ences were found between dependent and nondependent subjects regarding gender, family history of alcoholism, sexual trauma, and sexual functioning. It was noted a family history of alcoholism was associated with greater risk of substance abuse, and that the higher incidence of sexual trauma and difficulties reported by the dependent sample was congruent with studies of chemical dependency in other populations.
Once a nurse has been impaired as a result of substance abuse, it is important for hospital authorities to be able to identify him or her. In this regard, there has been some research conducted on variables and factors that help to identify impaired nurses.
The results of these studies suggest that nurses who engage in abuse of alcohol and/or other drugs have the following typical profile:
...in the top 10 percent of the class...volunteer for extra shifts, perform less effectively, chart poorly, need to work overtime to complete work, loses the ability to focus attention on a project or situation, and whos
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