Impairment can place everyone in a workplace at risk of injury. First and foremost is the risk to patients, who trust healthcare professionals to provide safe, reliable, and effective care. This course presents information on recognizing the signs and symptoms of emotional-, mental health-, and substance-related workplace impairment. Strategies for intervention and reporting (e.g., how and to whom impairment should be reported) are also outlined, particularly within the context of the Florida Nurse Practice Act. Treatment of impairment, including treatment programs, employer initiatives for impaired nurses, and returning to work, will be discussed. In the state of Florida, the Intervention Project for Nurses (IPN) is the Department of Health's contracted program to address nurse impairment; this program will be discussed in detail.

The purpose of this course is to provide nurses with an appreciation of the impact of impairment on the provision of nursing care and on patient health as well as the skills to identify and report instances of workplace impairment.

This course fulfills the Florida requirement for 2 hours of education on Recognizing Impairment in the Workplace.