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I would love to connect with some fellow nurses in probation or diversion. I am in diversion and live in the Bay Area. 

Specializes in Home Health/Hospice, Public Health, Case Mgmt.
1 hour ago, Hnh1993 said:

I have a lot of questions if someone can reach out to me

If you would like to shoot them my way, I will try my best. ? Feel free to ask on here or you can send me a message. Up to you. 

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Anyone know how long I would probably be placed out of work for joining diversion to essentially avoid disciplinary action against my license? Accused of diverting at work 

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Specializes in Home Health/Hospice, Public Health, Case Mgmt.
2 hours ago, Hnh1993 said:

Anyone know how long I would probably be placed out of work for joining diversion to essentially avoid disciplinary action against my license? Accused of diverting at work 

Minimum 6 months. Most likely, 1 year. However, you can potentially be placed on State Disability Insurance for mental health/SUD by your doctor. This will only compensate for about 60% of wages, but is still helpful. Diversion is intense, though. Lots of AA meetings, requirement of getting a sponsor, etc. Probation is much less stringent, but you will have a mark on your license. They are both costly. With Diversion, if they recommend treatment, and you will not be working as a RN, you should be eligible for Medi-Cal, which would pay for inpatient treatment. Medi-Cal is much better than it used to be d/t the expansion a few years ago. Have you spoken to a lawyer? Or people that are on Diversion and Probation? I suggest speaking to people from both sides if you can. 

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Some new developments have me feeling less confident about my case so it looks like my best bet would be diversion or probation. Just trying to think what would be the smarter route for me. I don’t have a substance abuse issue at all, just made a big mistake. 

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Specializes in Home Health/Hospice, Public Health, Case Mgmt.
4 minutes ago, Hnh1993 said:

Some new developments have me feeling less confident about my case so it looks like my best bet would be diversion or probation. Just trying to think what would be the smarter route for me. I don’t have a substance abuse issue at all, just made a big mistake. 

Your situation is kind of a conundrum because 1) Diverting meds at work is a situation that makes it even more difficult to explain to potential employers vs a DUI or something else that happened outside of work. This is something that I would think Diversion may be preferable but then again, Diversion is going to be very frustrating and difficult if you do not have a substance abuse problem. But you will avoid that mark on your license and having to explain diverting meds. I highly suggest speaking to a lawyer to see if there is any way for you to get a letter of reprimand or see what they suggest. 

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A big part of me wants to continue to work with my lawyer, allow the case to play out as it would, hope and pray I get probation and just use this experience to make my growth as a person in future jobs. I don’t want to let this issue define who I am because I had a lapse in judgement. I think diversion is for those who could use the help and im afraid I’ll be out of work for long and with restrictions when it isn’t necessary. The drug tests, meetings, etc. I’m totally okay with. It’s being out of work or restricted during diversion vs having a mark on my license. 

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Specializes in Home Health/Hospice, Public Health, Case Mgmt.
18 minutes ago, Hnh1993 said:

A big part of me wants to continue to work with my lawyer, allow the case to play out as it would, hope and pray I get probation and just use this experience to make my growth as a person in future jobs. I don’t want to let this issue define who I am because I had a lapse in judgement. I think diversion is for those who could use the help and im afraid I’ll be out of work for long and with restrictions when it isn’t necessary. The drug tests, meetings, etc. I’m totally okay with. It’s being out of work or restricted during diversion vs having a mark on my license. 

Sounds like you have already essentially made your choice. It is different for everyone; however, I feel like a lot of people seem to prefer Probation because of it being more manageable, indefinitely. I have one AA meeting/week and one Nurse Support Group meeting/week. I have to check into FS Solutions (via an app) every day to see if I'm selected to test. Testing occurs about 4-5x/month (this is my personal experience) at $90-$110/test (urine) depending on if you go to an in-network or out-of-network site. Blood tests are rarer, but more expensive. I think most people only get blood tested 2-3x throughout the course of probation, unless they have sketchy or positive urine tests. I have yet to have a blood test but most people get tested during their second month. You will likely have narcotic restrictions for working (because of your diversion of meds), so just be prepared for that to happen. They are not permanent, though, and can be removed via request after 6 months. You may be able to get them removed earlier. It doesn't hurt to ask. Please don't hesitate to ask if you have any further questions. Been at this for almost a year now. I am by no means an expert, but have some experience at this point. 

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I’m afraid to NOT get offered probation though. Ugh. I appreciate all the advice! Please continue to send more about your experience. What about working? Any issues with that? 

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Specializes in Home Health/Hospice, Public Health, Case Mgmt.
14 minutes ago, Hnh1993 said:

I’m afraid to NOT get offered probation though. Ugh. I appreciate all the advice! Please continue to send more about your experience. What about working? Any issues with that? 

I was working at a Registry(travel agency) RN when my probation began so I was not allowed to do that and had to leave. It was frustrating because I had a long term contract with Public Health and had to suddenly leave in the middle of the Pandemic (I began Probation 12/2020). Public Health wanted to hire me as a permanent employee but HR said no. Lots of places simply won't work with Probation, unfortunately, but many also do. I was hired at a skilled nursing facility a couple of weeks after I left Public Health. Approval process took 3 weeks. Did that job for 2 months and it became unbearable (I found out I was pregnant soonafter beginning the job), so we parted ways and I decided to take it easy and just enjoy my pregnancy. I have recently secured a job with a Home Health Hospice company as a RN Case Manager and will be doing that upon return from maternity leave. Approval took about 2 weeks. 

Did you receive a letter offering you Diversion? Is this your first offense? I don't see why they wouldn't offer probation. I am not a lawyer, but if it's a 1st time thing, I do not see them doing anything more punitive than probation. Just kind of how they roll (BRN). 

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I haven’t received notice yet from BRN. This is all new, about a week old. I’m just so conflicted as to what’s best for me at this point in time. I can do diversion and risk being out of work for a year, only to return to work with a lot of restrictions. Or I can continue to work (agency nursing) throughout this process, save money, and then continue to work after with some restrictions that could essentially be minimal. Based on what I’m offering, what do you think? 

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Specializes in Home Health/Hospice, Public Health, Case Mgmt.
1 hour ago, Hnh1993 said:

I haven’t received notice yet from BRN. This is all new, about a week old. I’m just so conflicted as to what’s best for me at this point in time. I can do diversion and risk being out of work for a year, only to return to work with a lot of restrictions. Or I can continue to work (agency nursing) throughout this process, save money, and then continue to work after with some restrictions that could essentially be minimal. Based on what I’m offering, what do you think? 

Just FYI, you won't be able to do agency nursing during Probation. It is one of the restrictions. Honestly, it is hard to say. I know it's a tough decision. I think that ultimately you should seek out guidance from both arenas (nurses on Probation and nurses on Diversion), your lawyer, and perhaps, some additional lawyers. Feel free to send me a message and I can provide you information about the lawyer I used. 

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Something to think about… Diversion is a voluntary program for nurses with substance abuse or other mental illness. I have seen them turn people down who formally request enrollment in Diversion but state they are there for one bad occurrence and do not have any substance addictions. Then they get the chance to to Probation.  

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