Recognizing Impairment in the Workplace for Florida Nurses

LEARNING OUTCOME AND OBJECTIVES:  Upon completion of this continuing education course, you will be able to recognize and understand how to respond appropriately to signs and behaviors that may be associated with impairment in the workplace. Specific learning objectives to address potential knowledge gaps include:

• Identify risk factors and signs of impairment in the workplace.
• Discuss barriers to early identification of impaired nurses.
• Understand Florida laws pertaining to impaired practice by nurses.
• Summarize the essential steps to report or refer a nurse who may be impaired.
• Identify treatment programs for impaired nurses in Florida.
• Describe employer initiatives aimed at prevention and early identification of impairment in the workplace.

INTRODUCTION

Impairment occurs when a nurse is unable to provide safe patient care due to the use of a mood- or mind-altering substance and/or due to the presence of a physical condition or a distorted thought process from a psychological condition (IPN, 2023). Impairment not only endangers patients but also threatens the health and safety of the impaired nurse, puts colleagues at risk, causes a significant financial burden for employers, and compromises the integrity of the nursing profession. A healthcare worker’s impaired performance also puts patients at risk for unsafe care as well as inadequate pain relief and possible exposure to infectious diseases from contaminated needles and drugs (ASHP, 2022).

Nurses are responsible for the safety of patients, and this includes a duty to deliver nursing care without impairment. The American Nurses Association (ANA) strongly advocates for all medical facilities to establish educational programs that teach nurses how to recognize impairment and respond according to state laws and institutional policies (ANA, 2016). Some states, including Florida, have passed legislation requiring all nurses to participate in continuing education on this topic as a condition for licensure.

IDENTIFYING IMPAIRMENT

Substance abuse in the workplace can result in serious consequences when it is not recognized and treated early. In healthcare settings it is often unidentified, unreported, and untreated for long periods of time.

The Nurse Worklife and Wellness Study found that in the year prior to the study illicit drug use among nurses was 5.7% and misuse of prescription drugs was 9.9% (Trinkoff et al., 2022). The exact number of nurses afflicted is unknown, but the prevalence of addiction among nurses is believed to mirror the general population. In 2020, an estimated 37.3 million Americans aged 12 or older were current illicit drug users, meaning they had used an illicit drug during the month prior to the survey interview. This estimate represents 13.5% of the general population ages 12 or older (SAMHSA, 2021).

Nurses may be at increased risk for abuse of prescription-type medication due to the added risk of working in environments where frequent and easy access to controlled substances is part of their daily work routine. Evidence suggests the types of drugs abused by nurses may depend on what drugs are most accessible in their individual work environments. The most common prescription drugs abused by nurses are benzodiazepines and opioid analgesics. Nurses who abuse prescription drugs are those who have the greatest access, such as nurse anesthetists (AAC, 2022). Access to drugs is one of the most cited risk factors for nurses who present with impaired practice. In emergency departments, ICUs, and other settings where nurses have more autonomy, the risk appears to be worse (Cares et al., 2015).

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA, 2020) regulates five classes of drugs that are most frequently abused. These include opioids, depressants, hallucinogens, stimulants, and anabolic steroids. Fentanyl is the most commonly diverted drug, and it is also the drug most responsible for opioid overdose deaths. This is of particular concern, since substance use disorders in the United States have reached epidemic proportions, and overdoses involving opioids rose approximately 75,770 in the year ending April 2021, 56,000 more than the year before (CDC, 2021).

Determining the prevalence and patterns of substance use disorder in the nursing profession has been challenging because denial and fear of legal and professional repercussions promotes silence among nurses. Those who struggle with addiction tend to minimize the problem, acknowledging it only when faced with serious consequences.

Colleagues may notice unusual changes in behavior but may not be equipped to recognize signs and behaviors associated with substance use, impairment, or diversion and often misread cues or look for other explanations. Sadly, by the time colleagues and supervisors take action, the impaired nurse has often progressed to the later stages of addiction, where patient safety is most at risk.

In recent years, significant progress has been made toward developing programs aimed at early identification and treatment of nurses with substance use disorder and other mental health conditions that may impair practice. Often referred to as “alternative to discipline,” these programs enable the nurse with SUD to avoid disciplinary action and return to work under strict monitoring that ensures public safety and holds the nurse accountable to treatment and ongoing recovery.

