Posted by SwtRn2 on July 15, 2000 at 19:31:07:In Reply to: Re: Narcolepsy in Operating Room posted by Jane on April 15, 2000 at 06:37:25:
As a nurse who was working full time when being diagnosis'd with Narcolepsy please know that many factors feed into the unsafe practice of a nurse in the operating room after being diagnosis'd with such a disorder. The stress of the OR and the time restraints (such as call at night , etc) and often times the boredom of the surgical case can contribute to sleep attacks no matter the medication regimen the narcoleptic person is taking. After having been diagnosis'd for many years now I have also come to realize although the medication you start taking might be effective in the beginning it takes sometimes only weeks or months for that situation to change drastically. As a management person that is in charge of insuring not only the safety and welfare of the surgical patient but also bearing the responsibility of caring for the staff I would strongly suggest that you not encourage or retain an employee with narcolepsy remain in the OR....If nothing more the diagnosis alone lends legal implications that could be associated with perhaps any surgical case that might have a legal inspection due to some mishap during a patient's surgical event....(such as a retained sponge ....and the attorneys would have a hayday with knowing the circulating or surgical scrub was a diagnosis'd known narcoleptic....) There are many other areas of nursing a narcoleptic , newly diagnosis'd medical professional can work which would be less threatening for her or patients...