...Jackie: The Impaired Nurse The case scenario portrayed Jackie, as a typical nurse who was conflicted and stressed out from both the demands of family and of the workplace environment. At home, she was pressured by her husband to take on extra overtime to supplement and augment the family income. Thus, in spite of feeling that her skills were not current, Jackie signed on with her previous hospital to be on the flexible staffing pool (Badzek, et al., 1998). As expected, “Jackie did find the work extremely stressful. She rarely had the same unit and patient assignment” (Badzek, et al., 1998). With the mounting stress imposed by the conditions at work, “Jackie began to divert narcotics. Jackie was able to justify her actions because she...
Words: 1001 - Pages: 5
...The impaired nurse Alcohol and drug dependence affects all segments of the population and nurses are not an exception to the rule. There is a concern that is a growing number of nurses use substances for different reasons. There is not enough data and research on the exact count, statistically speaking. However, recent statistics in state Boards of Nursing clearly define an upward trend. The American Nurses Association estimates that six to eight percent of nurse’s abuse drugs or alcohol. The two most common issues nurses have are access and availability. There are many reasons, nurses struggle with addictions. For the same reasons others do. It might be anxiety, depression or unintentional — caused from taking a prescription medication. However,...
Words: 1054 - Pages: 5
...like it or not. Nurses do not have the superpowers to deflect from such phenomenon. Nurses are actually more disposed to diverting drugs because they have access to the desired medications that is intended for their patients. Some have sought treatment for substance abuse and are continuing to strive to live every day sober. Some have the fear to come forward with their problems with the fear of losing their jobs or possibly revocation of their licenses (Kunyk and Austin 2011). Nurses are expected to act in a manner that is ethically and morally correct however for those who chooses to divert drugs for their own benefit, it is obvious that nothing or no one matters...
Words: 1355 - Pages: 6
...sign this law to protect the right and privacy of the patients. Before 1996 there were many issues that has rise the concerning of patient privacy. The HIPPA Act includes “Health insurance portability, fraud and abuse control, tax related provision, group health plan requirements, revenue offset provision, and administrative simplification requirements (Physicians Billing Associates International, 2006). The article that I had read was about a woman who was a nurse and started to use the narcotic from the patient and it was also between an individual’s right to privacy. It shows the process of which the administrator determines a course of action is reviewed but his context of workplace realities through an ethical analysis. This article was about a woman named Jackie that was a nurse and she was overwhelmed with her job. She tried talking to her husband but was convinced to continue working because who pay check was making their saving grow extremely large. To make her husband happy she continues to work as a nurse. She was working in different units that she started to use the narcotic that were prescribing to the patient that she was caring for. She started to take the patient pain medications that weren’t asking for their medications. Then Jackie started to replace the medications with the saline. Jackie had an addiction to pain medication. The administrative Michelle found out because Jackie was working in the surgical unit and the pharmacist had notice there was errors...
Words: 1647 - Pages: 7
...changing. Every action made, by the nurse, she must maintain accountability and take responsibility for all decision made. Ensure that efficient and effective care is provided to protect the hospital and the patient within her care. Within this realm of her responsibility, she must also function under the law and her nursing code of ethics. To practice within the law, and the code of ethics, decisions are more difficult with the evolving medical technology and expanding autonomy scope of practice. As the role of nursing changes, there have also been an increasing number of implications in medical malpractice cases, concerning nurses, when in the past most of these cases are, referred to physicians. Some of the causes for the nurses’ implication is because they work long hours, the stressful work environment, and the decreased staffing. With all of these added stressors related to the profession, an indicator that have been a factor and prominent problems for some of the nurses’ malpractice suits is impairment on duty. With this dilemma, what would you do if you discovered a co-worker or very close friend that was impaired by drugs or alcohol? A moral turmoil presents, as what to do with the situation, once you suspected. What would be even harder if the one you suspected was a friend and then confronting him/ her? Estimated that approximately 20% of nurses are chemically dependent and working while impaired. One out of every five nurses have problems with addiction....
Words: 472 - Pages: 2
...There are many issues that arise when the patient privacy is concerned. In August of 1996, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) were passed into law (Van der Aa, 2000). The law is intended to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the health care system by standardizing how to exchange data for specific administrative and financial transactions, while protecting the security and confidentiality of that information (Van der Aa, 2000). The areas addressed for HIPPA are: • Concerns that disclosure of patient medical records could result in embarrassment, insurance declination, loss of employment, or failure to be hired in a new job; • Increasing costs of data exchange in an incompatible and often competing standards environment to exchange administrative and financial data; • Implement processes and systems to reduce fraud (Van der Aa, 2000). HIPPA was signed into law, to help create a standard that will protect patient’s medical records and personal health records. This act is to help the health care employees have more control of a patient’s information and its privacy. This act also gives the patient the right to control their own information. Apart from the right to inspect, amend and correct their confidential health information, patients now have the right to control what information can be released and to whom (Van der Aa, 2000). The following case study is an opportunity to review ethical issues relative to confidentiality. This case...