More than 40 states (including Florida), the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories have developed programs aimed at helping nurses get treatment as an alternative to discipline (Smiley & Reneau, 2020). (See also “Intervention Project for Nurses” later in this course and “Resources” at the end of this course.)

It is imperative that all nurses learn the signs and symptoms of impairment and learn to recognize drug diversion. Additionally, nurses must be empowered to stop, question, and act. They must have organizational support to speak up when something seems abnormal or unsafe.

Risk Factors for Substance Abuse

While the prevalence of substance abuse among nurses is believed to mirror the general population, the associated consequences of impairment may be far more devastating. Nurses provide direct care to more patients than any other healthcare professionals. This puts nurses in a position of great accountability. All nurses must be aware of risk factors for substance abuse and be able to recognize and respond appropriately to impairment in the workplace.

Nurses face the same risk factors for substance abuse as anyone in the general population. Similar to the general population, they have genetic predispositions, social pressures, and coping difficulties that make them vulnerable. Some nurses have a long history of using alcohol or other drugs, and some with no previous history of substance use turn to drugs or alcohol as a means to cope when stressful life events occur, such as divorce, loss of a loved one, an accident, or illness.

In recent years, trauma has become a well-recognized risk factor for SUD. Nurses experience traumatic events in the course of their daily work life. Second victim trauma may be related to human errors made by nurses or adverse events that occur in the workplace. This second victim trauma can lead nurses to experience anxiety, guilt, depression, or shame, which can all contribute to an increased risk for substance abuse (Foli et al., 2021).

The Nurse Worklife and Wellness Study found nurses in home health/hospice and nursing homes/long-term care reporting higher rates of illicit drug use and prescription drug misuse (Trinkoff et al., 2022). However, because of confidentiality issues related to studying affected nurses as well as stigma and the fear nurses have of reporting, it is difficult to know the full scope of the problem.

WORKPLACE RISK FACTORS

Nurses may be particularly vulnerable to abuse of controlled substances simply because of the nature of the profession and the workplace environment. Nurses have specialized knowledge about the effects of controlled substances, and with every administration, they witness the calming and euphoric effects of controlled substances on their patients.

Other workplace risk factors include:

• High-stress work environment
• Low job satisfaction
• Role strain
• Long hours and irregular shifts
• Fatigue
• Periods of inactivity or boredom
• Remote or irregular supervision
• Easy access to controlled substances
• Lack of education regarding substance use disorders
• Nursing attitudes toward drugs
• Lack of pharmaceutical controls in the workplace
• “Enabling” by peers and managers
  (Addictions.com, 2021; Smith, 2021)

GENERAL RISK FACTORS

While workplace factors contribute to substance abuse, nonworkplace factors are likely to play a much larger role. According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, the single most reliable indicator for risk of future alcohol or drug dependence is a family history. Scientists estimate that genes, including the effects environmental factors have on a person’s gene expression (called epigenetics), account for 40%–60% of a person’s risk of addiction (NIDA, 2020). Family history, personality characteristics, underlying comorbid conditions such as depression or anxiety, and inadequate coping skills may pose the greatest risk for SUD in nurses (Smith, 2021).

GENERAL RISK FACTORS FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Type	Risk Factors
(NIDA, 2020; Toney-Butler & Siela, 2020)
Genetic	Family history of substance abuse Deficits in natural neurotransmitters
Physical	Acute or chronic pain
Psychological	Depression/anxiety Low self-esteem Low stress tolerance Feelings of resentment Addictive personality traits
Behavioral and social	Personal history of alcohol or controlled substance use Risk-seeking behaviors Maladaptive coping strategies Poor social skills Trauma Isolation Physical, sexual, emotional abuse Lack of support system Stressful work, home, community environment Victim of bullying Family dysfunction Community poverty

Signs of Impairment and Diversion in the Workplace

Impairment renders a nurse unsafe to provide patient care. Physical, psychosocial, and behavioral clues, however, can be subtle and easily overlooked. Colleagues may notice clues but seek other explanations and avoid suggesting substance abuse as a possible cause.

