NR449 Evidence Matric Table: Description of Findings

Impaired Nurses
Institution:
Course:
Date:
Introduction
Health care delivery is dependent on a number of factors and one of them is the professionalism of the nurses. In most of the cases, the skills of the nurses play a vital role in the health outcome of the patients. However, the skills among the nurses are not the only thing that has to be considered when it comes to the outcomes of the patients. One other aspect to consider is the professionalism. This relates to acting and performing nursing duties to the best of the nursing codes and values. It has become a common practice among some of the nurses to chip away at the values of nursing by engaging in the use of drugs even when they are on duty (Kathy & Stephanie, 2011). The basic premise is that, the nurses are well versed with the knowledge of the body and as such they are in a position to understand the interaction between their bodies and the drugs and hence able to control their use. However, it is more common that most of the nurses will develop addictions (Smith, 2014). Nurses that work under the influence of drugs are largely referred to as impaired nurses. Relative to the fact that, these nurses tend to increase the chances of poor health outcomes; it is important that they are treated through rehabilitative means to recover. The purpose of this study was to establish the best ways to rehabilitate impaired nurses, helping them to recover from their addiction.
Description of Findings
To achieve the purpose of the paper, research materials were evaluated and programs that best fit in with the objectives reviewed. Kathy Bettinardi-Angres and Stephanie Bologeorges, in the research Addressing Chemically Dependent Colleagues, address a central idea that would best be applicable in helping impaired nurses recover at the place of work (Kathy & Stephanie, 2011). According to the authors present data from a quantitative study, where confronting and reporting colleagues that are addicted to drugs helps with the reducing the incidences and helps those that are addicted remaining sober. The study presented some significant results with reference to the statistics of the nurses that use drugs in the first and second phase of the study (Kathy & Stephanie, 2011).
‘Of the 55 nurses, 11 used only alcohol (20.0%); 25 used only drugs other than alcohol; and 19 used both alcohol and other drugs (34.5%). Thus, 80% were using at least one substance illegally. Additionally, 22 nurses were I.V. drug users (40.0%), and all but two used syringes from their workplace. Of the 55 nurses, 40 used substances that could readily be obtained from their workplaces, such as hydrocodone, Demerol, and Percocet. Of these 40 nurses, 26 were diverting drugs from their workplace.’ (Kathy & Stephanie, 2011)
The nurses also cited that they would find it hard to confront their peers if they found out that they were using drugs. (Kathy & Stephanie, 2011) However, an estimate of more than 80% of the nurses indicated that they were comfortable with reporting their peers if they found that they were using drugs in the place of work. Specifically, they said that they would report their peers to the supervisor if they sus...