Sometimes, the nurse uses a.
patient's medication themselves instead of giving it to the patient.
(Borkowski 2).
The typical profile for a diverting nurse is that he or she has the.
reputation of being the best nurse on the floor. He or she is always.
willing to work extra shifts and always willing to stay late or come in.
early. He or she may also frequently want to be involved in drug counts.
This nurse may sign out more drugs than his or her peers on a regular.
basis. The diverting nurse also may have more personal or family.
problems than others. He or she may be experiencing a divorce, health.
problems, or death or illness in the family (Fink 9-11). The highest.
number of chemically impaired nurses occur in the critical care.
departments (Danis 2). Emergency care workers are 3.5 times more likely.
than other nurses to use marijuana or cocaine. Oncology and.
administration nurses are twice as likely to engage in binge drinking.
(Nursing 66). Also, nurses with greater exposure to controlled substances.
have a greater incidence of abuse (Danis 3).
"It is important to remember that the workplace is usually the last.
place for the addiction to be discovered since health professionals.
typically conceal their addiction in the workplace in order to maintain.
their supply of the drug" (Griffith 21). It is difficult to spot a nurse with a.
problem until it becomes very serious. As stated above, the health.
professional tries hard to conceal their problem, so this is one barrier to.
diagnosing a problem. There are ways that you can spot someone with a.
problem though. Subtle changes such as weight loss, decline in personal.
hygiene, and deteriorating appearance are the first indicators that there.
is a problem (Danis 6). There are more obvious clues as well that can be.
easily spotted. These may include slurred speech, tremors, and the smell.
of alcohol on the breath. (Danis 6). .
There are some indicators of impairment related to job.
performance.