Being monitored but would like to move to another state

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My nursing license was suspended in December. My ex husband reported me when I experienced a painful relapse. I was not agreeable to joining the health professionals service program at that time and my license was suspended. I am able to get my license back if I agree to be monitored for the next few years and follow several other recommendations such as going to meetings, counselor visits, etc. I am not sure if I am going to submit to monitoring or just give up on nursing. I would like to move to a warmer climate for health reasons and am wondering if I can be monitored in another state or if I would need to stay in Minnesota until the monitoring period is over to keep my license. Just wondering if anyone out there has moved to another state while being monitored and how that works.

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If your license has been suspended, I assume you are past the point where discipline is not public and permanent... meaning even if you do get your license back and even years after monitoring is all over, any potential employer would see you were once suspended and why.

I advise anyone who does get an alternative to discipline (monitoring but nothing is public) to be very careful about moving to another state because the new state might ding your license for the original crime even if your current state has you in a nondisciplinary monitoring program. But it sounds like you are already going to be dinged anyway once you do get it back, so it might not matter as much. But there are still some things to consider...

Some states have much harsher programs than others... more tests, pricier tests, longer programs (5 years vs 3)... so that I would keep in mind. The new state would likely put a note on your new license about how you were disciplined in the old state. Either way, any potential employer would look you up on the nursys website and it lists any discipline nationally. Some states would make you redo the entire monitoring program all over again, even if you completed it for your current state. I have seen posts about that on here. I would call the BON for the state you want to go to and ask them about it. I would also ask Minnesota BON too.

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Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.
I am not sure if I am going to submit to monitoring or just give up on nursing. I would like to move to a warmer climate for health reasons and am wondering if I can be monitored in another state or if I would need to stay in Minnesota until the monitoring period is over to keep my license. Just wondering if anyone out there has moved to another state while being monitored and how that works.

Read through this forum before you decide you're ready to give up your license - most people here have a strong opinion about that.

If moving is an option you'll need to decide where to move and then open up a channel of communication with that BON regarding what, if any, additional requirements they might impose. MN is not part of the nurse compact, but I'm not sure that even matters. Good luck.

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Just a note, if you surrendered in leui of revocation, usually that gets you put on the OIG list, which is a force to have to deal with. You may want to look into whether you are on that list and part of your decision making. Best of luck to you.

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Thank you for your reply. I have not been convicted of any crime. I relapsed and my ex husband and his girlfriend reported my relapse to the BON. I was not able to participate in the Health Professional Support Program at that time as I had no transportation, no money and was homeless. The board called to meet with me and My nursing license was suspended due to drug use. I hadn't been practicing for 6 months since the initial relapse. Basically, they gave me a plan that I need to follow and if I follow this plan, I will be able to get my license back in December. The plan is similar to what I experienced in the HPSP. I know that if I choose to follow the plan , I can get my license back, however, I really don't want to go back to nursing. My life is much more enjoyable now and I can't imagine going back to working 50 hours a week again. I am also reluctant to start any monitoring program. I don't want to spend my life being monitored. It is costly and time consuming. I was just wondering how it would work if I moved. I don't want to start all the requirements and then move and have my license revoked because I didn't finish my Plan. I think at this point in my life it would be best to just try something else. I think it is pretty clear that there is no place for me as a nurse any longer and I am ok with that. I am just wondering how that process works. Do they permanently revoke my license in December?

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What is the OIG?

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I looked it up on the internet and I am not on a list. I have never been convicted of a crime or had any problems with work performance so I don't see why I would be on that list. I have never worked under the influence. I had been clean for 7 years before this relapse. I relapsed on a weekend and did not return to work d/t the relapse. I have now been clean for 5 months and things have been going well. I have struggled with addiction my whole adult life and have learned some good coping strategies.

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.
What is the OIG?

Office of the Inspector General - if you are on the OIG Exclusion List you are prohibited from working anywhere that accepted Medicare/ Medicaid as payment. Which effectively means you can only work in cash-only places like private plastic surgeons offices.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Women's Health, LTC.
What is the OIG?

It is my understanding that any suspension or revocation will land you on the OIG exclusion list. It did for me. You do not have to be convicted of a crime to be placed on that list.

