APRN seeking employment after being reported to NPDB for substance use disorder

[crna05]

CRNA here diagnosed with SUD after self reporting opiate use from prior hospital.  I did complete rehab and I am currently 18 months into a 5 year state monitored program for SUD.  I remain compliant.  I was reported to the NPDB for my actions.  I am currently seeking employment as a CRNA at several places and my concern is getting credentialed after being reported to the NPDB agency.  Everything I am reading online says it is very difficult to get a job after you have been reported to that agency.  Just searching to see if there are others who have been in my situation and did regain employment again?  any words of encouragement are welcomed because I feel like I won't ever get another job as a CRNA again because of this...

[TIMFY]

crna05 said:

Just curious, does the place you receive infusions at happen to be in Kentucky? If so, could I get the name of it so I can put an app in? 

It is not, it is in Texas 😞 but feel free to PM me if you want any other info!

[Sanfranjflo]

I'm not a CRNA but I know of one that went into monitoring 3 times and was even arrested. He is now in monitoring for life. He is working successfully as a CRNA. You will too. It may not be your dream job initially but you will get there. Please don't give up hope. 

[Healer555]

Sanfranjflo said:

I'm not a CRNA but I know of one that went into monitoring 3 times and was even arrested. He is now in monitoring for life. He is working successfully as a CRNA. You will too. It may not be your dream job initially but you will get there. Please don't give up hope. 

How do you end up with life? 

[Sanfranjflo]

He had a serious addiction. I am surprised they didn't take his license after the 2nd time. He was in TN and now works in Florida.

[Healer555]

Sanfranjflo said:

He had a serious addiction. I am surprised they didn't take his license after the 2nd time. He was in TN and now works in Florida.

They found out because of the arrest? That's crazy. I couldn't do life. I'd have to switch careers

[Sanfranjflo]

I couldn't do it either! He was caught diverting so many times. The last time he was caught he was stealing Propofol and the patient couldn't be sedated during a procedure because he had watered it down. After he was fired he was arrested for trying to break in one of those boxes for people to dispose of old drugs. He was only successful at being sober during monitoring. The BON didn't think he could continue his career without it. Last I heard he was doing well. 

[Healer555]

Holey tomoley. Never heard of anyone doing that.  I didn't even think protocol abuse was a thing. 

[crna05, CRNA]

Sanfranjflo said:

I'm not a CRNA but I know of one that went into monitoring 3 times and was even arrested. He is now in monitoring for life. He is working successfully as a CRNA. You will too. It may not be your dream job initially but you will get there. Please don't give up hope. 

Thank you for this.  It is encouraging to hear stories of APRNs who do get 2nd chances at this profession.  It wasnt easy getting this degree and I hate that I am where I am at currently, but I am ready to get back to work and show others that we do recover!

[HarleyvQuinn, MSN, RN, NP]

Steven Thompson said:

Being in the NPDB and whether a facility accepts/bills Medicare has a grand total of ZERO relation. Again that's nursing school myth and legend and gossip. Being in the NPDB absolutely does not make you ineligible for Medicare Billing/Reimbursement/Participation as a CRNA

It's that OIG exclusion list we all should rightly fear. That's the one that'll get you blackballed from Medicare/Medicaid-funded places. Which is like everywhere. 😨

[Steven Thompson]

You will get a job and again, of about 100 CRNAs I worked with in recovery, all but 1 got a job and she didn't a get job because she was still using. Most (not all) but MOST CRNAs who divert will go into the NPDB. It's a given for CRNAs and stste boards will almost always report. If you stay in your monitoring program and are in compliance with your monitoring program, it would be completely unheard of for you not to work again as a CRNA. NPDB is absolutely not a show stopper and it's alarming how many schools of Nursing and Graduate APRN programs including DNaP and dnp programs in nurse anesthesia that scare the heck out of students with the NPDB. Your biggest obstacle is NOT thr Data Bank, it's the fact that you have a background in recovery. 

[Steven Thompson]

Sanfranjflo said:

I'm not a CRNA but I know of one that went into monitoring 3 times and was even arrested. He is now in monitoring for life. He is working successfully as a CRNA. You will too. It may not be your dream job initially but you will get there. Please don't give up hope. 

Monitoring for life? I don't think so. Never ever ever ever ever heard or seen this. Thst is factually NOT true. I have 25 contacts on my phone right now who are CRNAs and about 10 of the 25 arrested (not uncommon for CRNAs).  What is possible and realistic and does happen sometimes? If you have a CRNA who is in the program for the 2nd or 3rd time, their consent order will say, "monitoring is for the duration that the Board sees fit which may include the duration of the nurses lifelong practice. After 5 years of monitoring, the nurse may petition the Board for changes to the monitoring agrreement." 

So, if the nurse/CRNA above never petitions the Board to end monitoring at the 5 year mark, then the monitoring will continue on and on and on but even in these circumstances, if the nurse/CRNA is compliant, at the 5 year mark if the CRNA/nurse petitions for changes, the Board will make them come in for a life appearance with supportive documentation and usually the request is granted to end monitoring, but on occasion, I have seen them say one more year. 

[Sanfranjflo]

Well you are factually wrong! I'm not going to argue with you. It's on the TN BON website as lifetime monitoring. He has been in the program 3 times. But carry on.....