TPAPN: (mission): The Texas Peer Assistance Program for Nurses (TPAPN) offers life-renewing opportunities for recovery from chemical dependency and/or mental illness and intergrates nurses back into the profession. The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) states: A business may not discriminate against a nurse for fear the he or she will suffer a relapse. TPAPN is to help a nurse go back to work with as little stress as possible in an enviroment that maximizes a nurse's chance for successful recovery.
I am having problems with TPAPN and the hospital I work for. I was diagnosed with bi-polar and started on antipsychotic medication in January 2004. The problem, is that I am not bi-polar. The longer I was on these meds, the worse I got. Every week I would tell my Psychiatrist, but she would say that I was being non-compliant and increase my meds. After (approx) 12 weeks of this treatment, I was at max doses of 4 antipsychotic medications. I am 5 foot 8 inches and 135-140 pounds. I am sure you can see the problem. Determined to overcome this disease, I did everything I was instructed to do. I now have the correct DX of unipolar depression due to a single external event. So the part of returning to work in an area to maximizes the chance for successful recovery techinically does not pertain to me. I have been off on LOA for 4 months. I have been trying to return to work for 3 weeks, but TPAPN and my employer have been creating multiple delays. And just a little FYI, my short term disability insurance ended when my MD released to to work.
I am a critical care ICU nurse in a large 18 bed unit. I was working throughout this time from January until the end of March 2004. I had a release from my psychiatrist to work without any restrictions. At the end of March, I was placed on leave of absence by my employer. Everyone was aware that my nursing performance ,the last day I worked, was hindered by incorrect medication. My manager even spoke with my therapist (LPC), with my consent, and stated that he fully understands what has happened. On more than one occasion, he stated that this was nothing I had controll over and he understood that my nursing preformance was impaired by incorrect medications. The hospital gave me a 3 day paid suspention for missed labs and other minor problems. The care did not hinder or cause harm to my assigned patients. The charge nurse helped me with giving medication and vital signs and other things that I needed help with during my shift. Although, she did not remove me from my shift, she let me continue working a 12 hour shift. The formal written disciplinary action stated that I was, "having difficulty with completing simple tasks of giving medication, vital signs, lab work, and so on". Due to the power of the medications I was on, I was unaware that I was having problems completing a normal day in the unit. Basicaly, now TPAPN has decided that they will not approve for me to go back into the type of nursing that I have done for years (ICU). They discussed with my employer, that it would be to stressful of an enviroment. This assumption was based on statistics. The TPAPN case manager never spoke with my therapist, psychiatrist, or me to determine my functioning abilities. (All consents completed for information to be discussed between TPAPN, MD, LPC, and manager). After TPAPN spoke to my employer, I was told (by my employer) that the hospital is not going to let me work in clinical aspects (direct patient care) for an undertimed amount of time. They are going to remove me from Med/Surg ICU to a case management position. I asked if they would consider me working in dialysis, radiology nurse or GI lab, which I have training and I am compitent to work in those areas. The request was turned down. The hospital states that they need to have a better "track record" of me. I worked 8 months PRN approx 2 days a week and 4 months full time. They want to get a better idea of my work ablility.
If anyone has any knowlage about this program, problems, or any legal actions toward TPAPN or hospital complaints I would love to get someones advice. I am sorry that this thread is long, but I feel that this is a serious issue and would love to have some outsider info.:angryfire
