Nurse In Diversion. In a major shift, California will impose tough new standards on drug- abusing health professionals, strictly scrutinizing those in treatment and immediately removing from practice anyone who relapses.“The bottom line is we’re in the business of protecting consumers,” said Brian Stiger, director of the state Department of Consumer Affairs, which announced the rules Thursday. And any restrictions to their licenses will be listed on public websites, easing the long- standing confidentiality protections that have shielded participants and kept their patients in the dark. The changes appear to address problems raised in a July investigation by The Times and the nonprofit newsroom Pro. Publica, which detailed how registered nurses were able to treat patients without permission and steal drugs while participating in the confidential recovery program known as diversion. Even when the state Board of Registered Nursing kicked them out, labeling them “public safety risks,” it took a median 1. The standards were drafted by a committee created by the Legislature last year after repeated audits revealed that the recovery program for doctors poorly monitored participants and failed to terminate those who relapsed. The Medical Board of California shut down that program June 3. Until now, each of the state’s 2. The new rules would apply directly to the seven boards that operate diversion programs, in which licensees avoid discipline by agreeing to drug tests, support group meetings and heightened monitoring. More than 3. 00 people entered those programs in fiscal 2. But the rules also would apply more broadly, even to the medical board and other agencies without diversion programs, if a licensee has been placed on probation for a substance abuse problem. Julianne D’Angelo Fellmeth, who audited the medical board’s program, said the changes address gaping holes in the oversight of potentially dangerous caregivers.“The state is finally taking responsibility for protecting the public,” said D’Angelo Fellmeth, administrative director of the Center for Public Interest Law at the University of San Diego. It won’t keep people from abusing substances. It will keep them out of the system, where they’ll be sicker before anybody can do anything about it.”Diversion programs, used in many states, were designed to encourage health workers to fight their addiction in a safe environment without ruining their careers. D’Angelo Fellmeth said those who want to pursue confidential treatment still can enter private programs. What is the Intervention Program? What is the Intervention. To complete the Intervention Program, a nurse with a substance use disorder must demonstrate a change in lifestyle that supports continuing recovery and have a. Board of Registered Nursing Diversion Program. Nurse Directors/Managers/Supervisors. Read more; Footer link. A diversion program agreement shall specify terms and conditions related to matters, including. Upon enrollment in a training program for nurse assistant certification, and prior to direct contact with residents. Hello i'm interested in communicating with and offering information to, those of us rn's, who are in the diversion program, or should be. Narcotic use and diversion in nursing is a growing problem. Signs of diversion can be subtle. The nurse may volunteer to administer. If the nurse decides to participate in an alternative program. Many turn to state- run programs, she said, only to avoid discipline — because they are on the verge of being turned in by their employers or have been arrested in or convicted of drug- or alcohol- related offenses.* Licensees suspected of drug abuse must undergo a clinical evaluation at their own expense to determine whether they can still practice safely. During this process, their licenses will be placed on inactive status, meaning they cannot work, and they must submit to drug tests twice a week. They can’t return to work until they have at least one month of negative test results. During their first year of participation, professionals will be randomly tested at least 1. After that, it drops to at least 5. Current programs require testing only 1. Stiger said.* For the first time, the public will be able to review any restrictions placed on a health professional. Boards won’t be allowed to directly say that someone is in substance abuse treatment, but they must publicly disclose that a person has an inactive license or is subject to increased supervision or limited work hours. If someone is kicked out of the program, disciplinary proceedings will begin immediately, Stiger said. North Carolina, for instance, immediately suspends the licenses of nurses for a minimum of one year after a single relapse. In California, all boards will be required to provide detailed information on their performance to the Legislature and the Department of Consumer Affairs. The committee that drafted the new rules is calling for each program to successfully graduate every participant, but Stiger said officials haven’t determined the consequences if they don’t. Last year, the nursing board’s program had a 5. The new standards are part of a broader effort to revamp the disciplinary process for health professionals in the state, speeding it up and prioritizing the most serious cases. To that end, Stiger appointed Paul Riches to a new post of deputy director for enforcement and compliance. Riches was previously executive officer of the Board of Behavioral Sciences. The timetable for the new standards has not been finalized. The standards are due to the Legislature by Jan. Lawyers are still reviewing whether certain rules will require formal approval by the Legislature, Stiger said. If these diversion programs cannot prove their worth soon, they could be eliminated, according to proposals under consideration.“Quite frankly, we don’t run them very well,” Stiger said. Their previous stories about the California Board of Registered Nursing can be found at www. November 2. 0, 2. In a major shift, California will impose tough new standards on drug- abusing health professionals, strictly scrutinizing those in treatment and immediately removing from practice anyone who relapses.“The bottom line is we’re in the business of protecting consumers,” said Brian Stiger, director of the state Department of Consumer Affairs, which announced the rules Thursday. Read the rest of this entry ».
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