A registered nurse is discovered stealing a patient's narcotic medication for personal use. Which of the following is most likely to happen to the nurse?

Question

a. The nurse can be sued by the patient for pain and suffering (because the patient did not get the medication prescribed).
b. The nurse who shows acceptance of a drug problem may be allowed limited practice under supervision while undergoing treatment and monitoring.
c. The nurse will go to jail like any criminal caught stealing.
d. The nurse will lose employment, as well as the license allowing professional practice.

Answer 1

ANS: B
Physicians, nurses, dentists, and pharmacists are vulnerable to substance abuse; alcohol or narcotic use is most common. Their increased access to drugs, belief in pharmaceutical solutions, and work-related stress place them at increased risk for substance abuse. Typically, they gain access to drugs through their work settings by diverting medications for their own use or by abusing drugs obtained by prescription. State regulatory boards discover the abuse by these health care professionals after drug theft or when the effects of their substance abuse impair their professional functioning. Most states have rehabilitation programs for health care professionals that consist of treatment and monitoring. They are allowed to retain their professional licenses during treatment. The threatened loss of their professional license to practice may be a good motivator to break through their denial of the problem and encourage them to seek treatment.