RECOGNIZING IMPAIRMENT

Generally, disruptions in family, personal health, and social life manifest long before a nurse shows evidence of impairment at work. Thus, all indicators, no matter how subtle, appearing in the workplace must be taken seriously. Any of the following may be signs of impairment in the workplace, and patterns of such behavior and a combination of these signs are cause for increased suspicion.

COMMON SIGNS OF IMPAIRMENT

Type	Signs
(Nyhus, 2021; AANA, n.d.; Toney-Butler & Siela, 2020)
Physical	Progressive deterioration in personal appearance Wearing long sleeves when inappropriate Diminished alertness, confusion, or memory lapses Frequent runny nose Dilated or constricted pupils Bloodshot or glassy eyes Unsteady gait Slurred speech Diaphoresis Frequent nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea Tremors or shakes, restlessness Weight gain or loss
Psychosocial	Increasing isolation or withdrawal from colleagues Personal relationship problems Dishonesty with self and others Intoxication at social functions Defensiveness (e.g., denial, rationalization) Inappropriate verbal or emotional responses Mood swings, overreaction to criticism, overexcitement Personality change (mood swings, anxiety, panic attacks, depression, lack of impulse control, suicidal thoughts or gestures, feelings of impending doom, paranoid ideation) Feelings of shame, guilt, loneliness, sadness
Behavioral	Absenteeism (absences without notification, excessive use of sick days, excessive tardiness) Confusion, memory loss, and difficulty concentrating or recalling details and instructions Ordinary tasks requiring greater effort and consuming more time Frequent complaints of vague illness, injury, pain Insomnia Rarely admitting errors or accepting blame for errors or oversight Unreliability in keeping appointments and meeting deadlines Work performance that alternates between periods of high and low productivity Working excessive amounts and showing up on days not scheduled Making mistakes due to inattention, poor judgment, bad decision-making Sleeping on the job Elaborate, implausible excuses for behavior

DETECTING DRUG DIVERSION

In the United States, diversion of opioid medication has contributed to an epidemic of opioid abuse and overdose deaths, and fentanyl, one of the most potent opioids, is the most commonly diverted drug. Nurses have frequent and easy access to controlled substances, providing ample opportunity for an addicted nurse to engage in diversion. Nurses in some specialties, such as anesthesia, intensive care, and emergency, have been identified as more susceptible because of increased exposure in these departments. Clearly, the opportunity for diversion of controlled substances from the workplace exists, and diversion of opioids is seen across all clinical disciplines and all levels of an organization, from management to frontline staff (TJC, 2019).

Diversion may occur with opened or unopened vials, partially used doses of medication that are not wasted, and medication that has been disposed of and left in sharps containers. The drugs most commonly diverted from healthcare settings are opioids, but there is no precise data that defines the extent of drug diversion.

Systemwide initiatives should be in place in all clinical settings to detect drug diversion, and all employees should be made aware of protocols in place. Every nurse plays an important role in drug diversion prevention and should be able to recognize patterns, trends, and behaviors associated with drug diversion.

Patterns and trends that may indicate drug diversion include the following:

• Compromised product containers
• Frequent medication losses, spills, or wasting
• Controlled substances removed without a doctor’s order
• Controlled substances removed on recently discharged or transferred patient
• Controlled substances removed for a patient not assigned to the nurse
• Medication documented as given but not administered to the patient
• Patients complaining of ineffective pain relief
• Frequent unexplained disappearances from the unit
• Incorrect narcotic counts
• Consistently documenting administration of more controlled substances than other nurses
• Large amounts of narcotic wastage
• Numerous corrections on medication records
• Offers to medicate a coworker’s patients for pain
• Frequent trips to the bathroom
• Saving extra controlled substances for administration at a later time
• Altered verbal or phone medication orders
• Variations in controlled substance discrepancies among shifts or days of the week
  (AANA, n.d.; Nyhus, 2021; Tellson et al., 2022)

Consequences of Impairment in the Workplace

Impairment from substance abuse, drug diversion, or other physical or psychological causes has far-reaching impact. It not only threatens the health and safety of patients but also creates serious consequences for the impaired professional, colleagues, and the healthcare facility that employs the impaired nurse.

POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF IMPAIRMENT

Impacted Party	Possible Consequences
(Rousseau, 2020; Toney-Butler & Siela, 2020; Nyhus, 2021)
Patient	Victim of medical errors Loss of trust in healthcare system Undue pain, anxiety, and side effects from improper dosing Allergic reaction to wrongly substituted drug Communicable infection from contaminated drug or needle
Impaired professional	Chronic adverse health effects (e.g., liver impairment, heart disease) Communicable infections from unsterile drugs, needles, injection techniques Accidents resulting in physical harm Familial and financial difficulties Loss of social status Decline in work performance and professional instability Felony prosecution, incarceration, civil malpractice Actions against professional license Billing or insurance fraud
Colleagues	At risk for medico-legal liability secondary to shared patient-care responsibilities with an impaired professional, resulting in adverse patient outcomes Stress resulting from increased workload when working with an impaired professional Disciplinary action for false witness of leftover drugs disposal or failure to report an impaired professional
Facility	Costly investigations Loss of revenue from diverted drugs Poor work quality or absenteeism Civil liability for failure to prevent, recognize, or address signs of impairment or drug diversion Civil liability for patient harm Damaged reputation due to public knowledge Increased Workers’ Compensation costs

BARRIERS TO EARLY IDENTIFICATION AND TREATMENT

There are many barriers that prevent impaired nurses from seeking help. Rarely do they seek help on their own because of fear, embarrassment, and concerns over losing their nursing license (Cares et al., 2015). Nurses also often lack knowledge about SUD as a chronic progressive disease, and they may have limited knowledge about treatment and the process for obtaining help and advocacy. Likewise, nursing colleagues face similar barriers, and they are often reluctant to report suspected impairment.

Reluctance to Seek Help

Nurses avoid seeking help for a number of reasons:

Denial is the chief characteristic of substance use disorder. It is a psychological defense mechanism that tells the nurse “I’m okay” even when disruptions in family, personal health, and social life are evident. Nurses with a substance use disorder have difficulty seeking help because they deny they have a problem or hold on to the false belief that they can “stop using” on their own.

While SUD is acknowledged as a chronic disease that can be identified and successfully treated, this does not eliminate the social stigma surrounding it, which may be even more pronounced in the nursing profession. Concern for being labeled an “addict” prevents nurses who need help from seeking help, and stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination reduce opportunities for assistance and for re-entry.

Nurses often lack knowledge about the signs and symptoms of SUD. Many do not recognize SUD as a disease, and when they are afflicted, they believe they can stop on their own. They may also be unaware of alternative-to-discipline programs and treatment options, which contributes to their unwillingness to reach out for help.

Nurses who are afflicted fear losing their job and their license to practice as a nurse. They may also fear criminal prosecution or may have concerns about decreased employment opportunities once a diagnosis is made.

Reluctance to Report

Signs and symptoms of impairment in the workplace are often subtle, making it very difficult to differentiate them from stress-related behaviors. Colleagues and supervisors can easily “explain away” behaviors that are consistent with impairment in the workplace, often making early recognition and intervention dangerously delayed.

Negative attitudes and beliefs about addiction also prevent nurses from intervening. Many nurses still believe addiction is a moral issue rather than a primary disease that requires intervention and treatment. Some nurses hold on to stereotypes about what a typical “addict” looks like, making it easy to deny the existence of such a problem in the healthcare setting.

Nurses often lack knowledge about SUD as a primary disease with signs and symptoms that can be identified and treated. They may not know risk factors, signs that are identifiable in the workplace, or the resources available and steps to take to properly report or refer a colleague.

There are many other reasons why peers are reluctant to report suspected impairment, including:

• Uncertainty about reporting requirements
• Uncertainty of consequences to their peer, such as loss of license and job
• Concern about retaliation by peer
• Fear of social stigma of reporting a peer
• Not being 100% sure

ETHICAL AND LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS

The public puts its faith in nurses, and it is every nurse’s duty to assure safe practice. Ethical practice is the cornerstone for patient safety and quality of care in nursing.

