There are approximately 4 million nurses actively working with patients in this country. In fact, there are roughly four times as many nurses as physicians. These men and women are on the front lines in hospitals, doctors’ offices, short- and long-term patient care facilities, and doing private duty. Due to several factors including long job hours, stress, and easy access, these healthcare professionals can develop addictions to any number of prescription and recreational drugs. Fortunately, addiction treatment for nurses is available and can help those with substance use disorder to conquer the addiction.
Factors Leading to Addiction Among Nurses
The job expectations in the nursing field are changing dramatically. Increasingly, workplaces are now asking nurses to take on roles that doctors previously exclusively filled. At the same time, budget cuts are causing staff reductions. These reductions leave those who still have jobs with an added burden of responsibilities.
Addiction treatment for nurses often becomes necessary because these hard-working professionals can gain easy access to several highly addictive substances such as opioids and benzodiazepines. The fact that they are very comfortable in the healthcare setting makes getting false prescriptions and administering drugs to themselves easier than it might be for a layperson. Finally, their ease in medical settings can sometimes lead to the illusion that they cannot succumb to the same downward spiral of addiction that affects many of their patients. For all of these reasons, addiction treatment for nurses is just as necessary as it is for anyone else suffering from substance abuse.
Signs That a Nurse Might Have a Drug Problem
Every person is different, and the signs of trouble can vary greatly. However, there are several red flags that you can watch for. You might need addiction treatment if you exhibit the following signs:
- You frequently ask to work extra hours or take on night or holiday shifts. During these less busy times, it can be easier to divert prescription drugs
- Frequently counting narcotics incorrectly
- No one is around to witness when you dispose of unused medications
- You try to be alone when counting out narcotics and anti-anxiety drugs
Addiction treatment for nurses is vitally important for two primary reasons. For one thing, a nurse who suffers from the disease of addiction needs and deserves the chance to heal. Failure to get treatment can lead to job loss, relationship difficulties, financial problems, physical and mental decline, and even death. In addition, an addicted nurse needs treatment because their addictive behavior puts the lives of their patients in danger. Caring for sick people while high can lead to slower reaction times, impaired judgment, mistakes, patient neglect, and even diversion of the medications meant for the patient.
Addiction treatment for nurses carries with it some unique challenges. After all, nurses are traditionally the caregivers, not the patients. It can be hard for them to take on the role of the person who needs help. Therefore, proper addiction treatment for nurses must involve gaining the person’s trust even more so than usual.
How Santé Center for Healing Can Help
Addiction treatment for nurses can present both the client and addiction professionals with some additional challenges. Even so, it is important to realize that a healthcare professional’s substance use disorder is, at its core, an addiction with the same characteristics, causes, and triggers that everyone else experiences. At Santé Center for Healing, a detox and addiction recovery center in Argyle, Texas, we address both the specialized and general nature of the addictions that nurses experience. For over 20 years, the Santé Center for Healing worked to make our professional health program the centerpiece of our treatment offerings. Built on a foundation of integrity, our goal is to provide addiction treatment that addresses all of the issues that contributed to the substance use disorder.
Unlike many other rehab programs, a client can enter ours at any stage. We offer the following proven interventions that will lead to a lasting recovery:
- Evaluation lasting three days
- Medically supervised detox lasting four to 10 days
- Residential treatment lasting 45-65 days or longer if needed
- Intensive outpatient lasting six months
- Transitional living lasting up to two years
Don’t let another day go by trying to hide your addiction as your life falls apart around you. Call the Santé Center for Healing today at 866-238-3154. We will help you take those first, all-important steps to a lasting recovery.