Peer assistance programs should be dismantled.

[loerith]

And instead, we need new laws governing the states Boards of Nursing so that they do not operate outside the law or constitution. That the burden of proof is on the accuser to PROVE beyond a reasonable doubt guilt. And laws that dictate fair and reasonable penalties for certain infractions that are the same nation-wide.

My own personal experience with my peer-assistance program went down like this. I "crashed and burned" and went to my employer told them my story and we were doing voluntary random tests. I was switched to another unit and all was well ...or so I thought. Three months later {I am clean and sober all this time and have documentation to prove it} I get a letter in the mail telling me I have X# of days to contact my peer-assistance program. They were very threatening and punitive. So even though I was 3 months clean and sober at the time I was forced into the program. Knowing what I now know I would have taken it to the Board with a very good attorney.

IMHO the BoNs are totally outta control.

Love and Peace,

loerith

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Goodness, here we go again. LOL! https://allnurses.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66653

First of all congratulations on being clean and sober for three months! That is totally awesome.

The BON is out of control in many areas. Their programs should be supportive and not punitive.

But BON's are entrusted by the public to assure that nurses are competent and safe. No room for error because people's lives are at stake. I think it's the few bad seeds that they are looking for that make it hard for the rest of you honest to goodness recovering hard working people. Hang in there and good luck.

[zephyr]

. And laws that dictate fair and reasonable penalties for certain infractions that are the same nation-wide.QUOTE=loerith]

It would be nice is there were a national standard for all states for programs that are attempting to assist nurses who have had impairment issues. I know that my alternative to discipline progam was fair and gave me the opportunity to return to work as a nurse without having license discipline. That is the way it works in some states.

z~