The LiveWell Program, NC Professionals Health Program and NC Board of Nursing are ready to help.
Provider impairment is a serious issue, one that is easy to neglect when living in the fast-paced and high-stress world of health care. Studies have estimated that 10%-15% of healthcare providers will misuse substances during their career and overall have a higher rate of abuse with benzodiazepines and opiates.
The mental and physical health of our health care providers is paramount to delivering outstanding care to our patients.
It is imperative that we be mindful of the ways stress and/or other outside influences impact our lives. To ensure our patients receive the care they deserve, please take a few minutes to review the information below and pause to reflect upon whether you have noticed any of the following warning signs in yourself or others, including:
- Attitude/Behavioral changes including sudden mood changes, withdrawal from friends or family, or becoming mistrusting, anxious or depressed;
- Physical changes including loss of appetite, insomnia, euphoria or somnolence without cause;
- Performance changes including missed appointments, sloppy charting, frequent absences or missing medications (including the frequent wasting of medications).
If you have identified any of the items above, please review this policy and explore the resources below for assistance:
UNC RESOURCESÂ
Please see the LiveWell Program, our Well-Being and Resiliency Guides, and the Path to Emotional Well-Being:
NC PROFESSIONALS HEALTH PROGRAM (NCPHP) RESOURCES
The NC Provider Health Program (NCPHP) includes confidential self-questionnaires, a self-help reading list, and numerous other impairment resources:
- Health Program Resources (includes questionnaires and a self-help reading list)
NC BOARD OF NURSING RESOURCES
The NC Board of Nursing contains a self-test from the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (NCADA) and information for voluntarily enrolling in a drug monitoring program: