Alabama Nursing VDAP Attorney

The Voluntary Disciplinary Alternative Program (VDAP) has been in existence since 1994. VDAP  is a program  for RN's, LPN's, and nursing applicatants who have been issssued a temporary permit for licensure whose competence in nusrsing may be compromised due to substance abuse or other qualifying physical or mental condition.  VDAP is  designed  to promote early identification, intervention, treatment, and rehabilitation of any RN, LPN, or nursing  applicant issued a valid temporary permit for licensure whose competence is found to be impaired or compromised because substance abuse or other physicial or mental conditions.

Often VDAP provides a mechanism for nurses who have substance abuse issues to address these issues informally through VDAP oversight thus avoiding the formal disciplinary process . Although VDAP is a great program for nurses who have impairment issues, it requires strict compliance to the terms of the monitoring agreement and arguably is not the answer for every nurse who may not have a substance abuse issue and instead is simply attempting to avoid the disciplinary process.

No nurse should enter VDAP without fully understanding the terms of the monitoring agreement, potential cost of the program, evaluation and treatment. Nurses should also carefully review the VDAP eligibility questionaiire and realize that certain affirmitive answers on the questionaiiree may be used as an admission of a substance abuse issue by the Board in a formal disciplinary action should the nurse change their mind and decide not to enroll or complete VDAP program.

Nurses who enroll in VDAP must be dedicated to compelting the terms of the montitioring agreement as failure to do so would lead to VDAP ceasing to advocate on behalf of the nurse and turning the matter over to the Board for formal disciplinary action.

If you are a nurse considering VDAP, it is important to fully understand the requirments of the program and monitoring agreement. It is advisable to speak with an attorney before submitting the VDAP elegibility questionairre. If you are currently under a VDAP monitoring agreement and have failed a drug screen or had your case turned over to the Board for formal disciplinary actions over non-compliance, it is important to speak with a nursing license defense attorney to understand and protect your rights.