Nurses - TPAPN
In Texas, the Nursing Board recognizes Alcoholism, Drug Addiction, and other forms of mental illness as treatable diseases and has enacted provisions to give nurses afflicted with these disorders a chance for recovery. In essence, the enrollment in TPAPN (The Texas Peer Assistance Program for Nurses) is a diversionary effort by the Nursing Board to keep nurses active in their practice and allow them to side-step the disciplinary process.
If a nurse has been referred or ordered to TPAPN in lieu of discipline and he disputes the rationale or basis for the referral then he is likely in need of an attorney because the matter has become complex and is probably outside his area of expertise. Moreover, even though he may not be chemically dependant or suffer from another form of mental illness, he is not in a credible position to argue their point. This is best handled by an experienced attorney-advocate who is familiar with both the rules and the process.
Similarly, if a nurse has failed to abide by the TPAPN regimen then he is likely to face a formal disciplinary proceeding and should hire legal counsel as the stakes have dramatically increased. In these cases the Board acts swiftly and the penalties are often severe as the problem is seen as one that is not taken seriously or is so far advanced that more intervention is necessary |
