While researching information on dealing with impaired practitioners I came across an article entitled Saving Troubled Physicians - What do you do when a colleague is a danger to himself or others? by Lester A. Picker. It was originally printed in the Nov/Dec 2004 Unique Opportunities - The Physician Resource, an on line journal for physician recruiters.
The writer acknowledges that confronting physician impairment is difficult and emotionally draining, and offers true life accounts and practical advice.
It opens with the story of Kevin McCauley, M.D., whose CV now includes serving hard time as federal prison inmate number 76930 in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
I could add a personal account.
He was a prominent physician in a small community, well-known for more than his medical skill. He was also a well-known drinker. Just the mention of his problem made his fellow physicians squirm in discomfort and study their shoes.
"What can we do? He doesn't show up for work drunk. We don't want to cause him any trouble. It's his own business what he does on his own time. Our jobs are stressful, everyone needs to relax."
Legitimate, human reactions; confrontation about such a highly-charged emotional issue is anything but pleasant. So his colleagues continued to look the other way, convincing themselves it was the kind thing to do.
But like many other diseases, the patient rarely improves without treatment.
In the end, he ran out of time. His last hope died in a fiery collision of tangled metal, and it didn't die alone.
Don't ignore the evidence.
Virtually every expert on the subject agrees on one thing: Intervene early and assertively. The AMA issued guidelines for dealing with impaired colleagues that remind doctors of their ethical obligation to report. But, there are other strong reasons to address a colleague’s impairment... Statistics show that impaired physicians are far more likely to commit suicide than their peers.
Get educated; get involved; make a difference.
This post could be extrapolated to include nurses, too. Great post.
Posted by: Kim | December 20, 2006 at 04:41 PM