 592–596.