Nova Southeastern University Current Issue the Impaired Nurse in Healthcare Essay

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Health Medical

Nova Southeastern University

Description

Create a 6- to 8-page paper in APA format including a minimum of 4 to 5 references. Explain how you would lobby your legislators or local government for funds to support your issue or trend. Include the following elements in your paper: share why you chose the specific topic, the current relevance of material, how it is integrated into clinical practice, and how the information is used in clinical setting.


The impaired nurse is the current issue/trend topic

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Explanation & Answer

Attached.

The Impaired Nurse, Outline
Nature of the issue


According to Westrick (2014), impaired nurses are those that cannot practice the required
standards because of a physical or mental disability. Nurses become impaired when they
become dependent on alcohol, drugs, and chemical substances. Impairment takes a
specific pattern in a nurse. From the start, the effects are not harmful. As the nurse grows
in their dependency, the effects start manifesting.

Signs and symptoms of an impaired nurse


Impaired nurses are distinguished from the others owing to the symptoms they manifest.
Some of the symptoms of impaired nurses include;



Errors involving judgment – nurses make erratic decisions because they are not sound
physically and mentally. A nurse would end up giving a patient a wrong prescription.

Why this topic is important


A nurse is a crucial element in the healthcare system. Patients depend on the nurses and
other medical practitioners for their well-being when they fall ill. A patient fully trusts
the hospital and its medical professionals to provide sufficient medical care to make them
well again. Medical practitioners have an obligation to their patients to provide them with
the best medical services possible.

Current relevance


According to Jeanmonod and Jeanmonod (2018), nurses' dependency on alcohol and
drugs is at around 10%. The United States, for instance, has over four million nurses.
There are over 400000 nurses with a dependency on alcohol and drugs using this
percentage. The figures are astonishing. In perspective, a patient has got a 10% chance of

getting into the hands of an impaired nurse. It means that a patient has a 10% chance of
falling victim to an impaired judgment of a nurse.
Integration to clinical practice


Clinical practice puts nurses at the disposal of patients every moment of their time.
Nurses handle patients more often than other healthcare providers. Their workload has
increased over the years, and their roles expanded quite significantly. Nurses are under
more pressure to carry out tasks that were traditionally meant for doctors.

Clinical setting


In a clinical setting, nurses and other healthcare providers must meet the needs of the
code of ethics in their practice. Nurses must be up to the stipulated standards that govern
the practice. For these standards to be upheld, the nurses must be sober and under no
external influence that may be harmful to their productivity at work. However, impaired
nurses work in the clinical setting, and that state influences actions that are harmful to
their practice (Cooper, In Cooper, and Gosnell, 2018).

Funding


An impaired nurse is a danger to themselves, colleagues, and patients. Action needs to be
done to discourage abuse of drugs by nurses, and rehabilitating those in the deep of it.
Funding is essential because it will facilitate various actions.

References


Books and articles


Running head: THE IMPAIRED NURSE

1

THE IMPAIRED NURSE
Name:
Institution affiliation:
Date:

THE IMPAIRED NURSE

2

Th...


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