American Nurses Association Code of Ethics

The American Nurses Association’s Code of Ethics for Nurses (ANA, 2015) states, “The nurse’s duty is to take action designed both to protect patients and to ensure that the impaired individual receives assistance in regaining optimal function.” It further addresses impaired practice, focusing on the nurse’s ethical duty to protect the patient, the public, and the profession from potential harm and to ensure the impaired individual receives assistance.

PROTECTING PATIENTS

Provision 3.4 of the Code describes nurses’ professional responsibility to promote patient health and a culture of safety. This includes reporting any errors, near misses, or concerns for the health and safety of patients.

Provision 3.5 of the Code similarly addresses nurses’ ethical responsibility to protect patients by acting on questionable practice:

Nurses must be alert to and must take appropriate action in all instances of incompetent, unethical, illegal, or impaired practice or actions that place the rights or best interests of the patient in jeopardy . . . and when [such practice] is not corrected and continues to jeopardize patient well-being and safety, nurses must report the problem to appropriate external authorities such as practice committees of professional organizations, licensing boards, and regulatory or quality-assurance agencies.

SUPPORTING COLLEAGUES

Provision 3.6 addresses nurses’ ethical responsibility to protect one another from harm due to impaired practice. It calls for nurses to approach impaired colleagues in a supportive and compassionate manner during identification, remediation, and recovery due to impairment. This includes:

• Helping the individual access appropriate resources
• Following employer policies, professional guidelines, and relevant laws
• Advocating for appropriate assistance, treatment, and access to fair institutional/legal processes
• Supporting the individual to return to practice after recovery

Nurses who report impaired practice should likewise be protected from retaliation or other negative consequences (ANA, 2015).

Florida Law

Florida law addresses issues of impaired practice in nursing, including reporting, discipline, treatment, and recovery. Under Florida law, all licensed nurses must report suspected impairment. Failure to report can lead to disciplinary action by the Florida Board of Nursing and result in serious consequences (FL BON, 2023).

NURSE PRACTICE ACT

The Florida Nurse Practice Act, as set down in the Florida Statutes, chapter 464, section 018, clearly identifies grounds for discipline as it relates to substance use, diversion, and failing to report a colleague who is suspected of being in violation (FL NPA, 2022). The law clearly states that disciplinary action may be taken against a nurse’s license under the following circumstances:

1. Engaging or attempting to engage in the possession, sale, or distribution of controlled substances for any other than legitimate purposes
2. Being unable to practice nursing with reasonable skill and safety to patients by reason of illness or use of alcohol, drugs, narcotics, or chemicals or any other type of material or as a result of any mental or physical condition
3. Failing to report to the Florida Department of Health any person who the nurse knows is in violation of the nurse practice act except if the licensee verifies that such person is actively participating in a board-approved program for the treatment of a physical or mental condition, in which case the licensee is required to report such person only to a consultant operating an impaired practitioner program

If the Board of Nursing finds that a nursing professional is guilty of any of the foregoing grounds, the Board may impose penalties that may include probation, suspension, permanent revocation of a license, restriction of practice, administrative fines, or a letter of reprimand.

TREATMENT PROGRAMS FOR IMPAIRED PRACTITIONERS

Florida Statutes, Chapter 456, Section 076, pertaining to health professions and occupations, clearly defines treatment programs for impaired practitioners and designates approved impaired practitioner programs (FL IPP, 2022). (See “Treatment Programs” later in this course.)

When a nurse is reported as being impaired as a result of the misuse or abuse of alcohol or drugs, or both, or due to a mental or physical condition which could affect the nurse’s ability to practice with skill and safety, the nurse can avoid disciplinary action by:

1. Acknowledging the impairment problem
2. Voluntarily enrolling in an appropriate, approved treatment program
3. Voluntarily withdrawing from practice or limiting the scope of practice as required by the impaired practitioner program consultant
4. Executing releases for medical records, authorizing the release of all records of evaluations, diagnoses, and treatment of the licensee, including records of treatment for emotional or mental conditions to the consultant

INTERVENTION PROJECT FOR NURSES (IPN)

The Florida Department of Health (under the authority of F.S. 456.076, described above) has designated the Intervention Project for Nurses as the approved impaired practitioner program for nurses. The IPN is designated through a contract to serve as consultants and to initiate interventions, recommend evaluations, and refer impaired practitioners to treatment providers or treatment programs. The IPN also monitors the progress and continued care that is provided by approved treatment programs and providers (FAC, 2023).

