The Impaired Healthcare Worker (NA2384)

Course Format

This course is online. All course material is available online and is accessible immediately after purchase from your account homepage. Certificate of Completion is available immediately upon passing the exam.

Course Overview

This ethics course tackles the dual challenges posed by impaired healthcare workers: those struggling with drug addiction and the issue of drug diversion from patients and institutions. Delving into the causes behind these problems, participants will learn to identify the root issues and explore effective interventions. Professional codes of conduct will be examined, providing guidance on ethical behavior and emphasizing the healthcare worker's responsibility to their profession.

The consequences of these challenges extend beyond financial losses to facilities, professions, and professionals, impacting the quality of pain management and potentially leading to adverse patient outcomes, including fatalities. Through this course, participants will not only gain insights into these issues but also explore practical solutions. The program aims to equip healthcare professionals with the knowledge needed to uphold ethical standards and navigate these complex challenges responsibly.

Course Objectives

1. Define impairment and the factors that make healthcare workers prone to abuse and addiction.


2. Describe what programs are available for impaired healthcare workers and the difficulties with those programs.


3. Explain the many ways diversion of drugs occurs and the dangers of those methods to facilities, professionals, and patients.


4. Describe what efforts are being made to stem the diversion of drugs in the healthcare system.


5. List the various codes of conduct and their description of the ethical behavior expected by those in the profession, both in avoiding unethical behavior and the reporting of such.
   

Course Outline