About RAMP

Recovery & Monitoring Program (RAMP)

Nurse Substance Abuse Treatment
24/7 Crisis Hotline for Impaired Nurses 1-800-662-0108

The Recovery and Monitoring Program (RAMP) was established in 2003 as an Alternative to Discipline program, managed by the Institute for Nursing for the New Jersey Board of Nursing.

RAMP is a confidential, voluntary program that works with the Board of Nursing, employers and nurses to ensure public safety, safe practice and health. It is designed to encourage health professionals to seek a recovery program before their impairment harms a patient or damages their careers through a disciplinary action. The New Jersey State Board of Nursing refers nurses who qualify to RAMP for monitoring as an alternative to disciplinary action. RAMP participation is also part of the reinstatement process for nurses with a licensing action.

RAMP offers nurses support in receiving the appropriate treatment, closely monitoring recovery, working with employers and ensuring the nurses in New Jersey are providing safe, high quality care to the public.  RAMP also serves as an advocate for nurses seeking to return to work. It is a comprehensive, structured plan for recovery and monitoring that promotes public protection, safe practice and health.

In 2015, over 27 million people in the United States reported current use of illicit drugs or misuse of prescription drugs, and over 66 million people (nearly a quarter of the adult and adolescent population) reported binge drinking in the past month.  In 2017, in the United States, there were 54 million people over the age of 12 that had used prescription drugs for nonmedical reasons. (The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs and Health, 2016)

This is not a disease that discriminates based on age, health, race or socioeconomic status. Health professionals are not immune to it, in fact, the American Nurses Association (ANA) estimates that six to eight percent of nurses use alcohol or drugs to an extent that is sufficient to impair professional performance (NCSBN 2011).

General symptoms of substance use problems in nurses can include: mood swings, defensiveness, isolation, irritability, poor judgment and difficulty following through on assignments, coming to work on days off and volunteering for overtime. Early recognition and intervention leads to better outcomes for the nurse and a safe environment for the public.

RAMP provides the monitoring necessary to support nurses in regaining and maintaining their physical, social, emotional and professional well-being. RAMP also works with employers and provides education to nurses, employers and the public.

Intake/Referral Contact Information

RAMP accepts referrals from nurses, licensing board, employers and other sources confidentially by phone or email.

To enroll or for more information, please contact Annemarie Edinger.

Annemarie Edinger: RAMP Communications Coordinator

Terri Ivory: RAMP Director

First Steps in RAMP

Contact RAMP for intake interview:

  1. RAMP will send you an enrollment packet which includes an application and monitoring agreement. Be sure to send any Board of Nursing documents to RAMP.
  2. Find a nursing peer group near you. Please call the facilitator prior to the meeting and make sure they have openings in their group.
  3. You will receive an FSSolutions enrollment packet with instructions to sign up for drug screening.
  4. Call the RAMP Communications Coordinator for an orientation call after you receive your enrollment packet.

Please be aware: If you are a nurse in need of help there is a hotline available 24-hours a day 1-800-662-0108

24/7 Crisis Hotline for Impaired Nurses - 1-800-662-0108