Transcript Working with Nurses in TPAPN

What Coworkers Need to Know
Texas Peer Assistance Program for Nurses
(TPAPN)
A program of the Texas Nurses Foundation
 Board
of Nursing (BON) approved
 Alternative, voluntary program for LVNs, RNs
 Available to eligible nurses who may benefit
from peer assistance services
 Returns nurses back to practice
 Promotes professional accountability and
protects the public
 Recovery
is confidential, but
not secret
 Protected health information
regarding TPAPN participants
is protected under Texas
State law/HIPAA
 No
access to abusable
medications - e.g. counting
narcotics, administering narcotics,
witnessing wastage, receipt from
pharmacy
 No on-call duty
TPAPN nurses are not approved to work if:
 In an autonomous or unsupervised position
 Shifts longer than 12 hours
 For multiple employers or in self-employed practice
 In short-term staffing or work as a traveler
 Out of predetermined area (Floating)
 More than 96 hours per two week pay period
 At various practice sites, without BON approval

Supervisors will designate a
coworker to handle abusable
medications for the TPAPN nurse

In exchange, the TPAPN nurse
provides care and treatment for
patient(s) assigned to the coworker
TPAPN nurses may have to
leave work for a short time
for drug testing
 Participants with positive
drug screens must
immediately discontinue
nursing practice

 Now:
Voice your concerns with your direct
supervisor
 Later: Educate yourself about TPAPN,
substance abuse and psychiatric
disorders in the workplace at
www.tpapn.org
 Employer/Supervisor
 Case Manager
 Volunteer Nurse
Advocate
 Sponsor (if in 12-step
recovery)
Ensure your workplace
has a TPAPN Advocate
 Become an Advocate:
volunteer with TPAPN
 Be the “peer” in peer
assistance and witness
positive transformations
of the human spirit!

Thank you!
www.tpapn.org