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Impaired Nurses Working After a Treatment Program

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Impaired Nurses Working After a Treatment Program Kayla Johns Santa Teresa Community College Mary Shrine, MA.RN.CNE RNSG 2035 Management of Client Care April 19, 2010 Outline Thesis: The dilemma is if impaired nurses should keep practicing after completing a treatment program; this issue is controversial due to nurses being responsible for the lives of others, there are pros and cons that must be understood before making any judgments. I. Introduction-Definition of impairment and statistics on the issue II. Case Scenario-Six nurses encountering different situations of impairment III. Current Status: a. American Nursing Association 1. Provision 3 2. 2002 resolution 3. Provision 3.6 i. …show more content…

Most of her patients complain of pain within minutes of being “medicated”. Finally, Nurse Jackie got divorced a couple of months ago. She felt depressed most of the time, she was constantly late to work, making mistakes often, and her appearance was not appropriate for the health care setting. Her supervisor talked to her about the situation, and Jackie agreed to get help. She completed a treatment program last month and was able to spare her license and her job. She has more energy and is one of the best nurses in the unit. These three scenarios are examples of the reality that thousands of nurses experience on a daily basis. It is estimated that one out of five to seven nurses (Indiana State Nurses Association, 2007) suffer from some type of impairment. The ANA has adopted a resolution that seeks ways to assist impaired nurses to recover and reclaim their careers. This is the reason why the ANA supports “alternative to discipline” and “peer assistance programs” offered by most states, including the state of Texas. It is called the Texas Peer Assistance Program (TPAP), “it offers comprehensive monitoring and support services to reasonably assure the safe rehabilitation and return of the nurse to her or his professional community” (ANA, 2002). In addition to the ANA ethical principles, the Americans with Disabilities Act (1996) protects qualified individuals against discrimination in job application procedures, hiring, advancement, discharge,

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