Pain can be alleviated by morphine but the pain of social ostracism cannot be taken away.
Derek Jarman
Derek Jarman
the number of drug addicted nurses in this country is common knowledge......
or should be.....
.
http://juns.nursing.arizona.edu/articles/Fall%202002/hrobak.htm
nurse
Chemical dependency in nursing is defined as a state of psychological and or physical addiction to a chemical substance or substances. Use of the substances, whether legally or illegally obtained, leads to a professional’s inability to perform duties and responsibilities according to nursing standards.
Substance abuse among nurses can range from 2% to 18% . The rate for prescription type drug misuse is 6.9% . The prevalence of chemical dependency is 6% to 8% according to the ANA estimates.
According to Burke, director of the Cincinnati Police Pharmaceutical Division, his squad arrested one health care professional every six days. 70% were nurses. He stresses that not all are caught. So the statistics show there are more nurses diverting and using than actually reported.
Denial is a key aspect by the nurse and fellow coworkers. The picture may be vague at first, but eventually the nurse’s behavior makes it clearer. Certain indicators may alert others to a problem that should be investigated. Smith et al offer indicators of chemical impairment in the areas of job performance, personality/mental status, and diversion. Usually, there is not just one indicator but several. In the workplace, the nurse may offer to work overtime. There may be an increase in absenteeism, tardiness, and use of sick time with vague excuses. The nurse may take long or frequent breaks. Job performance becomes inconsistent as function declines. Charting suffers with errors and omissions. Inadequate reporting and discrepancies with what is charted may be apparent. The nurse does just enough to get by with increased complaints from other nurses, doctors, or patients. When challenged, the nurse may offer implausible excuses for behavior or become defensive. Behavior changes may include mood fluctuation, sleeping on the job, or isolation. The nurse may have a chaotic home life or feel picked on at work. They may over react emotionally with snapping out or disproportionate crying.
Signs of diversion can be subtle. The nurse may volunteer to administer medications for others or hold the narcotics keys/count. Their patients receive more PRN pain medications but report non-effective pain relief. There may be frequent reports of lost or wasted medications. Medications should be checked for tampering such as torn packets, missing vial tops, puncture holes, and uneven fluid levels. This nurse may request to work in an area of high pain medication administration. If injecting at work, there may be blood spots on clothes.
Physical signs of use or withdrawal include hand tremors, headache, diaphoresis, abdominal/muscle cramps, diarrhea, nausea, irritability, or restlessness. These may disappear with use and are usually evident in the later stages of addiction. The problem with these indicators of addiction is that they can also be signs of psychological problems. Regardless, these behaviors impair clinical judgment and put patients at risk.
Workplace access should also be considered in the picture. Experience and knowledge may not be enough to protect healthcare workers. A study by Trinkoff et al. looked at the relationship between prescription type drug misuse and workplace access. They found that drug abuse rates of healthcare workers are comparable to the public, but prescription type misuse is higher. The 1994 study looked at three main points. They were perceived availability of a controlled substance, frequency of administration, and degree of control. The results showed that nurses, who used daily and had easier perceived access with poor control, had 2x greater odds of using. As the index for access rose, so did misuse (Trinkoff et al., 1999).
Drug addiction in nursing is based on a medical model. Dabney looked at the social science perspective and feels it is a blend of both. Peer influence with acceptance of lesser deviant behavior and exposure to that mentality influence outcomes. In his study, he found that group norms for stealing in the healthcare profession were pervasive. This included stealing of supplies, over the counter drugs, and nonnarcotic prescription drugs. These were witnessed even more frequently than self-reported. Most rationalized or condoned this behavior. They, however, looked down on narcotic diversion and use. He felt that work group norms are linked strongly to attitudes and that they influences the overall environment for more deviant behavior (Dabney, 1995).
Burke points out that most diverters are users, not sellers. But most use at work. The methods of substitution of the drug with another liquid or split shots are two methods where there is no waste discrepancy. This makes these methods hard to detect (Burke, 1999). Not all diverters are users. Tranbarger (1997) describes a nurse who would go to the pharmacy to restock the narcotics. On the way back to the unit, she would go to the restroom, pocket the meds, and discard the paperwork. She took the drugs home for her boyfriend.
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we know Kim Stewart is wound pretty tight......she's posted over and over about her problems with other nurses......her bad attitude when her mistakes are pointed out......her sense of entitlement......her depression......and her history of self medicating with alcohol and marijuana...........
and we all know all about Nurse Kim's boyfriend Tim Haugen aka ATM, don't we??.....we've been hearing about it for years........and we all know how Kim Stewart looooooooooooooves drug addicts!!!
Morphine is a Schedule II controlled substance.....
Schedule II Controlled Substances
Substances in this schedule have a high potential for abuse which may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence.
Examples of single entity schedule II narcotics include morphine and opium. Other schedule II narcotic substances and their common name brand products include: hydromorphone (Dilaudid®), methadone (Dolophine®), meperidine (Demerol®), oxycodone (OxyContin®), and fentanyl (Sublimaze® or Duragesic®).
Examples of schedule II stimulants include: amphetamine (Dexedrine®, Adderall®), methamphetamine (Desoxyn®), and methylphenidate (Ritalin®). Other schedule II substances include: cocaine, amobarbital, glutethimide, and pentobarbital.
has Kim Stewart stolen drugs from other hospitials?........probably.......did she walk out of Providence St. Peter Medical Center in Olympia with morhpine in her pocket?.........YES.....FOR SURE......DEFINATELY.....how do i know?...because she SAID SO HERSELF.........
http://www.relationshiprecoverynetwork.com/forum/advsearch?q=morphine&searchuser=briseis&exactname=1&childforums=1&limit=5
| 29 Mar 2011 15:12 | |
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| Briseis | |