STEPS TO MAKING A REPORT

When planning to intervene in a case of suspected impairment, the first step is knowing state laws and rules pertaining to substance abuse and impairment in the workplace. It is also important to be familiar with and to follow the organization’s policies and procedures relating to substance abuse and impairment.

Observing and Documenting

Next, nurses can follow these steps when they begin to notice possible impaired practice:

• Observe job performance; be aware of signs and symptoms of impairment that are common in the workplace.
• Look for patterns of behavior indicating possible impairment that are consistent over a period of time.
• Document (date, time, place, witnesses) any inappropriate behavior; be concise and include objective, clear, and factual information:
• What happened?
• Who was involved?
• When did the incident occur?
• How was it discovered?
• Where did it occur?
• Were there any witnesses?

Confronting the Nurse

Supervisors should be involved in planning an intervention and taking steps to respond to concerns about impairment in the workplace.

• Planning and participating in an intervention is a critical responsibility of the nurse manager, and it should never be implemented alone.
• It is important to develop a careful plan of action before implementing an intervention and also important to secure help.
• Interventions should focus on documented facts.
• The primary objective of an intervention is to request the nurse refrain from practice until a fitness-to-practice evaluation has been completed (IPN, 2023).
• To assure safety, a nurse who is impaired should never be left alone and should not be permitted to drive.

Calling in the Report

In Florida, any licensed nurse who suspects another nurse is practicing while impaired is responsible for reporting. In hospitals or other healthcare environments, reporting may be most appropriate to the clinical manager or nursing supervisor, who then assumes the responsibility of reporting to either the Florida Department of Health or IPN. Reporting to either entity fulfills the mandatory reporting obligation. A nurse may also contact IPN for a confidential consultation. IPN can be reached by calling 800-840-2720.

INTERVENTIONS

IPN Process

When a nurse is reported to the Department of Health (DOH) or referred to the IPN (Intervention Project for Nurses), this triggers an intake process that includes consultation with the employer or person reporting the suspected impairment. Following this consultation, there is a planned evaluation or an intervention that removes the nurse from practice. A nurse may also self-report to the IPN.

The IPN is responsible for evaluating all referrals (including those from the Department of Health, employers, and self-referrals); determining the proper course of action; monitoring the nurse’s progress in treatment; and providing case management for all nurses who return to work. The IPN coordinates care and provides close monitoring to assure patient safety. The IPN also facilitates quick interventions and assures the safety of the public by requiring the impaired nurse to cease practice until a full evaluation has been completed and treatment recommendations have been satisfied.

If the licensee refuses to participate or fails to progress in the program, a report is made to the DOH, which begins a process involving an investigation that may lead to disciplinary action.

Treatment Programs

Florida law mandates that treatment programs for impaired health professionals be approved by the Intervention Project for Nurses as the state’s designated impaired practitioner program. The IPN does not directly provide treatment for addiction or other disorders but refers nurses to approved treatment programs and providers. These include addiction counselors, psychiatrists, addictionologists, and treatment centers that have a specific focus on healthcare professionals.

IPN is charged with assuring that treatment programs for nurses are state-licensed and may be residential, intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization, or other programs with a multidisciplinary team approach. Approved treatment programs are also accredited through the Joint Commission or CARF International (formerly Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities). Treatment professionals, including addiction counselors, therapists, psychiatrists, and addictionologists, must also be state-licensed.

Treatment providers and treatment professionals must apply through IPN’s online application process to be approved by IPN. A list of programs and providers is available by contacting IPN; this information is not provided on the IPN website but is given to participants during intake (Whittacre, 2017).

RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT PROGRAMS

These programs are provided in a specialized substance abuse facility or in a designated unit within a hospital system. They focus on helping individuals change behavior in a highly structured therapeutic setting. Short-term residential treatment is most common and focuses on detoxification as well as providing intensive treatment and preparation for the participant’s return to a community-based setting.

