Main description:

In this age of increasing headlines about drug addiction and prescription drug abuse, this book is a timely revelation of how the nursing profession is also impacted by substance abuse. It allows nurses, who are the most trusted profession in society, who have been hidden within their profession and living with substance use disorders, to openly voice their personal experiences with addiction. Seven nurses detail their journey through family dynamics, early use as nursing students and later career nurses as they traveled deeper and deeper into their addiction. They discuss their shame, humiliation and dejection under the throes of the compelling forces of drugs and alcohol. They also describe how their family, other nurses, the healthcare system, and society assisted them in perpetuating their deception and denial about their disease. They explain how they lied, stole and cheated those around them to maintain their addiction. Each explains in detail the confrontations and the "jolt" and "wake up call" it took for them to awaken, become sober and truly enter recovery. They are all candid and forthright in order to help others that are impacted by this horrific and complex disease. They each share how recovery is possible when appropriate attitudes and tools are put in place to support nurses suffering from the devastation of addiction. Their stories bring attention to the importance of intervention, treatment, and recovery communities within the nursing profession. Recovery is emphasized as a "gift" by each of these nurses. The nurses and the researcher provide suggestions and recommendations to assist the healthcare community in addressing addiction in nursing. This book reveals how recovery for nurses is a major public health benefit.

Contents:

SECTION I: JOURNEY OF THE HIDDEN AND FOUNDATION OF MY INTEREST..
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: A Trusted Hidden Population
Chapter 3: Personal Stance and Beliefs
Limitations Within this Manuscript
Definition of Terms
SECTION II: ADDICTION AND HEALTHCARE
Chapter 4: History of Substance Abuse and the Healthcare Professional
Addiction and Substance Use Disorders in the 1800s and early 1900s
From Addiction to Substance Use Disorders
Prescription Drug Abuse, America's Epidemic
Substance Abuse as An Occupational Hazard
Chapter 5: Nurses and Substance Use Disorders
Substance Abuse, an Occupational Hazard for Nurses
Chapter 6: Nursing Students and Nursing Schools
SECTION III: NURSES AND RECOVERY
Chapter 7: Nurses in Recovery
Identification and Intervention
Chapter 8: Successful Support and Recovery Systems
Recovery Expounded
SECTION IV: A QUALITATIVE STUDY: THE MEAN, METHOD AND METHODOLOGY
Chapter 9: Narrative Inquiry
Population and Recruitment
Chapter 10: Data Collection
Artifacts
Ethical Considerations
SECTION V: THE VOICES: THE DYNAMICS AND SUFFERINGS OF ADDICTION
Chapter 11: The Nurses
Chapter 12: Family Dynamics and Patterns
Family History of Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Early Drug and Alcohol Use During Childhood Years
Chapter 13: Substance Use Disorders in Nursing Education and Within the Nursing Profession
Drug and Alcohol Use in Nursing School and Early Career
Lack of Knowledge and Education About Addiction
Self-Medication, Work Stress, and Access
Addiction Compulsions, Solitary Suffering, and Spiritual Malady
Chapter 14: Illusions and Secrets of the Nurse Professional
Deceptions and Unrealistic Views of the Addicted Nurse
Emotionalism, Dejection, and the Need for Self-Care
Denial, Shame, and Secrecy Perpetuated by The Stigma of Addiction
Chapter 15: Confrontational "Crisis" and the "Wake-up Call"
The Wake-Up Call
Chapter 16: Recovery: Spiritual Awakenings and Recovery Communities
Surrender and Healing
Spiritual Reckoning and Moments of Clarity
Sobriety Challenges and the "Gift of Recovery"
Essential Personal and Community Support Systems
SECTION VI: THE DISCOVERIES: RESULTS AND INTERPRETATIONS
Chapter 17: Five Major Results
Result One-Family History and Patterns of Early Alcohol and Drug Use "Set the Stage" for Later Substance Use Disorders
Result Two-Workplace Stress and Access Without Appropriate Self-Care Training and Education about Substance Use Disorders Negatively Impact the Nursing Profession
Result Three. The Stigma Surrounding Substance Use Disorders Hinder Nurses from Acknowledging Their Addiction and Managers from Providing Necessary Support
Result Four. A "Crisis" or "Wake-up-Call" is Necessary to Provide the Transformation or Moment of Reckoning Needed to Jolt a Nurse out of Addiction into Recovery
Result Five. Nurse Addicts Can Recover and Lead Sober and Productive Lives if They Are a Part of Recovery Communities to whom They Are Accountable
Chapter 18: Foundational Elements to Recovery
SECTION VII: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Chapter 19: Conclusion
What Stories do Nurses Tell About Their Personal Experiences with Substance Use and Abuse During Various Stages of Their Career?
What Stories do Nurses, Who Have Successfully Dealt with Substance Use Disorders, Tell About Their Recovery?
How do Nurses Describe the Systems of Support Within the Healthcare Setting that Helped Them Address Their Substance Use Disorder?
Chapter 20: Recommendations and Final Observations
Recommendations for Nurse Educators, Administrators, and Healthcare Agencies
Recommendations for Future Research
Index..........................................................................................................
About the Author............................................................................................