TV and Movies

[Stray]

I'm a retired nurse and tho I was compelled to watch the series, I felt it portrayed nurses in a bad light. Most of us don't pop pills or endanger patients but there are impaired nurses....not a funny thing...so for me, I want Jackie to lose everything, die or have an epiphany after an overdose.

[Annabellethecat66]

I have 2 sisters who are RN's and 2 nieces who are RN's.  They also each have specialities.

While it's true most nurses don't have drug issues, some do.  All of society right now is struggling with major drug issues, (i.e. Oxy, you name it).  Nurses have more access to it than the average person (as does Dr's).  I would venture to say Dr's have as much issue with drug problems (if not more) than nurses.  Let's include housewives, everyone.

My little sister watched nurse Jackie.  She took me to my back Dr several times so we were in the car for long distances.  We had some interesting conversations.  She explained to me the procedure when a nurse starts taking drugs and how she can continue her job and get help at the same time.

There were times when it was extremely upsetting and difficult to watch Nurse Jackie.  Entertainment (I think) is doing it's job when it causes a variation of emotions.  Nurse Jackie did that.

[Stray]

annabellethecat, I agree...I guess that is why I watched. As a nursing supervisor, I did encounter impaired nurses and they were nice people and good nurses before the addiction. The only thing I didn't like was the suggestion that impaired nurses worked at the level as "super nurse" while impaired. That is just not true, patients are in jeopardy while in the care of an addicted nurse...so that was one issue I couldn't get by. But, I loved the show because it does show how an impaired person manipulates loved ones, lies, cheats and in the end...they lose it all.

[Annabellethecat66]

Greenhouse, I guess nurses who are on drugs are (for want of a better word) double jeopardy.  The first would be, because they are intelligent (nt your regular 'druggie' they know how to manipulate really well and they have unbelievable access to the same drugs they are adicted to.

You are the person on the front line who is expected to keep things going (and I assume) are expected to spot any inproprieties.  I have a very good idea how difficult that must be.

[Stray]

Yes, annabellethecat, often the nurses are friends or people you work with on a daily basis....it seemed many were single mothers or troubled marriages and it was hard to "turn them in" so to speak but you always have to put patient safety first and they were taking patient's pain medication.....I live in a very nice condo and the first time we ever had a shooting in our building (which was scary) involved a resident, nurse involved with a drug transaction...a very young woman, who I understand was a cancer survivor...she is in jail. Her mother a school principal in Town and her dad, in law enforcement...

[Annabellethecat66]

Greenhouse, sorry. 

[I like celery]

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@Greenhouse wrote:
annabellethecat, I agree...I guess that is why I watched. As a nursing supervisor, I did encounter impaired nurses and they were nice people and good nurses before the addiction. The only thing I didn't like was the suggestion that impaired nurses worked at the level as "super nurse" while impaired. That is just not true, patients are in jeopardy while in the care of an addicted nurse...so that was one issue I couldn't get by. But, I loved the show because it does show how an impaired person manipulates loved ones, lies, cheats and in the end...they lose it all.

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@Stray

Do most hospitals have a "Diversion Program" that is similar to what Jackie took part in to keep her job (until she met with the Board)?  Since you watch Nurse Jackie, you know the All Saints Diversion Program required Jackie to undergo daily urine screening, and to not touch patients.  In general, do most hospitals have similar programs?

[Stray]

To my knowledge no, but I am retired and left the hospital 30 years ago but still worked in nursing until 2 years ago. It may depend on the State, your place of employment and type of work or if you committed a crime and/or endangered a patient. I have known impaired nurses who had their licenses suspended for 2 years for drug abuse. I did supervision in a hospital and would be reluctant to have an impaired nurse working with patients and narcotics daily and I never did have that situation. It would be a great liability and I don't see hospitals taking that chance. But, nurses may find work in free standing surgical centers because their background checks are less than perfect. The nurse in my building is serving time in jail and her license is suspended as she committed a crime and someone was shot. But, after rehab., nurses can get reinstated but employers are not responsible for your rehab. Or a diversion program, I don't think

[Stray]

annabellethecat, in my State, NJ, impaired nurses are handled by the Board of Nursing and in a few other states as well. Some allow the nurses to work in a hospital in a low risk, situation...no narcotics, no patient contact but the monitoring and recovery is not handled by the employer but outside by contracted agencies which includes drug testing. In NJ, they don't work but the nurse enters the program and is monitored but the Board assists with reinstatement. If there is criminal activity, there may not be reinstatement. I can see why hospitals can not monitor an impaired nurse as you saw with Zoey and Jackie. Nurses have relationships in their hospitals and could convince a coworker to cover for her/him, forge a drug test or ignore their actions . An agency acting independently has no relationship with the nurse and in Nurse Jackie, confidentiality was ignored and everyone knew she was in a program. A nurses confidentiality re her medical condition (addiction is considered one) would be observed as much as possible and everyone wouldn't know about it. I think licensing Boards understand that nurses do have addiction problems like everyone else but today, instead of punishment, the nursing boards try to help impaired nurses to recover and return to work. So I think Nurse Jackie writers took creative license.

[sunala]

I think the discussion the two of you are having is very interesting, but Nurse Jackie is a fictional character. This isn't real life, but I'm sure the show was researched so that everything that has happened to Jackie is according to New York state law. 

And of course they will also use creative license if it adds drama to the show. 

I still can't wait until the last episode. I wish it was longer than a half hour!