Substance Use Disorders and Accessing Alternative-to-Discipline Programs

Alternative-to-discipline programs (ADPs) are monitoring programs developed in the United States in the 1980s for nurses with substance abuse disorder (SUD).These programs enable health care professionals to avoid disciplinary action and return to work under strict guidance and supervision that ensure public safety and hold the health care professional accountable. Knowledge and understanding of the process of accessing an ADP in one's state can be an elusive and confusing process for the nurse with SUD or those with an interest in helping nurses with SUD. This article addresses SUD among nurses and how complaints against nurses are handled by the board of nursing, and discusses ADPs, including their availability, eligibility, benefits, and challenges.