pharmacodependence among CRNA

PHARMACODEPENDENCE AMONG CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETISTS

2006

PHARMACODEPENDENCE AMONG CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETISTS

Occupational stress can be defined as `the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur

when the requirements of a job do not match the capabilities , resources or needs of the worker (Perry , 2005 ,

. 351 . Certified-registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs experience stressors from

multiple sources and seem to be at an increased risk for developing substance abuse problems (Perry , 2005 . Substance abuse is described as one of the greatest occupational hazards that

CRNAs have to confront in [banner_entry_middle]

our society today (Luck Hendrick , 2004 This reflects the

perceived occupational-related stressors and the tendency of drug addiction among CRNAs

Nurse anesthetists can encounter several stressors on the job (Perry 2005 . These include patient

care-related stressors such as patient deaths , surgical cases and patient complications as well as

administrative stressors for example production pressure , heavy workload , staffing issues and work

schedule . Interpersonal relationships and the environment also play a role in contributing to this

stress i .e . unfairly distributed labor and favorable treatment among younger peers and continuous

exposure to unfavorable conditions in operating rooms (Perry , 2005

According to Perry (2005 , it is important to note that one way CRNAs tend to deal with this kind

of stress is by internalization . This may seem effective in the short-term but proves to be

detrimental in the long-term and ultimately does not meet the therapeutic needs of the anesthetist

Chemical dependency and substance abuse may at times be the alternative that CRNAs take to meet

these therapeutic needs (Luck Hendrik , 2004

Research by Luck Hendrik (2004 ) shows that during the career of a CRNA , approximately 1 in

10 become addicted and according to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA (as

cited in Luck Hendrik , 2004 ,

. 308 , anesthesiologists and CRNAs are at an addiction rate of

15 . In addition , Luck and Hendrik (2004 ) indicate that male CRNAs with 6 to 10 years of

clinical experience , are at most risk for addiction

Another study on addictive students in graduate CRNA programs indicates risk factors like : pre-

addictive or excitement-seeking personalities goal-directed or achievement-orientated

personalities the desire to self-medicate and an increased knowledge of drug pharmacodynamics (Luck Hendrik , 2004

According to Luck Hendrik (2004 ) drugs are easily accessed and are available in everyday

anesthesia care . Literature by Luck Hendrick (2004 ) shows that there is a current change in the

misuse of controlled drugs . The controlled drug that is most commonly abused by practicing

CRNA currently , is midazolam . Midazolam is used for pre-operative sedation and amnesia and is

effective in relieving stress and insomnia-evidently both stress and sleep deprivation are considered

to be occupational hazards for anesthesia providers (Luck Hendrik 2004 . Due to midazolam ‘s

addictive nature , self-administration of the drug is very dangerous and CRNAs under the influence

may be impaired while actively administering anesthesia . Consequently impairment can lead to

inappropriate or insufficient doses , amounts , or types of drugs being administered to the patient and

can cause impending risks which could be destructive… [banner_entry_footer]