Substance abuse. The silent saboteur in rehabilitation

Clearly, substance abuse among traumatically disabled persons can potentially sabotage rehabilitation outcomes for this population. There is evidence that substance abusers will comprise a growing percentage of patients within rehabilitation programs. Rehabilitation professionals must examine their own attitudinal barriers toward making a substance-abuse program an integral part of comprehensive rehabilitation care. Rehabilitation nurses are in a unique position to assist the rehabilitation team to identify the need for development of a substance-abuse program.