Related: Addiction, Drug Addiction

I have been a nurse for 15 plus years and was busted halfway through my career for stealing narcotics that were never wasted as a pediatric ER nurse in some of the top ER hospitals in the nation and then later receiving a well deserved felony for writing fraudulent scripts and then doing two years in jail walking out with a destroyed career and nothing [...]

Related: Addiction, Drug Addiction, drug screening

I have been a nurse for over a decade and I have worked in a variety of settings throughout my career and one thing I have found to be a universal need within our profession is education about addiction, how to handle it whether it be a patient or one of our own and how to prescribe possible needed medication to that individual. I have [...]

Related: board of nursing, California, Drug Addiction, DUI

Whether or not you have ever had any work related issues, a DUI conviction results in an accusation from the BRN and they attempt to impose very severe disciplinary action on your license, and presume that the licensee is in need of alcohol rehabilitation. If this has happened to you, stay calm and read very carefully the basis for the charges. Remember, they are not [...]

Related: Addiction, Drug Addiction, drug screening

I had surgery a year ago. I occasionally take Oxycontin. my new boss knows about the surgery. The medical reviw Dr. Called and said Oxycontin came up in my urine and wanted to know if I had a script. I said yes and gave him the pharmacy phone no. and the prescription no. and the reason, although he didn't ask for the reason. He said [...]

Related: Addiction, Drug Addiction, Failure, Felony

I was a pediatric ER/Trauma nurse working on a travel assignment in Pittsburgh when I was caught diverting medication.  After I was confronted by the director of the emergency department, I was immediately released from my contract, asked for my badge, and escorted to the door.

Looking back, I realized I could have died.  They should have held me in the hospital-or at least offered me [...]

Related: Addiction, Confidence, Delegation, Drug Addiction, Failure, Fear, Goals, Mistake, NCLEX, Nurse Relationships, Orientee, Perfect Nurse, Stress

As we come to the end of 2008, I thought it would be good for us to do a little RealityRN review.  You know, think about the good, the bad, and the ugly of a year almost gone.

I spent some time reviewing what the "hot topics" have been.  We certainly have covered a lot of ground--that's for sure.  We've talked about drug addiction, the NCLEX [...]

Related: Addiction, Anxiety, Drug Addiction, Embarrassing Moment, NCLEX, Stress

Google is a wonderful thing.

I had been having this weird gunk in my mouth for a few weeks and had no idea what it was. Nor did I want to mention it to anyone because it seemed so bizarre and embarrassing.

So I went to Google. I typed in "white stringy mucous in mouth." (Too much information, I know, but hang in there with [...]

Related: Addiction, Balance, Caregivers, Drug Addiction, Fear, Healthy Living, Nurse Support

“I thought having knowledge of addiction protected me from developing an addiction.

“I thought I was immune,” says Patricia Holloran, RN.

But she was wrong. A recovering drug addict, Holloran has become a strong advocate for other nurses facing the same struggle.

Most nurses think they will never fall into addiction, but, according to Holloran, even as healthcare professionals, nurses are vulnerable.

Look around your unit: You may [...]

Related: Abuse, Addiction, Anger, Caregivers, Compassion Fatigue, Drug Addiction, DUI, Education, Emotions, Failure, Felony, Management, Mistake, Nurse Support, Perfect Nurse, Stereotypes, Stress, Success, Support, Weaknesses

Addiction: it’s a moral issue, right? Whoever starts abusing a drug is a bad person, making a bad choice, and should be punished. At the very least, they should be able to quit on the spot.

But it’s not that simple. According to Dr. Linda Barile, APRN, and advocate for nurses who are addicts, we need to stop blaming them and instead support them through recovery.

Here [...]

Related: Addiction, Anxiety, Drug Addiction, Healthy Living, Mistake, Nurse Support, Stereotypes

Drug addiction? That could never happen to me!

I wish that were the truth. I’m a nurse, and I certainly never thought I was vulnerable.

Not all nurses will develop the disease of addiction. But for many nurses, addiction is real. Substance abuse in the nursing population is believed to parallel or be slightly higher than that in the general population: approximately 10%. And it very often [...]