Complete the items below to respond to this week's discussion questions.
View the NCSBN Substance Use Disorder in Nursing - video
Read the NCSBN A Nurse's Guide to Substance Use Disorder in Nursing
Read the NCSBN Substance Use Disorder in Nursing Overview
Refer to the NCSBN Substance Use Disorder in Nursing: A Resource Manual and Guidelines for Alternative and Disciplinary Monitoring Programs
Read the scenario below.
Scenario: You are a new nurse working on an oncology unit. Your preceptor tells you that there is a nurse on the unit who always helps out and offers to give medications to patients that are not assigned to her. One day, your preceptor is absent and you are assigned to work with that nurse. One of your patients requests pain medications, but the nurse gives it to them because you were busy with another patient. An hour later, you check on the patient who was in pain and ask them how they are feeling. The patient reports that he never received the medication, however, you notice that it is documented as given in the eMAR. You ask the nurse about this and she states that the patient is just confused and that he received the medication. Over the next few days, you notice similar behaviors and other actions from the nurse. Your suspicion is raised.
Initial Post: Using your own words, respond to the questions below.
What would you do next?
Explain your decision and consider the following: risk factors that increase the opportunity for substance use among nurses, signs and symptoms of the impaired nurse, legal consequences, and support for nurses who have an identified substance use problem
Response Posts: Review at least two peer's posts and provide constructive feedback that goes beyond agree or disagree.
Sample Solution