I am a BSN new grad nurse. I was asked to sign an agreement with stipulations from the BON before I could get my approval to take the NCLEX. I have a criminal history and also am a recovered addict. I haven't touched a drink or drug in over 5 years. My criminal history consists of one very serious violent altercation. The other two were just detainment for drunken disorderly conduct.

I completed all requirements of my probation and I worked to have my charge reduced and eventually dismissed. I have not been in trouble with the law since getting sober.

I was totally honest and upfront with my RN application and disclosed everything, including my active participation in my recovery today which is based around the 12 step program of AA. I.e, I have a sponsor and also sponsor other guys in the program.

I was a little surprised to hear that the BON wants to put me on a monitoring program with stipulations. These include not having the ability to give narcs or work a night shift my first year as a nurse. It also includes minor things like having to get a meeting slip signed and not being able to work more than 90 hours in two weeks. They said these requirements are backed up by research and evidence shows that new nurses in recovery tend to relapse in their first year of being a nurse. So it's not like they're pulling this stuff out of thin air it seems.

The two major ones I'm struggling with are the night shift and the narcotics stipulations. I want to work night shift med-surg or ER and I have an interview at a hospital on Tuesday where nurses can get up to 7 patients. Not being able to give narcs would make things...well..interesting.

What do you guys think? Anyone have experience with being put on monitoring, without actually doing anything wrong? Should I appeal? I think I'm going to. I understand the board is there to protect the public and I told them that I don't want to seem like I'm fighting. We are on the same side and they agree.

Also...any fellow nurses in recovery? I find this unsettling that I would immediately have to blow my anonymity before even stepping foot on the floor on my first day. My coworkers AND probably my patients will ask why I can't give narcotics. I'm not going to lie.

https://allnurses.com/nurses-recovery/

Welcome aboard AN!

Above is a direct link to an entire forum section dedicated to nurses at every stage of recovery.

Welcome to monitoring! You can appeal until you are blue in the face but it won't get you anywhere.

There ARE monitoring friendly hospitals but be forewarned that most acute care jobs will drop you like a hot rock once they learn that you're under monitoring. Most of us end up in dialysis, clinics, SNFs, psych...at least until you work off the narcotic restriction. I'd browse through the recovery forum and do a search for your state to see how other people are coping and what to expect.

The two major ones I'm struggling with are the night shift and the narcotics stipulations. I want to work night shift med-surg or ER and I have an interview at a hospital on Tuesday where nurses can get up to 7 patients. Not being able to give narcs would make things...well..interesting.

I have no personal experience, but from what I've seen with others, it is highly unlikely that you'll get hired for med/surg or ER. There are simply too many narcotics to be given, so it's not a good fit. Throw "new grad" on top of that and it's it's pretty much an impossibility.

I do wish you luck, but you should probably be open to other areas just in case.

Moved to Nursing/Recovery forum

Chin up! While the likely hood is that you won't be able to get out from under the monitoring agreement you could, perhaps, argue the stipulation regarding narcotic access and night shift.

To to where you can work and what job you may be able to obtain, remember that you are embarking on a long career path. You may start off in dialysis or long term care but that doesn't mean you are vanquished there forever. I did long term care and absolutely loved it! I learned so much about sound care, cardiac care, renal care...I got to hone my knowledge about medication classes. So good!

My stipulations with Tx BON, not tpapn , forbid critical care and nights for the first year.....that was decades, thankgoodness...

best wishes

Thank you all for the responses.

I wrote a 4 page response and the board upheld the decision. However, I was offered the chance to give an official appeal in front of a committee and I decided to do it. I have an interview with a big hospital for med-surg or oncology on Tuesday which I want but my appeal date is on Thursday. I'm going to be totally upfront at my interview and take my chances again with the board.

I was looking at ADA laws and there is one that explicitly forbids employers or governing bodies(like the board) from restricting someone from participating in services based on a history of mental illness or disability. I don't know if I'm going to go in there playing lawyer though. This is just seems unfair with 5 years sober and no open cases.

I am very willing to work in a non-hospital setting. And yes, it's only a year so I will make the best of it. We shall see.

The only comment I have to your situation is that the stipulations seem to be par for the course. If it were me I would make the choice to deal with their restrictions until I reached that conclusion that nursing is not worth the hassles. I say this from a standpoint that you will find employment prospects difficult. People without license problems find employment prospects difficult. You wanted this enough to complete your education so it must mean you are invested for the long haul. Only you know how much you are willing to invest in a nursing career going forward. What would you do if you decide to turn your back on nursing?

Yes I'm going to deal with what's in front of me. I'm really not to the point of considering other career options just yet. I just graduated. I have an interview. I just spent an arm and a leg on my BSN, a restricted license is better than none.

But since you asked...I would do something that does not require any more school :) substitute teaching maybe? Sales? Who knows.

It is good that you have a positive attitude as that is going to go a long ways in allowing you to cope with whatever is in store for you. Best wishes!

Where could one find that research on new grads and relapse/addiction?

I was looking at ADA laws and there is one that explicitly forbids employers or governing bodies(like the board) from restricting someone from participating in services based on a history of mental illness or disability. I don't know if I'm going to go in there playing lawyer though. This is just seems unfair with 5 years sober and no open cases.

I'm sure that someone has played that card before though. I think that they could probably argue that they are exempt from ADA since they are working with people who work with vulnerable populations and controlled substances.