PARTIAL HOSPITALIZATION PROGRAMS (PHPs)

PHPs provide a structured treatment program as an alternative to inpatient residential treatment. This generally includes intensive and regular treatment sessions in a therapeutic environment five days per week. PHPs do not require the participant to stay overnight, but some PHPs offer a residential option that gives the participant an opportunity to live and work in such a therapeutic environment.

INTENSIVE OUTPATIENT PROGRAMS (IOPs)

Treatment sessions are provided regularly but less frequently than with PHPs. IOPs aim to provide intense treatment with less disruption to work, school, or family schedules. (Nurses must stop practicing as a nurse until they complete treatment, but they may still have to work in another work environment in order to meet their financial obligations; cases are individualized.) IOPs generally consists of a range of services for a minimum of 9 hours per week (SAMHSA, 2021).

EMPLOYER INITIATIVES

The first step in helping an impaired employee is to have knowledge about addiction as a primary disease that can be recognized and treated. All nurses should be familiar with signs and symptoms, organizational policies and procedures for employee substance abuse, and any assistance that is available through resources such as workplace employee assistance programs.

Since nurses spend a significant amount of time at work, it is the ideal place to address substance abuse issues. For nurses who work in locations where direct patient care is provided, it is especially important for patient safety that systems be in place to prevent, quickly identify, intervene, and assist the nurse when behavior changes occur that may indicate a substance abuse problem or impairment in the workplace.

Education

Many nurses are unaware that substance abuse and drug diversion are serious problems in the workplace. Lack of education about the addiction process and how to recognize the signs and symptoms of a substance use disorder remain two of the most profound risk factors for nurse impairment (Salani et al., 2022).

Broad-based educational efforts should be instituted that focus on the nature and scope of the problem, signs and symptoms of impairment and diversion, and proper ways to respond. Education about substance abuse should be part of the orientation for all new employees and included in yearly competency training.

Educational efforts may include:

• Annual CE requirement for licensure
• Annual employee competency training
• Online education made available through the Alternative to Discipline Program
• Addiction topics introduced at “Lunch-n-Learn” sessions
• Addiction topics scheduled for nursing grand rounds
• Annual addiction conferences

Policies and Procedures

Policies and procedures should be in place that assure consistent handling of substance abuse problems in the workplace. Policies should promote safety and provide assistance to employees at risk for substance use disorder.

Workplace policies aimed to prevent, identify, intervene, and assist with substance abuse problems in the workplace may include the following:

• Pre-employment drug testing
• For-cause drug testing
• Fitness-to-practice evaluations
• How to document and report concerns
• Employee Assistance Programs (see below)
• Return-to-practice guidelines
• Relapse management
  (SAMHSA, 2022; Toney-Butler & Siela, 2022)

Surveillance

Surveillance systems are helpful any time impairment is suspected, and they can also provide evidence to determine if the impairment is associated with diversion of controlled substances.

To help discourage diversion, all employees should be made aware of surveillance systems that are in place to rapidly detect diversion. Automated distribution machines (ADMs) are one example of a surveillance system used in many hospitals. ADMs distribute medication through an electronic system that can audit records and look for inconsistencies and discrepancies. ADMs also have a waste retrieval system in which all unused portions of controlled substance doses are tested to prevent substitution of the medication being wasted.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

An EAP is a work-based program that offers confidential assessment, short-term counseling, referral, and follow-up services to employees who have personal and/or work-related problems. The primary goal of an EAP is to get help for employees who need it while maintaining their employment.

CONCLUSION

Nurses provide direct care to more patients than any other health profession. Thus, an impaired nurse poses a serious threat to patient safety. Many states, including Florida, have laws that address the issue of impaired practice in nursing, including reporting, discipline, treatment, and recovery. Under Florida law, all licensed nurses must report suspected impairment, and failure to report can lead to disciplinary action by the Board of Nursing and result in serious consequences.

Nurses are responsible for the safety of patients, and it is every nurse’s duty to recognize and respond to impairment in the workplace. This requires that all nurses understand substance use disorder as an occupational hazard and be able to recognize signs and behaviors associated with impairment. It also requires nurses to be vigilant about their own risk and take steps to support healthy work environments that encourage education about substance use disorder and support for nurses who need help.