Substance abuse is a serious concern in the nursing profession. The American Nurses Association estimates the 10% to 20% of nurses have substance abuse problems. Chemical dependency is considered a disease that requires treatment. Early identification and treatment of the chemically dependent healthcare worker is important for the safety of the public and for the well-being of the nurse and her profession. We can no longer afford to ignore, ostracize, or punish nurses who have this progressive and fatal disease. In this article we will learn more about addiction as a disease, and what recovery really is.
Addiction is a disease. The definition of a disease is "anything that interferes with the ability of a human to function normally." A disease causes its own signs and symptoms. Like any other disease, addiction is progressive and predictable. It only gets worse without treatment affecting more systems with increasing severity. Even is an addict is clean and sober for many years, the disease itself is still progressive. Symptoms that haven’t been observed for many years return as soon as the addict relapses. They pick up right where they left off, no matter how much time has gone
the health and safety of the public. If a nurse agrees to participate in the program, she/he is immediately withdrawn from practice and does not return to work until safe practice can be assured. Once the nurse returns to practice, she/he is monitored for a specific period of time.
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