According to research conducted by Lisa Merlo, PhD, a researcher at the University of Florida’s Center for Addiction Research and Education and published in the Journal of Addiction Medicine, while doctors abuse alcohol or drugs at about the same rate as the general public, they’re five times as likely to abuse prescription drugs.[1] There are…
[Note to Reader: This is “Part Two” in a 2-part blog-post. Please go to Archives for “Part One.”] In seeking to maximize patient safety, all U.S. states offer some form of an “impaired healthcare professionals program” aimed at assisting doctors, nurses and others in the healthcare field who’re struggling with a substance use disorder to…
The Challenges Addicted Doctors & Nurses Face Require Specialized Diagnosis and Treatment – PART ONE Most people in the U.S. consider doctors and nurses to be representatives of healthy habits and lifestyles, and indeed research has shown that assumption is generally true. Those in the healthcare field tend to smoke less and exercise more.[1] However,…
Most people would agree: Being a healthcare worker—especially during the current COVID-19 pandemic—isn’t a career for the faint of heart. Doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals shoulder a lot of responsibility and regularly work in demanding, high-pressure environments. (I can’t imagine a more stressful place to work, these days, than a hospital or medical clinic.)…
When looking at the rate of substance use disorder among specific physician careers, anesthesiology is one of the most affected medicine specialties. On the surface, one could readily say this is due to the regularity with which they’re overworked and have easier access to addictive drugs. But anesthesiologists face other challenges, as well. Since the…
It should go without saying that nurses who have an untreated substance use disorder (addiction to alcohol or drugs) are not only endangering themselves, but their patients, as well. One of the key words in this statement is “untreated.” Why? Because untreated implies addiction is treatable. Indeed, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse,…
According to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, the percentage of nurses in the U.S. who have a substance use disorder (i.e., dependence on alcohol and/or drugs) is about 10%, similar to the percentage of the general population.[1] Given the large number of nurses working in the field—approximately 4 million[2]—this rate of addiction…
If you’re a doctor, nurse or other healthcare professional in the process of completing (or have just completed) treatment for a substance use disorder (i.e., alcohol and/or drug dependence), you’ve very likely heard a trumpet blaring in your ear about the importance of… aftercare! Indeed, given the medical establishment does not currently have a cure…
Given the stereotype that’s floated around for decades—”most nurses are women”—turns out to have statistics to back it up (per Health Career Institute figures, 9 out of 10 RNs are female)[1], it likely would prove beneficial for those treating healthcare professionals for addiction to consider a 2019 Vanderbilt University study’s findings about women and addiction.…
How to Identify and Help a Health Care Professional with a Substance Use Disorder – PART TWO [Note to Reader: This post is “Part Two” of a 2-part blog-post. “Part One” is stored in the blog archives, and is recommended reading prior to this post.] If you’re a doctor or you’ve been a part of…