Taking a look at the Impaired Practitioners Programs in the state of Florida. Healthcare providers need care, too.
The state of Florida has two Impaired Practitioners Programs: Professionals Resource Network (PRN), and Intervention Project for Nurses (IPN). The PRN and its medical director work with the Department of Health and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation on issues pertaining to practitioner impairment. As we know, addiction can affect anyone, in any profession. Healthcare providers are just as vulnerable to substance abuse issues as anyone else, and their risk might be increased due to the incredible stress and pressure they’re often under. When practitioners become impaired as a result of their problems with substance abuse, there are unique challenges that arise and specific issues that must be confronted. PRN’s mission is to work to ensure that the safety, health, and welfare of the public is maintained and protected at all times, while also supporting the health of the state’s working professionals in healthcare and other sectors. IPN’s mission is to ensure the health and safety of the public by providing monitoring, support, education, and resources to Florida’s nurses.
The unfortunate reality is that our healthcare professionals are not always able to care for their patients to the best of their abilities because of the serious implications of their addictions, namely becoming impaired from substance abuse. People who work in healthcare are also commonly known to neglect their own health, well-being, and self-care, in part because they’ve devoted their professional lives to caring for others. These programs, PRN and IPN, work to make sure that nurses and other healthcare professionals in the state of Florida are not only held accountable for their patient care but also for their own well-being, which can affect their patients and the general public if they are impaired or not functioning at their best.
There are many advantages to monitoring nurses and other healthcare professionals. The public’s safety is better protected from malpractice, abuse, harm, or mistreatment, as well as accidents and injury. Monitoring helps to ensure that providers are always giving the highest quality treatment to their patients. Patients entrust their health, safety, and lives to their care providers. Impairment from substance abuse can pose a serious threat to patients and must be monitored diligently for the public’s safety.
Another advantage of monitoring is that it improves healthcare providers’ chances for recovery because it can help to identify and diagnose a substance abuse issue before it potentially becomes dangerous or harmful, to either the patient or the caregiver. Being able to detect possible issues early on can help providers get the help they need as quickly as possible, ensuring better success in recovery and therefore saving lives.
The caregivers whose professional careers have been devoted to public health can fall into the grips of addiction, just as anyone else can. These programs aim to support them in their recovery while also safeguarding the public.
Riverside Recovery is a drug and alcohol treatment center located in Tampa, FL, offering a full continuum of care for people suffering from addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders. Call us today for more information: (800) 871-5440.