Which assignment would be in the best interest of a nurse reentering practice following treatment for abuse of mood-altering drugs?
A) Place the nurse on a different unit and allow the administration of all drugs.
B) Reassign the nurse for a period to a unit where no mood-altering drugs are given.
C) Retain the nurse on the original unit and allow the administration of mood-altering drugs.
D) Return the nurse to the original unit at a less stressful time, such as night shift.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

1. In many cases, state law or administrative policy will restrict a recovering nurse in the early posttreatment period from handling controlled substances.
2. Removal of the temptation is a positive step for the recovering nurse. The best action would be to have the nurse temporarily reassigned to a unit where there are no mood-altering drugs.
3. If the nurse must be assigned to the original unit, he or she should not administer mood-altering drugs. However, this plan does require informing the other nurses of the situation, which can also be problematic.
4. Recovering nurses should be discouraged from working evening or night shifts.

Which Assignment Would Be in the Best Interest of a Nurse