Impaired Coworkers



Impaired Coworkers

Introduction

The impairment of the coworkers is becoming a serious problem amongst the healthcare professionals. The substance abuse by the health professionals is starting to come to light. A coworker practicing the state of impair state can result in the exposure of the organization to not only the costs associated with the absenteeism but also poor performance by the individual. The organization can also be at risk of committing negligence by the impaired employee and poor performance by the employee can lead to allegations and regulatory actions that can be a problem for the organization.

Impaired Coworkers

The impaired workers are those nurses whose interpersonal, cognitive and/or psychomotor skills are affected due to the usage of drug or alcohol, to such extent that they are not able to perform their professional duties and responsibilities in a better way (Thomas & Siela, 2011). They are unable to satisfy their professional ethics and the practice standards which are required from them by their organization.

How to Recognize an Impaired Worker

The major way in which an impaired worker can be recognized is the changes in their behavior. They become more and more isolated from family and friends. They also appear distracted and distanced. They are not able to meet the deadlines and fulfill their duties in a proper manner. Their absentees increase drastically. There are numerous complaints of their behavior or work related problems. They are usually shaky and unsteady and have slurred speech.

When and Whom to Report an Impaired Worker

When the above mentioned symptoms are frequently witnessed in the impaired worker it is significant for the employees to report them to their supervisors or other management personnel. It is vital to immediately report such individuals as their poor performance and negligence can create numerous problems in the health care setting.

Actions to Resolve the Problem

There is a strong need to spread awareness among the health care professionals, especially the nurses regarding the problems and issues of impaired coworkers and employees. This area has not been researched and there is a need to properly conduct a research on this topic. The awareness of the problem will help in raising recognition of the importance and significance of dealing with this issue (Thomas & Siela, 2011). The management and employees need to look for signs of impairment in the coworkers. The management has to evaluate and assess their health care professionals especially the nurses to make sure that there is no negligence in any case by them. They have to ensure that the cognitive, interpersonal and motor skills of the nurses are good which would ensure them that they are performing their tasks as expected from them. Intervention is the most important step which motivates the impaired coworkers to seek professional help. They must understand that they are the ones responsible to take care of their patients which are why they have to take care of themselves first. Swift intervention is essential to remove impaired nurses from the bedside, thus minimizing the risk to patients, ...