TREATMENT RIGHT COURSE FOR ADDICTED NURSES

The article "Good policy or bad medicine" by Diane Cochran (May 23
Gazette Page 1A) was interesting but provided a biased view of a very
important topic - substance abuse among health care providers. In
reading the article, I had more questions than answers:

1) I wondered why "medicine" was highlighted when the profession of
nursing is distinct and separate from the medical profession? 2) I
wondered why the nursing profession was singled out rather than
focusing on substance abuse problems among all health care providers?
3) I also wondered why the Montana Nurses Association (the
professional association for nurses in Montana) was not contacted for
their view on the subject?

In addition, it is important to highlight that substance abuse is a
disease that requires treatment and should be treated as such. I
would suspect that, if the United States provided reasonably priced
treatment programs in sufficient numbers that the prevalence of
substance abuse would plummet as would the crime rate associated with
this disease. The nursing profession has chosen to treat nurses, who
suffer from substance abuse, as individuals needing treatment rather
than as criminals. Perhaps, the state and the country would be better
off if everyone had the same view?

Dr. Christina Sieloff

Billings