Nursing

Keep an eye on your colleagues’ health

Staff Development Weekly: Insight on Evidence-Based Practice in Education, December 22, 2005

Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to Staff Development Weekly: Insight on Evidence-Based Practice in Education!

The following signs may be an alert that someone is abusing narcotics. Remember that someone can exhibit these signs and not be abusing narcotics:

  • Reluctance to have a physical exam
  • Forgets to perform routine duties
  • Decline in documentation quality
  • Has unpredictable mood swings
  • Isolates him or herself socially
  • Screams, shouts, or throws tantrums
  • Contradicts his or her own orders
  • Challenges department policies and procedures
  • Is unusually solicitous of patients, families, supervisors
  • Becomes defensive when questioned about errors or poor patient care
  • Personal grooming declines
  • Skin changes in tone and integrity around face and arms
  • Smells of alcohol, or has bloodshot eyes
  • Has hand tremors
  • Has unexplained absences
  • Frequently checks narcotics supply and orders items from pharmacy
  • Takes a break or visits a restroom after accessing narcotics

Any time you or your colleagues are visibly impaired, whether it's from fatigue or possible abuse, report it immediately to your supervisor or the patient safety contact. If you have concern about a physician in your organization, all states have a physician health program within their physician state societies. These usually allow anyone to contact them with a concern, patients included. Also, every Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) accredited hospital should have a physician health program as part of their JCAHO standards compliance that performs the same function..

For additional information on addiction treatment, visit the Addiction Recovery Institute Web site at www.detox24.com or call 212/223-3600.

Editor's note: The above excerpt is from the online course, "Patient Safety for Health Care Staff: Keeping your facility safe and sound." For more information on this and other courses in our library, go to www.hcprofessor.com.



Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to Staff Development Weekly: Insight on Evidence-Based Practice in Education!

Most Popular

Related Articles