Substance Use Among Middle-Level Nurse Managers
Yitong Wang1, Karen J Foli, Zachary Hass
1Assistant Professor (Dr Wang), Mark and Robyn Jones College of Nursing, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT; Professor and Endowed Chair for Mental Health Nursing (Dr Foli), Louise Herrington School of Nursing, Baylor University, Dallas, TX; Associate Professor (Dr Hass), School of Nursing & Edwardson School of Industrial Engineering, Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN; Associate Research Professor (Dr Adams), Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN; Professor (Dr Lee), Brian Lamb School of Communication, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.
Objective:
This study examined the prevalence of alcohol and drug use among middle-level nurse managers (MLNMs) and explored the associations between individual and workplace characteristics and substance use.
Background:
Substance use (SU) among nurses is a longstanding concern, yet MLNMs who carry substantial clinical and administrative responsibilities remain largely overlooked in the literature.
Methods:
A national sample of 234 MLNMs completed an online, cross-sectional survey. Binary logistic regression was used to explore the relationships between work-related factors and substance use.
Results:
13.42% of MLNMs screened positive for unhealthy alcohol use, and 75.63% reported some level of drug use. Mid-career to late-career MLNMs had higher odds of drug use. Master's-prepared MLNMs showed lower odds of both drug use and alcohol use problems, and longer registered nurse experience was linked to lower odds of drug use. By specialty, medical-surgical and pediatrics were associated with higher odds of drug use.
Conclusions:
These findings highlight the need for wellness-focused leadership development and structural changes to reduce work-related risks.
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