19
Dec

Florida Nurse Suspended for Suspected Drug Use

A nurse employed at Oak Hill Hospital in Brooksville, Florida, had her license suspended this month for drug-related offenses which occurred in 2012. There was an emergency order from the Florida Department of Health issued this month. She worked at Oak Hill Hospital between 2010 and 2012, and was required to submit to a drug test last […]

15
Nov

Participation in the Intervention Project for Nurses (IPN) in Florida

The following information comes from Florida’s Intervention Project for Nurses (IPN) website: Will the participation in Florida’s Intervention Project for Nurses (IPN) protect my nursing license from discipline by the Florida Board of Nursing? If you are unable to practice nursing safely, due to use of drugs, alcohol, chemicals, a mental condition, or the possession or distribution of […]

7
Jun

The Intervention Project for Nurses (IPN)

Most chemical dependency is generally defined as a chronic, progressive, and sometimes fatal disease with stages and a predictable course. How is chemical dependency best described in nursing? Impairment by nurses is generally characterized by the inability to perform their professional duties and responsibilities in a reasonable manner, consistent with standards acceptable for nurses.  Unfortunately, impaired practice is not […]

26
Jan

Florida’s Intervention Project for Nurses (IPN)

The following information appears on Florida’s Department of Health website: Intervention Project for Nurses (IPN) was established in 1984 through legislative action to ensure public health and safety through a program that provides close monitoring of nurses who are unsafe to practice due to impairment as a result of misuse or abuse of alcohol or […]

16
Sep

Florida Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) Criminal and Disciplinary History

All individuals who are considering entering the nursing profession as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and who may have a criminal history often ask about potential barriers to licensure following successful completion of an approved training program. While it would be nice to know this prior to making a decision to enter the program, obtaining […]

23
Aug

Foreign Doctors in United States Retrained as Nurses in Program at Florida International University

Irene Mahr, of the St. Petersburg Times, writes that if you check into Largo Medical Center any time soon, there’s a chance your nurse could be a former doctor.  The hospital is one of several locally that are joining with Florida International University to fund a unique program to recruit foreign doctors living in the […]

25
Mar

Will participation in the Intervention Project for Nurses (IPN) protect my nursing license from discipline by the Florida Board of Nursing?

Being unable to practice nursing safely due to use of drugs, alcohol, chemicals, a mental condition, or the possession or distribution of controlled drugs for other than legitimate purposes is a violation of the Nurse Practice Act that can result in disciplinary action taken against a nurse’s license by the Florida Board of Nursing.  If […]

24
Mar

Do nurses have any legal recourse regarding disciplinary actions imposed by state boards of nursing?

Question: Dear Nancy, My RN colleague wrote a nasty letter to the state board of nursing regarding disciplinary action it took against her. I believe that she was asked to pay a fine, and she eventually returned to her home state. Now her home state has revoked her RN license as a result of her […]