ANA Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation® Spotlight: Kate Gibson, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC, CPRS
Published
Driven to be a change agent for nurses managing substance use recovery
When #healthynurse Kate Gibson, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC, made the brave decision to seek help for a substance use disorder, she hoped it would be life-changing — and it was. What she never imagined was how it would alter the trajectory of her career and propel her to change the lives of others like her.
"As part of my recovery, I made the decision to take every opportunity to help other nurses in the same situation," Kate says. "Until you see someone sharing a similar experience, you think, 'No one else is going through this.' There's a stigma, and it can be isolating. But the truth is that we're everywhere. We need to see that it’s possible for us to get better and return to the career we love."
At a Low Point and Searching for a Ladder
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Kate found herself using alcohol to cope with stress. At the time, she was working in emergency medicine at a Level I academic trauma center. The pandemic only increased her use of alcohol.
"When you’re in active addiction, you're never 100% yourself — even when you’re sober and at work," Kate says. "I found myself caring for people who had alcoholism and other substance use disorders. I saw what my future might look like if I didn't make healthy changes."
Kate knew she needed help but wasn't sure where to turn. She'd heard about nurses going to jail for stealing medication or losing their license after being arrested for driving while intoxicated.
"I was afraid that if I went to get treatment, I could lose my nursing license, my income, and the career I am so passionate about," Kate says. "I’d never heard that there was a positive way to get help and still be able to return to practice once it was appropriate."
Recognizing the Value of Peer Support
Kate quit her job and sought inpatient treatment at a facility halfway across the country. She wasn't there long before she learned about Virginia's Health Practitioners' Monitoring Program (HPMP). An old nursing friend had posted about his own experience with substance use and was offering peer support. He introduced Kate to HPMP, state-funded program separate from the board of nursing.
HPMP's sole job is to monitor the health care professional to ensure they are practicing safely. When you enroll voluntarily (as opposed to being referred into the program), your diagnosis and recovery do not become public record. The program is strict — it can mandate additional treatment, carry out randomized substance testing, and decide when it's appropriate for you to return to your medical career. But it also serves as an access point to other recovery-enhancing resources, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings specific to medical professionals.
"Being part of the monitoring program was challenging, but I'm so grateful for it," Kate says. "I'm healthy because of it, and I get to do all the important work I'm now doing with my peers."
Bringing Peer Support to People in Pain
Since she was cleared to return to nursing, Kate has been busy. She finished her bachelor's degree and completed a doctoral program to become a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) specializing in substance use treatment. But her real passion is the peer support program she created for her doctoral project.
Kate started a health care professionals’ peer recovery support group on the campus of the academic medical center at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). The group is confidential and open to health care students and licensed health care medical professionals living with a substance use disorder.
"We have a lot of group attendance and engagement," Kate says. "Doing the work at the health system enables us to connect with leadership about the need for this type of peer support. Peer recovery groups work. They're low-cost, low-risk, and high-impact. They can be a very useful tool."
Spreading the Word to Create Support for Nurses With Substance Use Disorders
Kate continues to find new ways to support the well-being of nurses. To help prevent burnout — which can lead to substance use — she serves as an ambassador for the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes' Foundation. Their mission is to reduce burnout of health care professionals and safeguard their well-being.
To reach an audience beyond the peer support group, Kate worked with VCU's collegiate recovery program to create a lecture series titled “That Difficult Patient Is Me — Perspectives of Health Care Professionals in Recovery From Substance Use Disorders.” Well-respected professionals share their journey with active addiction, their recovery path, and how it has enabled them to provide better care.
Kate has also presented on the need for peer support at the VCU Research to Recovery conference and the American Psychiatric Nurses Association's annual conference. She knows the more she spreads the word about peer support, the more likely her message will reach leadership and the nurses who really need that assistance.
"When you’re managing a substance use disorder, there's a lot of shame and guilt," Kate says. "It can be difficult to navigate those feelings while your brain is also trying to heal from addiction. But even when it feels like you’re at rock bottom, just knowing there’s support and a plan for you to return to the nursing career you love — that is a powerful thing."
Kate Gibson, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC, CPRS, is a certified peer recovery specialist and an affiliate faculty member at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Nursing. She is employed as a radiology nurse at VCU Health and an addiction medicine nurse practitioner at the Coleman Institute for Addiction Medicine.
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Blog #healthynurse Spotlight
10/14/2025 12:43pm CDT
The #healthynurse Spotlight is a shout out to nurses who are making changes in their lives to improve their health and wellness. You can too! Read their stories for inspiration here.
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