The intense pressure that nurses experience can be overwhelming since they are responsible for ensuring patients’ well-being. The stress becomes exacerbated by increased workloads and inadequate support. Studies show that the chronic stress experienced by nurses promotes their substance use, and it poses a major risk for addiction development (Cares et al., 62). It is important to provide adequate support to nurses, especially those with increased workloads, to ensure they do not opt for substance use to solve their problems.
Nurses experiencing substance abuse problems find it difficult to execute their roles. For instance, some nurses will find it hard to carry out their functions without using specific drugs. Many nurses experience burnout from their increased workloads and the difficulties of caring for some patients (Jarrad et al., 5). Substance abuse among nurses has a high likelihood of causing a negative outcome in their roles. The issue limits the ability of nurses to provide quality care for patients.
Works Cited
Cares Alexa, Pace Elizabeth, Denious Jean, and Crane Lori. “Substance use and mental illness among nurses: workplace warning signs and barriers to seeking assistance.” Substance Abuse 36.1 (2015): 59-66. Web.
Jarrad Reem, Hammad Sawsan, Shawashi Tagreed, and Mahmoud Naser. “Compassion fatigue and substance use among nurses.” Annals of general psychiatry 17.1 (2018): 1-8. Web.