Mountains to Climb. Male Nurses and Their Perspective on Professional Impairment

Objective. This study was designed to determine the lived experience of male nurses who struggle with chemical dependency. Background. Male nurses in recovery from chemical dependency in the State of Florida’s Intervention Project for Nurses Rehabilitation Program open up about their experiences with drug addiction. The gender statistic of nurses in the Florida is 91% female and 9 % male. This is compared to the gender breakdown in which male nurses represent 38% in the State of Florida’s Intervention Project for Nurses Rehabilitation Program. A literature review revealed limited information on this minority culture. Method. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach provided insight into their lived experience. The sample included 9 male nurses who had worked impaired from 6-22 years. Results. The major theme of "person" had three sub-themes of (a) pre-determined risk, (b) altered values, and (c) sensation seeking behaviors. The major theme of "profession" had six sub-themes of (a) masterminding, (b) professional heteronomy, (c) rehabilitation, (d) getting caught, (e) spirituality and (f) the nurse becoming the nursed. Conclusion. The study findings included drug use patterns that were gender specific and provided understanding and identification that can assist academic and clinical environments with prevention, education and early intervention. The metaphor "mountains to climb" depicts the daily struggle that chemically dependent male nurses face as part of their rehabilitative journey.