CA first DUI

Nurses Recovery

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hello all, i am saddened to create this thread but wanted more insights on first dui i got a 0.14, wondering what the whole process is like and who has gone through it thanks

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So sorry that happened to you. I would suggest start going to AA, create a sign in sheet for yourself, your lawyer and the judge. Most Nursing Boards require 90 meeting in 90 days, get a sponsor, someone who has some long-term sobriety, my sponsor has 36 years. The best thing I did was self-report to the Texas Nursing Board, are you in a different state? There should be a place on your State Board's website to complete a Self-Report.

You could call them too. Find an Outpatient Rehab, if you can start going. The more you do to sink yourself into recovery, the better your outcome could be. Best Wishes

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Hello AleoBlox !

I received your message but was unable to reply. My first DUI i got a .24. I was denied my license, but went on to appeal the denial. About a year and a half later they offered my license on probation.

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I hesitate to reply because quite a bit of the impact of this is state dependent based on the knowledge of what I picked up here chatting. I can tell you my experiences & reflections and I'll try. About a year an a half ago I got a DUI on a off-night when I wasn't working the next day. I exercised poor judgement & was out with a friend drinking. I should have stayed the night at her place but I wanted to get up early and go for a bike ride. Bad Move!!! To anybody reading this please as a nurse exercise better judgement than me because the results of getting a DUI are not proportionate with the punishment the rest of the world receives. I self reported to the BON immediately as I thought it was my duty as a professional to do so. I never talked to a lawyer as I trusted that whatever sanctions I received from the board would be fair and deserved. I quit drinking and started attending AA meetings on almost a daily basis out of pure remorse from my actions.

For the next several months nothing happened. I continued going to work in the ER. Worked on completing my DNP & did a ton of OT. I was fine. I was sober and pretty happy. I got notice from the board that I'd have to be "evaluated" by a "treatment professional" and afterwards they would make recommendations on what I should do. Of course I complied. Stupidly I answered all their answers honestly and without seeking prior counsel. Well later that day I was told I had to cease work and go to impatient rehab in a couple days. I was also told that I couldn't go back to work or school until I got permission from the BON. So for the next 4 months I was either in inpatient rehab or outpatient rehab with no income. Luckily I had completed my clinical hours for school early and I had saved a ton of leave from work as I was a long term employee who almost never called off so I didn't fail out of my DNP program & got to cash in my accrued leave so I didn't go bankrupt. While in outpatient rehab I was told that permission to return to work would not be granted until I did 90 meetings in 90 days & I got a sponsor. I did both as fast as possible. I took me about a month to do 90 meetings and by the time I was released form out patient I was given permission to return to work but not to the ER. I was assigned to a case management job in my hospital upon release.

Note as these things go I'm a lucky, lucky guy. I always had a check coming in and was never unemployed. This is not the case for most folks I meet in this program. They lose their job & really everything else. Some simply cannot afford to complete the program. It's a tough spot to be placed in being expected to quit working or getting fired and be expected to pay for all this "treatment". So for the last year I've been relegated to a cubicle doing case management with no OT or shift differential. Total cost according to my last paycheck is about $40K in lost wages. I just started my last semester of my DNP studies last week after being forced to take a year off and feel like a fish outta water. Apparently, the board is going to release me back to the ER after a year's absence where I'm sure I'll feel like a fish out of water there also. In short there has been nothing good about this program. My recommendation is to get the best lawyer you can find who is well versed in dealing with your BON and make sure that your rights are protected and you fully understand the world of crap you are in. I did not much, much to my regret.

I wish you well my friend

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Thanks for your reply is you don't mind me asking what was your BAC ? Thanks yes will get lawyer

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My BAC was .16

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Update I ended up with a wet reckless

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Hello! I'm in CA and in the Nurse Intervention Program. Just want you to know that it won't matter if you have a wet and reckless or a DUI. The nursing boards here give full penalties to everyone. There are nurses in my program (on probation) who had a DUI before they ever went to nursing school AND were able to have it expunged from there records, who were placed on probation for it once the BON found out. My advice, come clean to the boards as soon as possible, ask for probation (the charge will be seen on your Nursing License but you'll be able to remain working as opposed to IP where you'll have to not work and voluntarily make your license inactive until your monitoring panel deems you worthy to return to work WITH restrictions which is usually 9-12 months).

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Sent info the the board, currently waiting their reponse, how long does it usually take to hear back? I noticed all LVN w DUI no accidents and BAC level less than double they all got fines ...

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Sent info the the board, currently waiting their reponse, how long does it usually take to hear back? I noticed all LVN w DUI no accidents and BAC level less than double they all got fines ...

In all fairness, this is probably not all of them...just the ones who had public discipline. Those are the ones you were seeing. I'm sure many others are in monitoring and therefore might not have public discipline because of that. And some of those may be pre licensure DUIs. It's hard to say. I have a hard time believing that they would punish LVNs differently than RNs. But I could be wrong.

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And yea the others who weren't in that category ended up w probation it's available online LVN discipline c ....RN doesn't have that available tho

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Just a word of advice, don't look at what discipline LVN's get, especially in California because they're regulated by a different board that is a LOT more lenient on minor offenses (like misdemeanors that have nothing to do with nursing).

Having worked in a SNF, I saw a lot of CNAs work the ranks up to RN over the years. One of my good friends was one of them, got a wet and reckless as a CNA, was then caught driving while her license was suspended due to the W&R (She was also a scuba instructor and had to drive her equipment to the beach), and got a misdemeanor driving with a suspended license charge.

Anywhoo, 2 years later she got her LVN. Took her longer than usual to get licensed but she got an unencumbered LVN license in 2015. Went straight into the RN program at the local community college, 2 years later applied for her authorization to test...long story short she got her RN license but is now on a 3 year probation term with the RN board. We were all shocked as she had already been licensed by the LVN board without a problem and her offenses were so minor and so long ago.

Not trying to get your hopes up but also not trying to give you false hope that the board is suddenly going to have a change of heart when theyve been handing out probationary licenses left and right.

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