IMPAIRED NURSING PRACTICE

Impaired Nursing Practice

Impaired Nursing Practice

Introduction

The purpose of these discussions is to provide information to facilitate the identification, referral and the rehabilitation of the nurse whose practice is impaired. The concern is for both the nurse and the public. It is the hope that this information will encourage early intervention and referrals for nurses who are having problems with alcohol or drugs before nursing practice becomes impaired and harm occurs to the health care consumer

Impaired Nursing Practice and Present the Pros and Cons

This research provides an overview of the phenomenon of the impaired nurse. The toll exacted by chemical substance abuse on the American society and on individuals within the society in both social and economic contexts is both appalling and enormous. Governments in the United States commit an enormous amount of public resources--financial, human, and physical--to fighting the country's substance abuse problem. In spite of all of these efforts, and in the face of claims of great success by the Drug Enforcement Agency, however, the substance abuse problem appears to be intractable. Unfortunately, the problem now has rooted itself in the nursing profess

It is a well known fact that chemical dependency among nurses is denied, ignored or goes untreated. The longer the delay in recognition of such a problem, the more difficult it may be to come to terms with the impairment and obtain the necessary treatment and rehabilitation. Chemical dependency is a treatable illness. Treatment by skilled personnel and a structured rehabilitation program offers a good chance for recovery.

Nursing practice, as defined by the NJ Nurse Practice Act, includes those "therapeutic measures essential to the effective management and execution of the nursing regimen." "Nursing practice is impaired when the individual is unable to meet the requirements of the professional code of ethics and standards of practice because cognitive, interpersonal, or psychomotor skills are affected by conditions of the individual in interaction with the environment. These factors include excessive alcohol or drug use or addiction and psychiatric illness."

The widespread use of drugs in our society is a major concern for all of us. The health care professions are not immune to this problem. It has been estimated that 10-15% of all nurses are afflicted with the devastating illness of alcohol or drug addiction. The legal and ethical issues raised by such chemical addiction are considerable. The impact of the problem is far reaching, affecting employees, the image of the agency in the community, and the cost of health care.

Educating health care providers about chemical dependency can facilitate early identification of impaired nurses and assist them to seek treatment. Several basic factors must be understood in the recognition and process of chemical dependency. Chemical dependency is a progressive illness - physically, emotionally, and mentally. Early detection may stop the destructive process to life and body before permanent damage is done. Furthermore, it produces greater likelihood of recovery. The first step to treatment is recognition.

Chemical dependency is a chronic illness, therefore, denial that it exists (by individuals, agencies or institutions) will ...