Put an end to The Pennsylvania Nurse Peer Assistance Program (PNAP)
Public Comments (626)
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Apr 5th, 2016Someone from Berwick, PA signed.
Apr 2nd, 2016Someone from Wyoming, PA signed.
Mar 18th, 2016Someone from Monroe Township, NJ signed.
Mar 18th, 2016Someone from Monroe Township, NJ signed.
Mar 17th, 2016Someone from State College, PA writes:
The Pnap program forces you to "certify" that you are an addict. If you do not...you are ineligible for participation. How is this considered a voluntary program? Pnap has taken away my civil liberties. They do not follow the provider's recommendations and everyone is forced into the same consequences. The financial burden is too great.Mar 16th, 2016Someone from Roulette, PA signed.
Mar 15th, 2016Someone from Wyncote, PA signed.
Mar 13th, 2016Someone from Denver, CO writes:
I have watched my daughter suffer tremendously, emotionally and financially, at the hands of Peer Review in Denver . They threaten to lock her up for a month if she does not comply to their every demand. Peer Review uses tactics to sabotage their victims into fear so that they will comply to their wishes or relinquish their license forever. Peer Review is acting criminally and inhumanly and needs to be held accountable for ruining so many lives.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelMar 12th, 2016Someone from Denver, CO writes:
PA is a money making scam! Having to pay thousands of dollars for groups, counseling, and testing for a stupid mistake I made YEARS ago and had nothing to do with my job. Never a mark on my nursing license until now. Screw you, BON!REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelMar 12th, 2016Someone from Eldred, PA writes:
It is well known that nurses are professionals and that nurses are held to very high standards. Nurses very well may be held to the highest standards in the professional world. Giving this, nurses are also human and can make mistakes just like anyone else would. One little mistake such as a first offense DUI can end a nursing career. One mistake does not define a nurses professionalism, caring, and compassion, especially when not even related. This program needs to be restructured. People in general deserve a chance. No one's career should be ended after one mistake, especially one not even related to the work you do on a daily basis. Fight for nurses!REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelMar 12th, 2016Someone from Shinglehouse, PA signed.
Mar 12th, 2016Someone from Shinglehouse, PA signed.
Mar 12th, 2016Someone from Portville, NY signed.
Mar 12th, 2016Someone from Portville, NY signed.
Mar 3rd, 2016Someone from Saint Petersburg, FL writes:
It's a huge money making scam, taking tens of thousands of dollars from insurance, welfare and government grants for each nurse. They have no concern for helping anyone, they tell the nurses to lie so they can get grants or they will lose their license. It's extortion at it lowest level?threatening innocent people who care for our sick, disabled and elderly with the loss of their livelihood and ability to provide for their families. The people who run this extortion scam should be held personally responsible to repay every nurse who has been unfairly caught up in this unconstitutional process.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelMar 3rd, 2016Someone from Canonsburg, PA signed.
Feb 29th, 2016Someone from Freeport, PA signed.
Feb 25th, 2016Someone from Riverside, NJ signed.
Feb 18th, 2016Someone from Willow Grove, PA signed.
Feb 18th, 2016Someone from Easton, PA writes:
There is an injustice if they can keep you in the program for longer than the 3 year contract with successful completion and compliance of that 3 yearsREPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelFeb 17th, 2016Someone from Riverton, NJ signed.
Feb 17th, 2016Someone from Philadelphia, PA signed.
Feb 5th, 2016Someone from Philadelphia, PA signed.
Jan 30th, 2016Someone from Mountain Top, PA writes:
I believe the safety of the public is a great concern, but the way these programs work the healthcare provider is not treated fairly. Having a disgruntled fellow employee can ruin your life. The people that run these programs are not on the healthcare workers side. Each case is not treated individually. Everyone that comes into contact with the monitoring programs all recieve the highest level of "punishment"....let's call it what it is!! A Non-profit organization?!?! Not even close!!REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelJan 30th, 2016Someone from Mountain Top, PA writes:
I believe the safety of the public is a great concern, but the way these programs work the healthcare provider is not treated fairly. Having a disgruntled fellow employee can ruin your life. The people that run these programs are not on the healthcare workers side. Each case is not treated individually. Everyone that comes into contact with the monitoring programs all recieve the highest level of "punishment"....let's call it what it is!! A Non-profit organization?!?! Not even close!!REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelJan 26th, 2016Someone from Towanda, PA signed.
