CA nurses help !!

Nurses Recovery

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Hi, I'm a RN that worked in CA for about a year and a half . I was accused of using or being impaired at work one night . I had not taken anything was just emotionally upset over non work related issues and had a really bad night . No one witnessed any diversion. , no discrepancies in the narcotics , and no drug screen was done . I was asked to leave work around 5 am .

Was told by the CNO that I would be reported to the board for " observed behavior " .

This was 12/18/17 and as of today I still have t heard anything from any dept at the CA BON . And I checked and my license is still clear .

Anyone have any idea how long these things take ? And when will I be informed of an investigatin ?

One good thing is that I resigned , I was not fired . But can't get a reference from them for a new job . But I've got to work .

Thanks so much for the comments , they have been very helpful .

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Things might be different in CA, but here in IL it is typical for hospitals to only give out dates of employment. It's not a law but that is a typical HR policy here. Hospitals are afraid of being sued. I have heard that they only answer the "is she rehireable" question if it is another hospital or other entity within the same system. Where I used to work, if a manager was called for a direct reference, the policy was to transfer the call to HR and they would then only give dates of employment and title held. I go to nurses in recovery support groups and one of them is primarily made up of nurses who were fired for diverting drugs. Even they got hired elsewhere listing their old employer. They were also reported to the BON and also had to deal with that but the reference part of it wasn't an issue. Nursing homes and other facilities might be different but I only have first hand knowledge of hospitals.

There are companies that will do a reference check for you to let you know what is said about you. You have to pay for it of course. I would do that if it were me.

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Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.
The idea to get a drug screen now, a hair test, is that a hair test would show back three months, so it would prove that you had no drugs in your system at the time of the incident. I don't know if you'd need it, since they didn't even ask for one at the time, but if you get it now, you'll have proof of a negative screen for the time in question. A regular urine drug screen would be of no use, obviously. That would only show drug use in the last few days.

^she's wise.^ It's your livelihood. It is likely that this was an empty threat with no proof and no request to take a drug test. BUT if it's not, your case is non-emergent and eventually the BON would ask. So, do it now. Just in case.

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Hi, I'm a RN that worked in CA for about a year and a half . I was accused of using or being impaired at work one night . I had not taken anything was just emotionally upset over non work related issues and had a really bad night . No one witnessed any diversion. , no discrepancies in the narcotics , and no drug screen was done . I was asked to leave work around 5 am .

Was told by the CNO that I would be reported to the board for " observed behavior " .

This was 12/18/17 and as of today I still have t heard anything from any dept at the CA BON . And I checked and my license is still clear .

Anyone have any idea how long these things take ? And when will I be informed of an investigatin ?

That is a sad state of affairs when a nurse cannot be upset over something without being accused of being loaded.

I place the blame at the totally overblown 'opiate crisis', scarcely a day goes by without a story on lil Johnny or Susie, who never had a legit Rx for anything, overdosing on heroin but hey, we are talking about middle class white kids so we need to kick off 'The War on Drugs' part two. I work in corrections and meth is still in the #1 spot but no government agency ever made a dent in anything during the 1st war on drugs so for the sequel they figured out doctors do not shoot back. Anyway enough of my rant, I have been sober since '89 (I was a waitress, thank God) but during the last couple of years working night shift I was getting so little sleep I looked/felt like the living dead and would burst into tears at the sight of an empty coffee pot.

When it became that bad I switched to days, this was 15 years ago, well before the general hysteria we have going on now. I wish you well, get yourself a drug screen, hair would show you are negative over a period of time. Then sue the facility for libel...

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Get a job for sure!!! The wheels of this garbage truck move slow & you are gonna need all the resources you can garner should a poop storm ensue. I'd get a hair test also. We have some folks in here who have been inappropriately placed in these meat-grinders for mental health issues but I am much less familiar with that aspect of the program. Are you still in CA?

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No I'm no longer in Ca . Moved home . Def getting a hair test done and hopefully a job if the hosp I was at hasn't put me on the do not rehire list . That would kill my chances of a new job I believe . Fingers crossed .

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The Very Best of Luck!!!

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