24.159.2001    INTRODUCTION OF THE NURSES' ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

(1) The Board of Nursing's medical assistance program shall be called the Nurses' Assistance Program (NAP), also referred to as the program. The program shall be based upon the concept that early identification, intervention, and referral to treatment are paramount to promoting public health, safety, and welfare in that it decreases the time between the nurse's acknowledgement of a substance use disorder or mental health problem or chronic physical illness and the time treatment is received. The NAP is a specially designed program that shall be available to assist all licensed nurses under the jurisdiction of the board who are found to be physically or mentally impaired by habitual intemperance; excessive use of addictive drugs, alcohol, or any other drug or substance; by mental illness; or chronic physical illness. The purpose of the program is to protect the public by putting appropriate monitoring processes in place for nurses with impairments that result in the inability to practice with reasonable skill and safety.

(2) The NAP will have two tracks:

(a) the disciplinary monitoring track; and

(b) the alternative monitoring track.

(3) The NAP will monitor the nurses' rehabilitation process to ensure safe practice.

History: 37-8-202, MCA; IMP, 37-8-202, MCA; NEW, 1991 MAR p. 2435, Eff. 12/13/91; AMD, 2001 MAR p. 167, Eff. 1/26/01; TRANS, from Commerce, & AMD, 2006 MAR p. 2035, Eff. 8/25/06; AMD, 2012 MAR p. 996, Eff. 5/11/12.