Substance abuse among healthcare professionals is a unique challenge that our society faces today in that this harmful behavior not only affects the substance abuser, and his loved ones but also the patients that he cares for (CODA report, 2009). While substance abuse among physicians, nurses, dentists, and pharmacists can affect their personal life, it is also linked to medical errors, liability and a decline in patient safety (McBeth & Ankel, 2006).
Kristen Diane Parker, a former surgical technician at Rose Medical Center, admitted to stealing syringes filled with Fentanyl, a strong narcotic, and replacing them with used saline syringes (Mucci, 2009). Parker is said to have contracted Hepatitis C through using heroin and sharing dirty needles in 2008. She is said to have caused possible Hepatitis C exposure to thousands of patients (Spellman, 2009). The Denver Post reports that there have been 20 confirmed cases of patients who have contracted Hepatitis C as a result of this case (Mucci, 2009).
Over the past year, a rising number of nurses have come to receive help at Peer Assistance Services in Denver, Colorado, a nonprofit organization focused on providing quality, accessible prevention and intervention services in workplaces for substance abuse and related issues. Rebecca Heck, BSN, RN, MPH, program director of the Nursisng Peer Health Assistance program at Peer Assistance Services, says that the problem of substance abuse among healthcare professionals reflects that of the general public, and isn't necessarily increasing just because Peer Assistance Services is seeing a rise in the number of nurses seeking help (Mucci, 2009). Rather an increase in the number of nurses seeking treatment for substance abuse may be attributed to the recent case surrounding Kristin Parker, the realization that substance abuse can have a profound negative impact on patient care and the importance of seeking help (Mucci, 2009).
"Nurses, risk managment, and nurse educators do all of this work to make hospitals safer for patients, but we are all missing this huge element; to make nurses [and all healthcare providers] safer to provide patient care," says Heck (Mucci, 2009).
Take a look at what Rebecca M. Mason, RN, CNS, CEAP and Daniel Becker, MD, MPH, MFA have to say on the subject: VIDEO http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfmLF1Ze1Qk
Resources:
McBeth, BD, & Ankel, FK. (2006). Dont ask, dont tell: substance use by resident physicians . Journal of Academic Emergency Medicine, 13(8), 893-895.
Mucci, K. (2009, August 3). More Nurses seek help for substance abuse. Nurse Manager Weekly, 9(30), Retrieved from http://www.strategiesfornursemanagers.com/content/236793/868.cfm
No comments:
Post a Comment