Substance Abuse In Nursing Essay

A pervasive idea of nurses is that they are invincible. Nurses work long hours on their feet doing strenuous intellectual and physical activity. They often work through pain and injury that occurred in the hospital. What happens that pain becomes unbearable? Many nurses cringe at the idea of taking time off work to heal. Unfortunately, some of these nurses turn to a perilous relief that is readily available in most healthcare settings: narcotics. Others may turn to alcohol. This vicious cycle of secretive substance dependence is often not immediately detected. This is not only due to the addicted nurse’s initial ability to maintain a normal amount of productivity but also to the nurse’s colleagues’ willingness to ignore such trepidations. Some
The rates of substance abuse among nurses were found to be similar to those of the general population. Kunyk (2015) concluded that although nurses thought those suffering from a substance abuse disorder should receive aid through their employers, support for these nurses was inefficient.
The most frightening truth about substance abuse in the nursing community is that it could happen to anyone. Those nurses who suffer from drug addiction are often embarrassed and dread appearing weak. As a healthcare community, everyone must work together to abolish the idea that only degenerates suffer from addiction. This way, nurses will not feel shame in admitting they need help in rehabilitation. The nursing community should support its own kind and create an atmosphere of transparency in order to keep its standards elevated. This is the only way to keep nurses licenses intact and prevent patient