[KylieMin0gue]

I am very conflicted here. A very close family member I believe has a drinking problem. She is a midwife (has been for over 30 years), and her drinking has been what I would class as an issue for close to 15 or so years.

However, previously she would drink more on her days off (she is a very nasty drunk too), and from what I saw not so much when she was due to work within the next 24 hours. This has changed though over the last few years.

She is definately what I would class as an alcoholic. At the moment her drink of choice is cask port, which she drinks out of normal size glasses (so about 250ml), and I know that she drinks at least a litre a day. Everytime that I talk to her, she is either very obviously intoxicated, or I can't get hold of her because she is asleep (this can be any time day or night), or she has just woken up and feels ill. Unless she is intoxicated somewhat, she says she always feels ill.

I have in the past tried to talk to her and suggest that maybe she needs help and she flies off the handle and gets abusive defending herself, and saying she does not have a problem.

She has on many many times emotionally (and when I was younger physically) abused me, to the point where I changed my phone number last year as I was over it. The only reason that contact was re established was because I received a phone call in the middle of the night saying that she had had a fall at home, and had broken her femur.

Anyway I am a big girl, and I have had enough of all the drama so I am cutting off contact for good. My only issue is that I am worried about her profession and her putting at risk the lives of mothers and babies because of her problem. I have had this worry for a while, and I know that some people will criticise because I haven't done anything sooner, but I was hoping she would change. I am certain now that she will not, as she sees everyone else as the problem.

She works night shift, and 90% of the time she will basically drink from mid morning till 1pm or so. She will then got to bed,(or pass out) and get up at about 7pm, get ready and go to work for a 9pm start. So my question is (and I am pretty sure I already know the answer), do you think that getting very drunk and then going to work in a job such as a midwife 8 hours or less later is something that I should report?

This post has been edited by KylieMin0gue: 17/12/2012, 07:56 PM

[triangle]

I am very conflicted here. A very close family member I believe has a drinking problem. She is a midwife (has been for over 30 years), and her drinking has been what I would class as an issue for close to 15 or so years.

However, previously she would drink more on her days off (she is a very nasty drunk too), and from what I saw not so much when she was due to work within the next 24 hours. This has changed though over the last few years.

She is definately what I would class as an alcoholic. At the moment her drink of choice is cask port, which she drinks out of normal size glasses (so about 250ml), and I know that she drinks at least a litre a day. Everytime that I talk to her, she is either very obviously intoxicated, or I can't get hold of her because she is asleep (this can be any time day or night), or she has just woken up and feels ill. Unless she is intoxicated somewhat, she says she always feels ill.

I have in the past tried to talk to her and suggest that maybe she needs help and she flies off the handle and gets abusive defending herself, and saying she does not have a problem.

She has on many many times emotionally (and when I was younger physically) abused me, to the point where I changed my phone number last year as I was over it. The only reason that contact was re established was because I received a phone call in the middle of the night saying that she had had a fall at home, and had broken her femur.

Anyway I am a big girl, and I have had enough of all the drama so I am cutting off contact for good. My only issue is that I am worried about her profession and her putting at risk the lives of mothers and babies because of her problem. I have had this worry for a while, and I know that some people will criticise because I haven't done anything sooner, but I was hoping she would change. I am certain now that she will not, as she sees everyone else as the problem.

She works night shift, and 90% of the time she will basically drink from mid morning till 1pm or so. She will then got to bed,(or pass out) and get up at about 7pm, get ready and go to work for a 9pm start. So my question is (and I am pretty sure I already know the answer), do you think that getting very drunk and then going to work in a job such as a midwife 8 hours or less later is something that I should report?

Check out the ahpra website, jsut google. It is the new registration body for health professionals. THere should be info on there. Or if not, search for the relevant nursing and midwifery board if your state and give them a call.

[asdf89]

Unsure of what state you're in... but I am friends with nurses in QLD and they've told me that 'as long as you're alright to drive, you're allowed to work' - i.e. .05 and under is fine. (i'm not sure if that's an actual rule, or just accepted practice)

If you are worried, report her to the relevant nursing authorities. Again not sure how much action would be taken on a report from a (relatively) uninvolved person (i.e. you're not a co-worker or patient) but if her drinking is as bad as you say, her co-workers have probably noticed as well.

[~*Twilight~Zone*...]

I'm surprised her co-workers can't smell it.

Report her.

[KylieMin0gue]

Check out the ahpra website, jsut google. It is the new registration body for health professionals. THere should be info on there. Or if not, search for the relevant nursing and midwifery board if your state and give them a call.

Yes I know about APHRA as I myself am a student nurse.

[starsg]

If her job was one which didn't involve caring for extremely vulnerable newborns and their mothers, I might think twice but a midwife is a role of great care and responsibility. Yes, I think you need to report her. If something awful happened to one of the women or babies in her care because she was not 100% on the ball, I think you would feel awful and although it doesn't seem like a nice thing to do, perhaps being faced with the prospect of losing her job may prompt her to seek help which can only be a good thing.

[KeepTheFaith]

I'm not sure if this applies to students, but I believe that all AHPRA full registrants are required, as part of their registration, to report on other AHPRA registered professionals when there are concerns such as this. I do know that it doesn't matter what discipline- I recently assisted a psychologist in making a complaint about a nurse, for example, when the nurse was risking patient safety at a Community clinic.

I would call AHPRA and discuss it further- if she is as bad as you say, then the potential for 'doing damage' is extremely high (assuming it hasn't already happened).

[It'sallgood]

There are no longer nursing boards in each state.
AHPRA is where you go.
I would report your concerns to them too.
It will be a very hard thing to do, but could be also the best thing that ever happened to her if it causes her to confront her problem AND prevents her being in such a position of responsibility under the influence.
The other way you could deal with it is by contacting her place of work and ask them to investigate this. You will have to put it in writing though and make sure you specifically ask for a timeframe for them to investigate and tell them taht if they don't act, you will report your concerns to AHPRA.

My guess is that people she works with might be suspicious or have ideas, but have no solid evidence and so haven't been able to do anything. Lets hope that is the case anyway, I can't imagine thinking a colleague was drunk and me letting them continue to work, extremely unethical and dangerous.

Good luck.

[Ange]

Unsure of what state you're in... but I am friends with nurses in QLD and they've told me that 'as long as you're alright to drive, you're allowed to work' - i.e. .05 and under is fine. (i'm not sure if that's an actual rule, or just accepted practice)

Really?? I'm under the understanding that it is zero alcohol allowed in your system whilst working! I'd be very shocked if a co-worker had a BAL of 0.01-0.05! (If a nurse under my shift had alcohol before work, I'd be telling her/him to go home)!

[asdf89]

Really?? I'm under the understanding that it is zero alcohol allowed in your system whilst working! I'd be very shocked if a co-worker had a BAL of 0.01-0.05! (If a nurse under my shift had alcohol before work, I'd be telling her/him to go home)!

It came up when talking about doctors on call (as in.. what happens if they have a drink with dinner and then get called in) ... as I said I don't know what the official rule is.