Chemical dependency. Helping your staff

Alcoholism and other forms of chemical dependency are the primary personal problems affecting employee job performance today. Nursing administrators can best assist nurses to receive help for their personal problems by doing what they do best, insisting upon quality job performance from each and every employee. By identifying poor job performance and insisting that it be corrected, the administrator can initiate a plan of action for the nurse. If job performance continues to deteriorate, mandating that the nurse obtain help for his or her problem as a condition of continued employment will usually generate the motivation for necessary change. By referring the individual to a professional experienced in employee assistance, peer assistance, or occupational health assessment techniques that include alcohol and drug screening, the administrator can assist the nurse in receiving the appropriate treatment individualized to his or her needs. If the nurse fails to comply and job performance remains a problem, appropriate disciplinary action can and should be taken. Recognize that about 15% of the employees handled in the manner described above will fail to respond. In these cases, termination is entirely appropriate. In addition, prosecution for drug theft and/or turning a nurse over to State Board for violation of the Nurse Practice Act should also occur if warranted by your documentation. While this approach may seem extremely harsh, it is not only sound management, but also good nursing to stop enabling behaviors which allow continuation of the personal problem. For some individuals, job loss or legal problems are the events necessary to break through the iceberg of denial that has been present for years.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)