Words: 1750 - Pages: 7
...Substance abuse occurs across all occupations, generations, and cultures. About 1 in 10, of all nurses, is either practicing while impaired or currently in recovery for the abuse of drugs or alcohol (Thomas & Siela, 2011). Substance abuse rates by nurses mirror the rates of other occupations, therefore they are not at an increased risk, per se, however, their overall patterns of use are unique because of the easier access to controlled substances in the professional work environment (Tanga, 2011). Patient safety is threatened by nurses who divert drugs, and therefore, these nurses become a liability to their employers. Healthcare facilities share a responsibility with nurse leaders to ensure a secure system is in place that will prevent medication...
Words: 2155 - Pages: 9
...regulatory agencies were created to help and guide nurses. There are numerous professional nursing organizations, many catering to a nurses personal career choice. As an Emergency Room Nurse belonging to the Emergency Nurses Association, one of the many professional nursing organizations, has proven to be an asset to my career. Their mission is to advocate for patient safety and excellence in the emergency nursing practice, (ENA 2015) which differs from the Board of Nursing. The Board of Nursing serves as a regulatory board, overseeing the practice and licensure of each nurse. Some professional nursing organizations, such as NSO, provide liability insurance to nurses. Other benefits of professional organizations may include free CE, preferred pricing on exams, resources, and networking. Being a member to both of the above organizations has given me peace of mind and continuous learning and growth in my nursing career. PNO functions are different from regulatory agency such as a regulatory agency has the power to revoke a nursing license or bring legal actions against a nurse but a PNO are mainly resources to enhance nurses. Every nurse is faced with the nursing code of ethic in their practice. An unethical nurse cannot practice nursing for very long or should. Nurses face ethical hurdles every shift, such as confidentiality and autonomous choices. Confidentiality is crucial to the patient and also to the reputation of a nurse. A nurse has access to...
Words: 1981 - Pages: 8
...The Research Problem, Purpose and Question Definition of a Research Problem A situation in need of a solution, improvement, or alteration; or a discrepancy between the way things are and the way they ought to be. Sources of Research Problems Nursing Practice Researcher and Peer Interaction Literature Review Theory Research Priorities Example of a Research Problem “Current policy at most hospitals requires the use of routine flushing of heparin locks after administration of medication or flushing heparin locks every 8 hours when not being used for medication administration. However, there is disagreement on whether flushes of low doses of heparin are necessary to maintain the patency of heparin locks. Heparin is known to be incompatible with many drugs. The interaction potential of heparin is said to be avoided by flushing the lock with normal saline injection before and after administration of the medication…Saline flush is a safe, time-saving procedure for nursing staff to perform. Additionally, the use of normal saline would save the cost of a heparin flush.” Definition of Research Purpose A purpose is a concise , clear statement of the specific goal or aim of the study. The purpose includes the variables, population, and setting for a study. Examples of a Research Purpose “The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of normal saline versus normal saline containing 10 U/mL of...
Words: 748 - Pages: 3
...Elder Abuse According to the National Research Council (2003) elder abuse is deliberate actions that cause injury or generate serious risk of harm to a vulnerable older adult by a caregiver or other person who is in charge of the elder. In the United States, 700,000 to 1.2 million of senior are exposed to abuse and there are 450,000 new cases yearly (Bond and Butler, 2013,p.). In fact, elder abuse and neglect is a serious health care matter that must be taken in consideration by health care providers and older adult family members. Specifically the most vulnerable to abuse and neglect amongst this population are elder persons, who are socially isolated, cognitively impaired, or dependent on others for daily personal care. Moreover, older adult is primarily abused, neglected or exploited by caregiver, mostly spouses, adult, children or other family members. Also, Personal care...
Words: 567 - Pages: 3
...in research today will change and evolve into new knowledge and understanding tomorrow or next year, creating new nursing diagnoses. These diagnoses developed by nurses emanates from NANDA-I, also known as, North American Nursing Diagnoses Association International with the goal of establishing and developing the initial terminology and the related taxonomic structure. NANDA-I is comprised of many volunteer nursing professionals and other organizations functioning collectively with the goal of developing and investigating the terminology and standards required in defining the nursing diagnoses that produce verified outcomes enabling a higher level of care and optimal health. A nursing diagnosis utilizes critical...
