Self-preservation: treatment intervention for nurse impairment

The nursing profession has initiated major intervention programs designed to address the issues and problems generated by impaired professional behavior. In Part I of this two-part series, the parameters of this key aspect of self-preservation were outlined. Part II will describe several existing and evolving intervention strategies tailored to the unique needs of the impaired nurse. Legal, social, and professional concerns are discussed as each relates to the challenges posed to peer and/or therapist efforts to treat the impaired nurse. A sampling of intervention programs is presented for both informational purposes as well as to serve as illustrations of methods that can be adapted by clinicians who have or can anticipate treating the impaired nurse.