What is the purpose of TPAPN?
TPAPN safeguards patients by providing early identification, support, monitoring, accountability and advocacy to Texas nurses who have an identified substance use or mental health condition or related incident, so they may practice nursing safely.
What is safe harbor in Texas nursing?
Safe harbor is a nursing peer review process that a nurse may initiate when asked to engage in an assignment or conduct that the nurse believes in good faith would potentially result in a violation of the Nursing Practice Act (NPA) or Texas Board of Nursing (Board or BON) rules or be a violation of the nurse’s duty to …
What happened to the Vanderbilt nurse?
Former Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) nurse RaDonda Vaught was found guilty on March 25 of criminally negligent homicide and gross neglect of an impaired adult in the 2017 death of 75-year-old Gallatin resident Charlene Murphey. The jury found Vaught not guilty of reckless homicide.
What is civil immunity Tpapn?
If an employer refers a nurse to TPAPN, Texas state law provides civil immunity for all reports made in good faith and for all employers who work with TPAPN nurses in good faith.
Can a nurse refuse an assignment in Texas?
The Texas Board of Nursing, which clearly “permits a nurse to refuse an assignment when the nurse believes in good faith that the requested conduct or assignment could constitute grounds for reporting the nurse to the board.” The Texas Nurse Practice Act further states that “all nurses have a duty under rule 217.11(1)( …
What happens when a nurse invokes safe harbor?
When properly invoked, safe harbor protects a nurse from employer retaliation for making the request and from discipline by the BON.
Did Vanderbilt nurse go to jail?
She faces three to six years in prison for gross neglect of an impaired adult and one to two years for criminally negligent homicide.
What are tpapn Staff’s reporting requirements?
TPAPN Staff must report to the nurse’s employer, as well as the Board if the nurse is noncompliant, has a positive drug screen, withdraws from the program, or moves out of State.
What is tpapn and how do I apply?
TPAPN is a program of the Texas Nurses Foundation , in cooperation with the Texas Board of Nursing. For nurses participating in TPAPN who demonstrate financial need, the Texas Nurses Foundation offers grants for the initial evaluation. For more information about the grants, and to download the application, click here.
What is the tpapn’s policy on mental health participants?
Mental health participants must follow the recommendations of a psychiatrist or therapist; Return to Work; must obtain written authorization from the TPAPN case manger to return to work and shall have restrictions on practice
When will tpapn resume its regular schedule?
We will resume our regular schedule Monday January 3rd at 8:00 am. TPAPN safeguards patients by providing early identification, support, monitoring, accountability and advocacy to Texas nurses who have an identified substance use or mental health condition or related incident, so they may practice nursing safely.