Completed VA HPMP... Have Questions? Let me know!

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I completed VA-HPMP 5 year monitoring program. If anyone has any questions or just need to talk or vent let me know. It is a tedious program and often times you can do everything right and things still pop up and you just gotta keep on the course and get to the end. Good luck and give a shout if you need any advice or info!!

I am in VA.  I don't have an alcohol issue, but I absolutely get why avoiding everything is necessary. I don't like it much, but I get it. I never realized how much alcohol was in what we eat, other than the obvious, vanilla extract, ect... Thank you so much Recovering RN and Healer555 for answering my questions! I am finding that everyone seems to be getting 5 yrs of monitoring, regardless of circumstance. This is no easy task. It's a very long time. It's hard not to feel a bit defeated right out of the gate. I guess we just can't think of it in terms of years, rather just one day, one week and one month at a time and the years will follow.  Is any bread that can be eaten? I'm not much for sweets, but Im obsessed with bread! please tell me there is bread out there that can be consumed? I assume that anything made with yeast is not on the food list.  Thank you again!!!

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Shanele said:

I am in VA.  I don't have an alcohol issue, but I absolutely get why avoiding everything is necessary. I don't like it much, but I get it. I never realized how much alcohol was in what we eat, other than the obvious, vanilla extract, ect... Thank you so much Recovering RN and Healer555 for answering my questions! I am finding that everyone seems to be getting 5 yrs of monitoring, regardless of circumstance. This is no easy task. It's a very long time. It's hard not to feel a bit defeated right out of the gate. I guess we just can't think of it in terms of years, rather just one day, one week and one month at a time and the years will follow.  Is any bread that can be eaten? I'm not much for sweets, but Im obsessed with bread! please tell me there is bread out there that can be consumed? I assume that anything made with yeast is not on the food list.  Thank you again!

I eat any bread just not poppy seed bread.  No Olgas snickers it has poppy seeds.  No everything bagels they have poppy seeds.  I guess I'm a little lucky in that 3 years is the standard in my state. I count the days until this is over. 

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Specializes in Psych.
Shanele said:

I am in VA.  I don't have an alcohol issue, but I absolutely get why avoiding everything is necessary. I don't like it much, but I get it. I never realized how much alcohol was in what we eat, other than the obvious, vanilla extract, ect... Thank you so much Recovering RN and Healer555 for answering my questions! I am finding that everyone seems to be getting 5 yrs of monitoring, regardless of circumstance. This is no easy task. It's a very long time. It's hard not to feel a bit defeated right out of the gate. I guess we just can't think of it in terms of years, rather just one day, one week and one month at a time and the years will follow.  Is any bread that can be eaten? I'm not much for sweets, but Im obsessed with bread! please tell me there is bread out there that can be consumed? I assume that anything made with yeast is not on the food list.  Thank you again!

U can definitely eat regular bread and I eat sweets just not a lot of vanilla but I have eaten all of that and no issues for years 

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Shanele said:

I am in VA.  I don't have an alcohol issue, but I absolutely get why avoiding everything is necessary. I don't like it much, but I get it. I never realized how much alcohol was in what we eat, other than the obvious, vanilla extract, ect... Thank you so much Recovering RN and Healer555 for answering my questions! I am finding that everyone seems to be getting 5 yrs of monitoring, regardless of circumstance. This is no easy task. It's a very long time. It's hard not to feel a bit defeated right out of the gate. I guess we just can't think of it in terms of years, rather just one day, one week and one month at a time and the years will follow.  Is any bread that can be eaten? I'm not much for sweets, but Im obsessed with bread! please tell me there is bread out there that can be consumed? I assume that anything made with yeast is not on the food list.  Thank you again!

I did a more extensive search. It looks like ethanol was in some hand sanitizers which Could cause a positive test.  If you look ethanol up on Wikipedia there's all the different names.  I am glad you posted.  I can use lotions.  My skin thanks you. 

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LOL using hand sanitizer or lotions with a tiny amount of alcohol will not show up in a UDS test. You only need to watch out for using things like that if you use a breathalyzer device.

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futurenurrsing said:

LOL using hand sanitizer or lotions with a tiny amount of alcohol will not show up in a UDS test. You only need to watch out for using things like that if you use a breathalyzer device.

I've read through all the posts. Alcohol seems to be the most common false positive.  I just want to be safe. 

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Healer555, may your skin be ever moist! LOL. I'm glad we can help each other out. This is hard enough. If I come across anything helpful, I will be sure to post!!

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It's not worth the abnormal read it could cause. Lotions and shampoos are very unlikely to cause an issue but hand sanitizer I would not touch. For my face, I used a mix of castor oil and rose hemp oil. Absolutely follow your program list with medications food additives etc. Another word of advice: if you are on your cycle, please be careful. Blood can convert to nitrites.  Nitrites are byproducts of nitrogen waste. Bacteria responsible for an infection feed on this waste, breaking it down into nitrates, which can appear in the urine. I received an abnormal read due to blood and was told they thought I tried to alter the sample. It was a nightmare. I was going through medical problems and ended up having a hysterectomy, and that accusation made it so much more stressful. If you are on your cycle ask how they want you to test prior to it being an issue. 

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Recovering RN said:

It's not worth the abnormal read it could cause. Lotions and shampoos are very unlikely to cause an issue but hand sanitizer I would not touch. For my face, I used a mix of castor oil and rose hemp oil. Absolutely follow your program list with medications food additives etc. Another word of advice: if you are on your cycle, please be careful. Blood can convert to nitrites.  Nitrites are byproducts of nitrogen waste. Bacteria responsible for an infection feed on this waste, breaking it down into nitrates, which can appear in the urine. I received an abnormal read due to blood and was told they thought I tried to alter the sample. It was a nightmare. I was going through medical problems and ended up having a hysterectomy, and that accusation made it so much more stressful. If you are on your cycle ask how they want you to test prior to it being an issue. 

Did you use that on your face to avoid a false positive?  Wouldn't hemp oil be positive for THC? I should be OK using anti aging products on my face? 

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I totally agree, Recovering RN. so not worth the potential false positive for using hand sanitizer with alcohol. I have littles and am just going to use theirs from now on. It's the "babyganics" alcohol free foaming hand sanitizer! Another benefit of being alcohol free sanitizer is that it won't dry out your hands from a lot of use.

Healer555, Cerave has many alcohol free products. I just bought some. 

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Hello all!

I was reported for being intoxicated on alcohol at work. I will definitely have to join because I was very intoxicated where I passed out at my desk. I'm deciding between switching careers or doing the program though board hasn't contacted me yet. If I do the program, What type of nurse jobs accept you with the restrictions on your license? I don't want to waste time joining if I will never find a job. I only have NICU and OutPatient Ortho experience so not sure I'd get hired anywhere anyway. Also is the testing site like a labcorps or quest? Can I get through the whole program doing a non nursing position or is that a requirement? 
 

thank you ! 

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Specializes in Psych.
smc26448 said:

Hello all!

I was reported for being intoxicated on alcohol at work. I will definitely have to join because I was very intoxicated where I passed out at my desk. I'm deciding between switching careers or doing the program though board hasn't contacted me yet. If I do the program, What type of nurse jobs accept you with the restrictions on your license? I don't want to waste time joining if I will never find a job. I only have NICU and OutPatient Ortho experience so not sure I'd get hired anywhere anyway. Also is the testing site like a labcorps or quest? Can I get through the whole program doing a non nursing position or is that a requirement? 
 

thank you ! 

I think it's a requirement but every state is different. And yes jobs will accept you righ restrictions. 

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