Jan 11th, 2016Someone from Philadelphia, PA writes:
The Pennsylvania Nurse Peer Assistance Program is registered as a non-profit organization that states its mission is to provide "peer assistance." I can tell you first hand that there is NO peer assistance provided EVER since the start of this organization. I have personally been involved 5 years and I have never met my case manager yet alone have had any peer assistance. These case managers aren't even nurses and as far as I know any substance abuse issues. This so called charity organization is run out of a small house in the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania. According to Guidestar they have a revenue of over 1 million dollars. $840,996 of it is from Government grants and additional revenue from "program services" is $171,263. The organization charges you $300 per month. They are listed under "mental health treatment" but there is NO treatment provided by them. The only service you receive from them is you send them your paperwork instead of to the BON. That is it! The entire Board of Nursing basically extorts nurses and the amount of money gained as a result of the contracts is enormous. I would recommend stocks in First Lab because they are making so much money! For the individuals who write on here that they "can't believe anyone would complain about this program" I would say that everyone's situation is very different. Certainly, there are cases where nurses present a real threat to patient safety. On the other hand, plenty of nurses are getting publicly disciplined and subjected to years of being trapped who are NOT even close to presenting any threat whatsoever to patient safety. Heck, the BON doesn't even give you the option to inactivate your license. You MUST enroll even if you aren't planning to work as a nurse (to avoid public discipline). Anyone who knows substance abuse issues can tell you that it is a process. This group wants you to be immediately 100% fixed or else!!! I think this program is backfiring because I can tell you that I have come across plenty of unstable nurses (that are working) that it would definitely be in a patient's best interest if they were monitored but would never enroll in this program because the stakes are too high. I am asking our law makers to PLEASE look into the practices of PNAP and the BON. The program and contracts are far harsher then criminals on parole!!REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelJan 11th, 2016Someone from Philadelphia, PA signed.
Jan 10th, 2016Someone from Jamison, PA signed.
Jan 6th, 2016Someone from Jamison, PA signed.
Jan 5th, 2016Someone from Warminster, PA writes:
While I understand the need for PNAP, VRP and the DMU, the program is extremely rigorous, overly strict, extremely punitive and unbelievably expensive. While some participants can "graduate" in three years, many will ultimately find themselves back in the program again. Or, others may have infractions and they will extend the program another three years or worse give you a public disciplinary record which will tell the world you are addicted to alcohol or drugs (under public search). This program causes extreme stress and anxiety and can be a catch 22 because if you mess up, you get sucked into it more and more bringing you into despair and depression and loss of self esteem. The program lumps everyone into this "bad and unsafe to the public" category when in reality that isn't the case. I have met people from both ends of the spectrum. Sadly, some amazing nurses have lost their careers because of the intensity of this program. I would love to see the statistics from the board of nursing. The PNAP website says something along the lines of 91% success rate which I don't believe for anything! Clearly when you go into the licensing disciplinary actions the nurses (year after year) are DISPROPORTIONATELY disciplined compared to any other occupations, including dentists, doctors, pharmacists, psychologists and other allied health occupations. Obviously, this makes no sense whatsoever. Same thing with other public occupations such as lawyers and teachers. No other profession has this high of rate of disciplinary actions. Something clearly isn't right or fair. Many kinks need to be worked out.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelJan 4th, 2016Someone from Wilkes Barre, PA signed.
Dec 22nd, 2015Someone from Berwick, PA signed.
Dec 21st, 2015Someone from New Castle, PA writes:
Here are the costs if anyone want to sign up for this so called voluntary program. Inpatient rehab 28 days 10,000 dollars Outpatient 8 weeks 5,000 dollars 3 year urine screens. 9,000 dollars Lost wadges ? 20,000 dollars Nurse group meetings 1,000 dollars 600 aa meetings Lost time Pnap fees. 1,200 dollars The numbers just don't add up. The program is just too harsh financially and too time consuming for a nurse to live anything like a normal life. Yes getting messed up every once in a while was insane, but the vrp and Pnap are just as insane. Pnap and the Bon needs to realize you can't fix insanity with more insanity.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelDec 19th, 2015Someone from Philadelphia, PA writes:
I can not even believe this is here. I signed so I could comment. Do the nurses that signed this truly believe they should not be rigorously tested for being and addict? You administer narcotics to people that can easily be diverted for your own use. Yes I myself am an addict, I am active in VRP/PNAP. I made my own bed. I would rather do this program than have my license taken away.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelDec 18th, 2015Someone from Whitehall, PA writes:
I just completed PNAP at 11 am today! I really did not find the program too hard to follow. I admiited myself to rehab 3 years ago because I knew I had a problem. One wek before discharge I was told I had to enroll in the program in order to keep my job. A bit of overkill but I needed my job. I was given advice at the start of the program to"stay under the radar" and all wil be alright. That is what I did anf all went well. Don't fight it you can't beat PNAP!REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelDec 18th, 2015Someone from Whitehall, PA signed.
Dec 2nd, 2015Someone from Mohnton, PA signed.
Nov 24th, 2015Someone from West Middlesex, PA writes:
this program hasn't helped me like I thought it would. I'm going to wreck myself when I'm done with this ********. Euphoria here I come!REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelNov 17th, 2015Someone from Quarryville, PA writes:
I have been in this program for 2 years now. I dont work as a nurse anymore because I cant get a job with all of the restrictions. It is also hard to hold a regular job and make it to the testing centers that are only taking PNAP people until 6pm but dont open until 9am. They keep changing the rules at the testing centers and its making it very hard. Not to mention the cost keeps going up. I am still testing 3 times a month and have NEVER failed a drug screen. Then there is the issue of 3 meetings a week. I was forced into this program and I expected after the initial eval that I was going to be told that this program was not needed. They told me I had to comply with everything or lose my license. Again, I have NEVER had a positive just someone on a witch hunt. Im so discouraged that I have myself convinced that I dont ever want to go back into nursing even though for over 15yrs I loved what I did and was a great nurse. Programs like this should be catered to peoples needs as individuals. I feel like this program is all about the money. I havent even paid PNAP the $300 a year yet so it will cost me about $900 just to be released in a year of they let me out. I feel there is no end to this highly punative programREPORT COMMENTS
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