IN APRIL, the Texas Peer Assistance Program for Nurses (TPAPN) held a virtual employer workshop with the intention of engaging our nursing workforce and more directly CNOs, HR leaders and Healthcare legal teams in conversations about how TPAPN can be a collaborative path to positive outcomes for nursing wellness. Many of the topics of discussion emphasized the ethical, professional, and patient‑safety importance of supporting nurses recovering from substance use disorder or other mental health conditions, as well as practical strategies for doing so.

To set the stage, the speakers were incredibly dynamic and covered an array of topics. The agenda ensured a balance between the research and data around Substance Use and Mental Health conditions amongst nurses, the heart of lived experience and real-world initiatives that offer exceptional best practice recommendations for being a TPAPN friendly employer. To balance the day out, Texas Nurses Association’s General Counsel spoke on one of the common misconceptions in relation to hiring TPAPN nurses and enlightened us to the realities of where the law works in tandem with patient safety and recovery focused peer support.

TPAPN wants to work with employers to ensure that across the state, we have a vast number of healthcare facilities that are TPAPN friendly workplaces. By working together, we can be the leaders in the country on return-to-work initiatives that are supportive, impactful and move to keep our nursing workforce healthy, maintain experienced nurses in clinical practice and provide exceptional patient care and safety.