Attn Florida IPN Nurses

KyBeagle, ASN · Dec 15, 2019

@catsmeow1972

Sorry to hear about your shattered wrist, Cats. Thank Heavens you’ve at least “graduated” & won’t have navigate the complexity of a pee test collection while you’re wrist is in a splint/cast/sling!

Christy Baker · Dec 16, 2019

On 5/2/2019 at 2:39 PM, Persephone Paige said:
Bump... Keep 'em coming nurses. We are now FOUR... If you know of or have experienced unreasonable referrals because your colleagues or case managers are angry with you, contact me. If you, or someone you know has completed IPN, but wen't through hell to get there, make an anonymous account and contact me. I'm simply collecting accounts and assigning #s to protect the identity of participants who wish to speak up, but are afraid of further retaliation.
The only way we can affect change is by standing together.
I'll keep 'bumping' this to the top.

I am new and tried messaging you....

pcoladriver · Dec 16, 2019

On 5/2/2019 at 2:39 PM, Persephone Paige said:
Bump... Keep 'em coming nurses. We are now FOUR... If you know of or have experienced unreasonable referrals because your colleagues or case managers are angry with you, contact me. If you, or someone you know has completed IPN, but wen't through hell to get there, make an anonymous account and contact me. I'm simply collecting accounts and assigning #s to protect the identity of participants who wish to speak up, but are afraid of further retaliation.
The only way we can affect change is by standing together.
I'll keep 'bumping' this to the top.

I am unable to message you with my story, complaints, IPN is a contractor--this is a huge money grab! please contact me so I can [email protected]

Persephone Paige, ADN · Dec 18, 2019

Hi everyone, I'm sorry, I haven't gotten these notices. And I don't have any notices in my inbox. It's been a while, I'll check again and get back ASAP.

Persephone Paige, ADN · Dec 18, 2019

I just checked, no messages. Maybe it's because I haven't been on in a while... try a test.

Persephone Paige, ADN · Dec 20, 2019

Still no notices showing up in my inbox. In case anyone stops by, my advice at this time is to descend on Vocational Rehabilitation. Tell them you are with IPN and that some have already begun seeking their help and they will see more. Fill out their forms and apply for their services... The right people will not start noticing us until clean/sober nurses with perhaps other comorbid diagnosis (for myself it's Autism/ADHD/Asperger's) start hitting them up for money and services to try and survive and get out of IPN.

SpankedInPittsburgh, DNP, RN · Dec 20, 2019

That’s good advice. My vocational rehab folks paid for some of my early testing. Looking back it really wasn’t much but it sure helped when I had absolutely nothing and was living on turkey Franks and Mac and cheese

catsmeow1972, BSN, RN · Dec 20, 2019

While in the early stages of the contract, when I could not find a job due to the confines of the contract and earlier in the ridiculously drawn out ‘intake’ process and ‘recommandated’ and wholly unnecessary ‘treatment’, I actually successfully got SSDI. It took the usual 2 rejections and ALJ hearing. When I finally got to the hearing, the judge asked if I was in IPN. I was a little surprised because I had not mentioned it, Given that IPN was one of (probably the) biggest reasons why I couldn’t get a nursing job....it was a good question. I was just surprised that the judge knew anything about the existence.

The judge awarded me the lump sum that equated back pay from the start to when I had found a job. I was working when the hearing finally came around so it was treated as a ‘closed claim.’
Thanks to IPNs antics however, I had 2 more of what SS calls ‘failed work attempts.’ Even though the contract is over and I’ve moved on, I still had another 15 month period while under contract that I was unable to work as a nurse because of IPN and their antics. Back then I resurrected the disability claim and went through the usual reject twice and then schedule a hearing. I have that coming up soon and will be trying for the closed claim thing again. If I prevail, and I think I might as it’s merely a repeat of the last time, I will get a rather substantial sum of money.

Moral of the story....it can’t hurt to apply for SSDI. It’s a system that we paid into for years and should not feel bad about utilizing its benefits. If mental health and/or addictions are considered disabilities, well then......

It may take time and be frustrating, but it can be well worth the patience.

KyBeagle, ASN · Dec 21, 2019

I didn’t apply for SSDI or unemployment but I did use other community services. Being unemployed in my early 40s was a humbling experience. I essentially wanted to hide my head in the sand & not come out. My husband started shopping around at our local community resources. I was off work for the first 3 months of the KARE contract. One organization paid for our electric bill for one month. We qualified for food bank/community pantry services with 2 different organizations. At each place I had to explain WHY I was out of work (especially for a nurse). Since it was drug related, I had to show proof of SUD treatment in order to get benefits. So-very humbling when going from the autonomy of an ED Trauma RN to showing proof of IOP enrollment at our local food banks. I had one volunteer ask me about the KARE program, which flabbergasted me since most KY nurses don’t even know about the program. (The local food banks had seen KARE nurses before). I also qualified for KY Medicaid for 3 months for our family & the federal SNAP food assistance program. Again- very humbling. And embarrassing. And it’s an humiliating memory when I think about the reaction of my teenage kids when we came home with one of our big boxes of donated food. They were excited to dig through the box to see what food we got for THIS month. We pulled through it and, now, I wonder WHAT we would have done without those community resources. Personally, I could have lived on only ramen and Mac & cheese for 3 months (especially since I got myself into that mess), however, it wasn’t fair that I dragged my husband & kids through that nightmare, as well. So I am very grateful for all the services we received. And it was a great lesson to me, as I didn’t realize how prideful that I was until I had to set me pride to the side & beg for help.
This was a little off topic. But I did have to show proof of a Vocational Rehab interview to qualify for one of the food banks & to obtain assistance for my electric bill.

Persephone Paige, ADN · Feb 6, 2020

It really does help to go to Voc Rehab. They can help offset many of the costs associated with the monitoring programs. And I'm meeting with a job person (whatever that is) Monday. I was diagnosed with ASD of the Asperger's type and if IPN does this again, Voc Rehab can watch all their work go up in smoke too.

catsmeow1972, BSN, RN · Feb 12, 2020

Just now thought to update myself on this....I did go to the hearing and got an immediate result from the judge. He approved the ‘closed claim’ so now I wait for the aforementioned chunk of change to show up and I can repay some of what family fronted me while IPN played around with my life/career/sanity, etc. I’m not sure family ‘needs’ it back but that isn’t the point.

As I said before, time and patience. I suspect Soc. sec sees more of us whose are in the boat of being saddled with programs that essentially prevent us from working.

SpankedInPittsburgh, DNP, RN · Feb 12, 2020

I think filing for social security is a great idea for all nurses who cannot work because of this idiotic reality we all deal with. I should have filed as I was off for months. Not only does it put some money in the pockets of some needy and deserving folks but maybe the social security folks will give some scrutiny to all those checks they are writing and why