Words: 694 - Pages: 3
...plan requirements, revenue offset provision, and administrative simplification requirements (Physicians Billing Associates International, 2006). The article that I had read was about a woman who was a nurse and started to use the narcotic from the patient. It shows the process in which an administrator determines the course of action that will be taken. Also the context of workplace realities through an ethical analysis. This article was about a woman named Jackie that was a nurse and she was overwhelmed with her job. She tried talking to her husband but was convinced to continue working because who pay check was making their saving grow extremely large. To make her husband happy she continues to work as a nurse. She was working in different units that she started to use the narcotic that were prescribing to the patient that she was caring for. She started to take the patient pain medications that weren’t asking for their medications. Then Jackie started to replace the medications with the saline. Jackie had an addiction to pain medication. The administrative Michelle found out because Jackie was working in the surgical unit and the pharmacist had notice there was errors on the medication log sheet. Michelle had requested for the entire narcotic log sheet and the names of the nurses that were working on those days. Michelle had to inform Karen who was another administrative and explain to her...
Words: 1633 - Pages: 7
...purpose of this paper is to discuss information from a popular source on how bullying in nursing affects retention and having a major impact on the national nursing shortage. Summary of an Article The article selected for this assignment was published in September of 2002, in Health Affairs (Stevens, 2002). The author, Stevens (2002), focused on the retention of nurses being a problem contributing to the nursing shortage. The International Council of Nurses conference in Copenhagen in 2001 (as cited in Stevens, 2002), identified retention issues as being a major factor in the international nursing shortage. Stevens (2002), suggests that intimidation and the bullying of nurses by nurses and the management culture that dismisses it, as a major factor in retention of nurses. Stevens also suggests that intimidation is viewed as a minor annoyance, and how management improves the way in which this issue is addressed in nursing will be critical for the improvement of retention. Stevens reported that in a case study performed in an Australian teaching hospital found that the bullying culture was the main reason for nurses not wanting to stay at the hospital or in the nursing profession at all. Relationship to Nursing Workforce Trends Workplace bullying is prevalent in many organizations resulting in high turnovers, low productivity, and a negative organizational...
Words: 748 - Pages: 3
...professional standard has been breached. The process by which the administrator determines a course of action is reviewed in the context of workplace realities through an ethical analysis. The growth of information systems and the increased involvement of third parties in decision-making have created new issues regarding confidentiality and the release of sensitive information for health care personnel who are in a position of public trust. The issues facing nursing administrators are complex, and of particular concern are the conflicting demands of providing quality care with limited resources. The authors identify strategies to deal with the workplace issues that give rise to the potential for abuse as well as the strategies to support an impaired colleague who attempts to reenter the workforce (Badzek, Mitchell, Marra, & Bower, 1998). Introduction When asking the general public what health care ethics and health care privacy mean, most will relate that they are about protecting patients. Health care ethics and health care privacy do exist to protect patients and to ensure that care is delivered with moral and ethical standards. Health care ethics not only apply to patients, but to organizations as well. The rapidly changing world of health care is witnessing a growing need for institutional ethics that includes ethical employer-employee relations. The article cited in this paper highlights two managers that encounter an employee diverting narcotics on...
Words: 1365 - Pages: 6
...Title: The differences in Competencies between Nurses Prepared at ADN versus BSN level of Nursing with- Patient Case Scenario Name: Lu-Anna Godett Grand Canyon University: NRS-340V May 3rd, 2015 Nursing is a field that is constantly changing and evolving which makes it necessary for nurses to grow and evolve with it. One of the ways to facilitate these changes is through education. This paper will take a look at the difference in competencies of an Associates Degree and a Bachelorette Degree nurse. We also look at the differences in approach, and the roles that experience and skills play in the clinical decisions made by a BSN and an ADN prepared nurse by evaluating a clinical scenario of a BSN versus an ADN. Associate Degree Nursing This program takes about 2 to 3 years to complete, usually at a technical or community college. According to Ellis and Hartley (2008), this program was expected to put new nurses into the work field more quickly to help eliminate the nursing shortage. Mildred Montag designed the ADN in 1952 as an alternative to typical college education. Creasia (2011) states that Montag’s intent was that ADN nurses would work under the direct supervision of BSN level nurses. Bachelor Degree Nursing This degree is completed in a 4-year college or University. The first school to introduce this program was the University of Minnesota in 1909. Bachelorette nursing programs teach basic nursing skills along with concepts of health...
Words: 913 - Pages: 4
