Substance Use in Registered Nurses: Where Legal, Medical, and Personal Collide

Foli, Karen J.; Reddick, Blake; Zhang, Lingsong; Edwards, Nancy

doi:10.1016/s2155-8256(19)30115-2

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…The current study is part of an investigation of Indiana nurses ( n = 1,478) focused on SU in nursing; additional findings have been and will be reported elsewhere (Foli et al, 2019). The online survey consisted of multiple single-item questions and validated tools, including measurement of the SU outcome variable via the WHO ASSIST (World Health Organization: The Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test; WHO ASSIST Working Group, 2002).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…We believe that this mode of data collection decreased factors, such as social desirability, and increased a sense of safety and anonymity in the disclosures forwarded by nurses who were experiencing SUDs as well as those peers who worked alongside them. We believe there is an interplay of individual, regulatory, organizational, criminal justice, and mental health/medical actors when understanding nurses’ experiences with SUDs (Foli, Reddick, Zhang, & Edwards, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Substance Use in Registered Nurses: “I Heard About a Nurse Who . . .”

Foli

Reddick

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et al. 2019

J Am Psychiatr Nurses Assoc

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BACKGROUND: Estimates of substance use (SU) in nurses is on par with that of the general population: between 6% and 8%. However, collecting sensitive information such as SU is difficult based on social desirability and fears of disclosure. AIMS: Part of a larger study surrounding nurses’ self-reports of SU ( n = 1,478), the purpose was to explore open-ended responses of nurses ( n = 373) who were invited to “Please add any additional comments related to substance or alcohol use that you have experienced or witnessed in registered nurses.” METHOD: This qualitative study employed a content analysis of 373 nurses’ open-ended responses collected via an online survey. RESULTS: The majority of nurses ( n = 250) forwarded comments that described SU in other nurses, while 24 comments reflected the nurse’s past or current SU. Content analysis revealed the following four themes: (1) differing social network proximity to SU; (2) individual process: vulnerability to adaptive/maladaptive coping resulting in positive and negative outcomes; (3) bedside, system, and organizational spaces and effects; and (4) there are no SU issues in nursing. CONCLUSIONS: Although direct reports of SU constitute approximately one quarter of the comments forwarded, nurses reported peers’ struggles with SU, including observing nurses working in patient care while impaired and the use of substances to cope with work and personal stressors. Individual factors and system-related failures appear to be contributors to SU in nurses.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%