Problematic Substance Use Guidelines

Problematic substance use is a serious and complex issue for all health-care professionals. Substance use, which is the use of alcohol, legal and/or illegal drugs, becomes problematic when it interferes with the ability of registrants1 to provide safe, competent and ethical care. Problematic substance use needs to be identified and treated as soon as possible as it can progress to substance use disorder that could lead to long term chronic health conditions that can be fatal. Registrants demonstrating problematic substance use are at risk of making errors that may or may not harm their clients. They also have an increased risk of harming themselves as well as damaging the public’s trust in the nursing profession. The purpose of this document is to:

• provide awareness of problematic substance use;
• identify the signs and behaviours that could indicate possible problematic substance use;
• identify the steps to take when a colleague is exhibiting signs or demonstrating behaviours of problematic substance use; and
• provide information about treatment, recovery, and return to work.

Addiction and harm reduction are beyond the scope of this document.

The directions, concepts, and principles within this document are grounded in the Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses (Canadian Nurses Association [CNA], 2017) and Practice Standards for Registrants (College of Registered Nurses of Alberta [CRNA], 2023)