The OIG remains as long as your suspension/revocation term (the amount of time the BON says). Here is the kicker, once that time is up, you do not automatically fall off that list. However, you can have yourself removed from the exclusion list. I did it, took about 4-5 weeks.

The application is lengthy and they require EVERY JOB AND EVERY ADDRESS since being placed on the list. This may not be an issue for some, but, I waited 15 years to get my name off, so, a bit of a mess.

However, it was free to do, except for the notary.

Went smooth.

As for monitoring/discipline in another state, that is what I am currently attempting to do.

My license was revoked in AZ 2003. Applied for reinstatement over 9 months ago. Should have heard by now, but they are severely backed up. Probably looking at another 3-6 months, minimum.

I currently live in TX and do not want to leave, so I looked into it here. For now, started RN refresher courses, then I will apply for temp license for the purpose of clinicals with a preceptor. That could take 90 days. Once that is done, I will apply here, knowing FULL WELL that I will be required to do monitoring here in TX and knowing it will forever be a "scarlet A" on my license.

I am prepared to do that, because nursing is a good living and I miss it. I have been sober 13 plus years, but, due to my license revocation in 2003 d/t etoh, I know I will be monitored.

I hope you find your peace and if you decide to do the monitoring, in order to keep your license, I wish you luck. I can only tell you that I wished with all my heart that I would have done that before it went too far. Now, I will always have the mark on my license.

Regrettable, but, I will push on!

Good luck to you.

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Thank you. I have definitely found peace and information that I have received on this site has really made it clear that the decision I have made is right for me. I will speak with my lawyer also. Thank you so much.

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Thank you for your input. I think one of the main reasons that I feel nursing is no longer right for me is that I constantly get these messages that I should be hiding who I am and the experiences I have had if I want to continue to be a nurse. As you stated above, potential employers are going to be able to see that I was suspended and why and I will most likely be determined to be inferior to other candidates for the job. I feel that the stigimazation of drug use or past use is wrong and I do not believe that people who have had experiences with drugs are inferior employees. I do not want to hide who I am. In fact I don't believe people should. I do not want to work for an agency that would not hire me if they found out that I had a history and was suspended for drug use. It happened and it is out there. It doesn't make me any different of a person than I would be if you didn't know. If everyone continues to act like drug use is immoral and people try to hide part of the history these beliefs will continue. People do drugs. Good people do drugs. Bad people do drugs. The fact that you have been suspended for doing drugs in the past is not going to make you a good employee or a bad employee. I am not going to live my life trying to erase parts of my past and act like they didn't happen. If that is what nursing employers want then I don't want to be a nurse. I feel that the BON has told me that I can't be trusted to be a nurse. I am a public safety risk. The only possible way that it would be safe for me to be a nurse is if I am closely monitored by big brother to make sure that I am ok. My answer is to them would be - I am one of the best nurses you will ever see because I truly care for people. I do not look at anyone as a job or a problem that needs to be fixed. I find delight in learning about people and their lives. I feel that everyone has a purpose and I love to help people reach their goals. However, i will not submit to being monitored. I did it for four years and am not going to do it again. It is just not how I want to live my life. I will not try to hide parts of my past. I have tried it before and it doesn't work anyway. I feel that leaving nursing is the right step for me and I am at peace with my decision.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Women's Health, LTC.
I feel that the stigimazation of drug use or past use is wrong and I do not believe that people who have had experiences with drugs are inferior employees.

I do not want to hide who I am. In fact I don't believe people should. It happened and it is out there.

People do drugs. Good people do drugs. Bad people do drugs. The fact that you have been suspended for doing drugs in the past is not going to make you a good employee or a bad employee.

I have tried it before and it doesn't work anyway. I feel that leaving nursing is the right step for me and I am at peace with my decision.

I completely agree.

I have a family member who likes to bring "it" up every chance she gets. Always out of the blue and the conversation is NOT related to recovery or my addiction.

There is a great song by Jackson Browne (sorry, I am old), called "These Days". The best line ever (and I finally used it on said family member) is....

Don't confront me with my failures, I had not forgotten them.

Stay strong fellow nurses!

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