12 Working Nurse l WorkingNurse.com
February 17–March 23, 2020
n many workplaces, they're spo-
ken of only in whispered break-
room gossip and terse, cryptic
warnings from management:
staff nurses who've been accused of drug
diversion, been caught stealing narcotics or
who showed up to a 7 a.m. shift with alco-
hol on their breath.
The chances that you've had a colleague
who suffered from substance use disorder
(SUD) are greater than you might think.
The ANA estimates that 6 to 8 percent
of nurses use drugs or alcohol to an extent
that impairs their performance. A 2010
study in the Journal of Clinical Nursing cites
other estimates as high as 20 percent.
That's one in every five nurses!
Could you accurately identify a col-
league who's intoxicated in the workplace?
Would you know how and when to inter-
vene and what it takes to genuinely help?
Colleagues Under the Influence
Recognize the signs and know how to intervene when you are concerned
that a fellow nurse is working while impaired
By Tiffany Swedeen,
RN, BSN, CPRC/CPC
Illustration by Jasmin Mora
I
S P E C I A L R E P O R T P A R T T W O
EDITOR'S NOTE: If you missed part one, "The Unexpected Addict," please visit WorkingNurse.com
