For some Florida nurses, entering into the state’s Intervention Project for Nurses (IPN) is mandatory. For others, IPN is voluntary and often suggested by an employer or the Florida Board of Nursing (BON) as a way for nurses to avoid licensing action.
What you may not know, though, is that a multiyear monitoring agreement with IPN Florida could still result in action taken against your nursing license.
It can be difficult to maintain the often intrusive requirements that IPN Florida will place on you.
And a monitoring agreement also can be very expensive — with participants spending upward of $30,000 of their own money to be in the program.
IPN Florida is not right for everyone, and it is not your only option.
The key is to consult the Florida healthcare license defense attorneys at Chapman Law Group as soon as possible — ideally before reporting the violation — to prepare your defense and negotiate options before licensing action commences and IPN Florida is made mandatory.
Nurses often contact IPN Florida out of fear that they will face formal licensing action if they do not report to IPN Florida.
Nurses should not contact IPN Florida without first discussing their options with a Florida health care attorney. In some cases, we are able to help nurses avoid IPN Florida and formal licensing action.
We have several full-time professional licensing attorneys who work with nurses daily regarding IPN Florida and other impairment matters. Our Florida health care lawyers are experienced in helping nurses resolve allegations of drug diversion, positive drug screens, DUIs and other impairment matters.
We use three factors when helping nurses decide whether IPN Florida is a good option for avoiding licensing action:
Chapman Law Group is prepared to work through these critical steps with you and, if possible, prove to the relevant Board that you are capable of continuing without an intervention.
The costs of maintaining a compliant status in IPN Florida are steep.
The nurse is responsible to pay drug tests, therapy sessions, group counseling sessions, collection fees, and visits with addiction professionals and other physicians.
Participants report that they spend up to $30,000 of their own money through the course of a three-year monitoring agreement.
If you are in the IPN program but leave because you can no longer afford it, your name will be reported to the Department of Health as “non-compliant.” This can lead to formal action against the nurse’s license.
In most cases, it may be more cost effective to hire a Florida healthcare attorney. Our lawyers at Chapman Law Group can help determine if IPN Florida is your best option; in some cases, we may be able to avoid IPN costs altogether, while allowing you to maintain your nursing license.
If IPN Florida is your best option, our attorneys can help negotiate a favorable agreement that is less restrictive and less expensive than standard IPN Florida agreements. We also may also be able to help you find a private treatment that is less expensive and still is sufficient to help you maintain your nursing license.
We understand that attorney costs can discourage some nurses from seeking legal representation, particularly if the nurse recently lost his/her job as a result of the impairment allegations.
However, a negative licensing action is often a higher price than having a Florida health care lawyer on your side.
Not only can the immediate cost of sanctions be several thousands of dollars, but a negative action on your nursing license can lead to job loss.
For 35 years, our nursing professionals at the Miami and Sarasota offices Chapman Law Group have worked to defend the license, freedom and livelihood of nurses like you.
We work with nurses and other licensed healthcare professionals throughout the entire state of Florida — from West Palm Beach to Tampa/St. Petersburg, from Orlando to Jacksonville, and from Gainesville to Fort Lauderdale/Broward County.
Contact us today for a consultation, and let our Florida health care attorneys work on your case.
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Our Florida Regulatory and Licensing lawyers used evidence against the medical directors and sought to establish proof that our client, a registered nurse, did not belong in IPN.
Our Florida regulatory and healthcare licensing attorneys successfully convinced Florida Department of Health (DOH) prosecutors that a penalty of referral to IPN would not be appropriate.
After long negotiations, we were able to convince the Department of Nursing to settle the case with a reprimand, a small fine, and eight hours of continuing education classes.
What’s the best way for a Florida nurse or physician to face orders compelling exam? Having legal representation and medical experts from the get-go.
Florida nurses and medical practitioners are most often referred to IPN and PRN by employers due to potential safety-to-practice concerns.
Is it better for doctors, nurses and others licensed health care professionals with impairment or diversion issues to wait until the COVID-19 quarantine is lifted before they enroll in IPN or PRN?
Florida’s Intervention Project for Nurses (IPN) was established by legislation enacted in 1983. However, IPN is not a State of Florida agency; rather, it is an
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