Program that helps nurses defended

On behalf of the Florida Nurses Association, the professional association for registered nurses in Florida, I am writing to express our disappointment in the misleading coverage of the Intervention Project for Nurses ("IPN") included in the June 27 "Abuse of Trust" article.

IPN is one of the most successful "alternative to discipline" programs in the country wherein health care professionals who exhibit signs of any physical, mental or substance abuse impairment may voluntarily agree to evaluation, treatment, comprehensive rehabilitation and extensive monitoring in lieu of punitive licensure action.

Nearly all states have such programs, because the disclosure and rehabilitation approach used by specially trained entities, such as IPN, has been demonstrated to protect the public as well as, or better than, punitive sanctions imposed by state regulatory agencies.

Individuals who fail to comply with an "alternative to discipline" program or decline to participate are referred to their respective licensure board for permanent licensure discipline.

One of the most distressing aspects of the article was the author's characterization of IPN as a "secret state-sponsored drug treatment program."

First, IPN is not a drug treatment program. It is a monitoring program to ensure that nurses who are accused of, or admit to, any type of impairment are safe to practice before they are authorized to return to nursing practice. Drug or alcohol evaluations and treatment mandated by IPN must be completed by the participant prior to entering into an IPN monitoring contract at the participant's expense.

Second, the program is not a secret at all.

The guidelines for IPN and other impaired practitioner consultants are established by Section 456.076, Florida Statutes. Individuals seeking to participate in IPN must waive their rights to confidentiality of the information about their impairment and agree that IPN may release the information to the Florida Department of Health.

Participants in the program may not return to work until they notify their employer of their IPN participation, provide a copy of their IPN monitoring contract, agree to direct supervision in the workplace, authorize their employers and IPN to speak with one another, and obtain quarterly reports about their performance from their employers.

IPN representatives attend all Board of Nursing meetings, answer questions about individual participants and report on the status of the program as a whole. The Department of Health audits the program regularly. The only circumstance in which an impaired nurse may avoid the glare of permanent public license discipline is if the impaired nurse complies with the terms and conditions of the IPN contract, generally for a period of five years without relapse.

Similar alternatives to discipline programs are in place for all licensed health care practitioners in Florida, health care practitioners in over 40 states and for attorneys and other professionals.

The concept has been endorsed by national professional associations, including the American Nurses Association, the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists and the National Council for State Boards of Nursing, because it has demonstrated success.

Kenneth Matsko, the subject of the article, was a nurse who failed the IPN program, was terminated and reported to the department. The department suspended his nursing license as it should have in a public document describing his failures.

Those who fail to comply with IPN are regularly reported to the department for discipline. Shame on the Tribune for implying otherwise.