Recognizing Impairment in the Workplace for Florida Nurses

Impairment in the workplace compromises patient care, endangers staff, and undermines the integrity of the healthcare profession. Recognizing Impairment in the Workplace for Florida Nurses is a required continuing education course that equips nurses with the knowledge to identify, respond to, and report signs of impairment in colleagues or themselves. Enroll now to fulfill your Florida Board of Nursing license renewal requirement and gain practical strategies to support recovery, accountability, and a culture of safety.

This course provides Florida-licensed nurses with a comprehensive, legally informed overview of workplace impairment, focusing on substance use, mental health challenges, fatigue, and cognitive decline. Participants will learn how to identify observable behaviors, understand the steps to report concerns ethically and legally, and engage with state-approved alternative-to-discipline programs such as the Intervention Project for Nurses (IPN). The course also highlights employer responsibilities, peer support roles, and the importance of early intervention to protect patients and support professional rehabilitation.

Topics covered include:

• Defining Workplace Impairment: Clinical and behavioral signs of substance misuse, mental illness, and functional decline among healthcare professionals.
• Florida Legal and Ethical Requirements: Reporting mandates under Florida Statutes, disciplinary consequences, and confidentiality protections.
• The Role of the Intervention Project for Nurses (IPN): How Florida’s recovery and monitoring program supports safe return to practice.
• Identifying Red Flags: Recognizing changes in behavior, job performance, and clinical judgment that may indicate impairment.
• Peer Support and Professional Accountability: Navigating difficult conversations and fostering a supportive yet safety-focused workplace.
• Prevention Strategies and Workplace Culture: Promoting resilience, stress management, and organizational safeguards to reduce risk.
• Case Studies: Realistic scenarios illustrating how to recognize, respond to, and document impairment concerns in a timely and ethical manner.

Completion Requirements:

To earn full CE credit for this activity, participants must:

• Register for the course.
• Review all course materials.
• Complete the post-test with a passing score of 70% or higher.
• Submit the course evaluation survey.

Additional learning tools such as role-play scenarios and downloadable quick-reference guides may be included

Important Disclosures:

• Conflict of Interest: No relevant financial relationships or conflicts of interest have been reported by the course planners, authors, or presenters.
• Commercial Support: This course has received no commercial sponsorship.
• Non-Endorsement: Accreditation does not imply endorsement of any specific commercial products or services.
• Off-Label Use: No off-label or unapproved uses of medical products are discussed in this course.