APRN Impairment in the Workplace: Substance Abuse 2 Contact Hours

Course overview

Impairment is the inability or impending inability to deliver safe, professional activities and responsibilities because of a behavioral, mental, or physical condition associated with drugs or alcohol. (Toney-Butler & Siela, 2022). Due to these conditions, the nurse cannot perform their professional responsibilities and duties consistent with nursing standards. Drug and alcohol use is a significant problem; one survey showed that 18 percent of nurses demonstrate signs of substance abuse, and 6.6 percent of all nurses suffer from substance use disorder (Trinkoff et al., 2022). Nurses who work in home health/hospice suffer the highest rates of prescription-type drug misuse, at 19 percent, and 15.8 percent of nurses working in the nursing home suffer from substance misuse (Trinkoff et al., 2022).