ANA Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation® Champion Spotlight Series: Wisconsin Peer Alliance for Nurses (WisPAN)
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Peer support for nurses with substance use and mental health issues
Nurses are human, and they aren’t immune to the effects of stress and mental health difficulties. The pressures associated with the job can drive some nurses to seek out substances as a coping mechanism.
According to a 2022 study published in the Journal of Nursing Regulation, more than 18% of the nurses surveyed screened positive for substance use problems. Of that group, approximately one-third had a substance use disorder.
While the prevalence of substance use disorders is lower in nurses than in the general population, nurses may find it more difficult to seek help due to stigma. That stigma results in fear of licensure consequences, perceived incompetence, and judgment from peers. That was the situation for #healthynurse Kristin Waite-Labott, BSN, RN, CARN, CPRC. It’s also the reason she founded the Wisconsin Peer Alliance for Nurses (WisPAN) in 2021. The nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization offers peer support for nurses struggling with substance use and mental health issues.
“Nurses are often seen as health care heroes whose only goal in life is to take care of others and make sure other people get better,” Kristin says. “But we are human beings affected by substance use and mental health issues, and that stigma makes it hard to ask for help when we are struggling.”
Founded by a Nurse, for Nurses
In the early 2000s, before she started WisPAN, Kristin struggled with anxiety, depression, and substance use disorder. She lost her nursing license and was incarcerated because of substance use.
As she went through recovery and eventually regained her footing, Kristin joined a program through Wisconsin’s Board of Nursing that allows monitoring and reinstatement of licenses for nurses in her situation. While she was grateful to regain her license and practice as a nurse again, the process was overwhelming, scary, and isolating.
Kristin later learned that other states have peer support programs for women going through the process of recovery and re-licensure. She knew that creating WisPAN was her opportunity to do something meaningful with her recovery.
“Peer support provides an opportunity to talk to someone who’s been through it,” Kristin says. “Seeing that someone else made it through, got their license back, and is practicing safely again can be what keeps you from giving up and leaving nursing forever.”
WisPAN offers virtual peer support in group and individual settings, bringing nurses together from all over Wisconsin and other states. Its staff of volunteers comes from many different backgrounds. The board of directors includes Kristin and other nurses. Half of them are in recovery themselves, while others either have a family connection with substance use or simply believe in the cause. WisPAN’s board also recently added a professional licensed counselor and psychiatric nurse practitioner to address the mental health aspect of substance use.
Providing Support at First Sign of Struggle
The peer support offered at WisPAN supports nurses as they get re-licensed and back to practicing nursing. However, the goal is to support nurses earlier, before they reach the point of losing their license.
“We want nurses to ask for help when they need it in the moment, before the stress becomes too much or they make a bad choice,” Kristin says. “Since we’ve started WisPAN, we’ve realized how many nurses are struggling — even if they haven’t yet turned to substances for comfort or gotten as far as diverting drugs. We hope peer support can keep them from ever getting that far.”
Kristin and her team recognize that mental health issues can be an underlying reason for substance use. To address those concerns, WisPAN launched peer support for nurse mental wellness in January 2024. Group sessions, which are open to all nurses and not just those with substance use issues, include a short wellness exercise and a weekly discussion topic relevant to mental health and nursing. Group participants are encouraged to join the discussion but are not required to speak.
“We’ve had nurses say that these groups saved their lives,” Kristin says. “One nurse has spoken about the fact that she was contemplating suicide when she found WisPAN. Now, a year and a half later, she speaks about how connecting with other nurses and sharing in this safe space made the difference for her.”
Looking Beyond WisPAN to Spread Peer Support
WisPAN’s board of directors has recognized the power of peer support for nurses and dedicated itself to reaching beyond its organization.
The board partners with many health and education organizations, including nurse-specific groups such as:
- Wisconsin Nurses Association (WNA): WisPAN is part of WNA’s Nurses Caring for Nurses program, helping develop a robust collection of support resources for nurses.
- Wisconsin Organization of Nurse Leaders (WONL): WisPAN attends WONL conferences to share information about the value of peer support.
- Wisconsin League for Nursing (WLN): WisPAN attends WLN conferences and shares resources with educators and students.
Kristin and the WisPAN team also created a webinar — in partnership with WNA and WONL — that looks at nurse wellbeing and encourages nurses to practice self-care and ask for help when needed. The next step, says Kristin, is sharing their peer support model with other health care professions.
“We are continuing to explore partnerships that share this model with other health care groups, such as physicians, social workers, and certified nurse assistants,” Kristin says. “Nursing is certainly not the only health discipline that could benefit from peer support.”
What does your organization do to promote nurse well-being? Share with us in our discussion.
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Blog Champion Spotlight
05/29/2025 10:08am CDT
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