Contracts and the job hunt, oh my......

AntelopeTongue, BSN, RN · Aug 30, 2016

Totally agree! Those are not things your employer needs to know at all. They only need to know the parts that may affect your job like the fact that you HAVE to see a counselor (that may mean you need to leave early or something every now and then) but they don't need to know who that counselor is.

They also need to know how many meetings you have to go to per week, I would think anyway. They need to know that you'll have random drug tests so that may mean you need a longer lunch break on rare occasions to go do that. Oh, and that you can't work over a certain number of hours per week and also, obviously, if you have a narcotic restriction.

I don't know how many of these restrictions you still have anyway but, you get the idea. My contract does not have any of the specifics listed in it. Just basically that those are the obligations I have to fill to be compliant.

Rattling soup cans. Lol! Such a perfect way to describe this situation, I could not have said it better myself. I think in one of my posts a few weeks ago I said it felt like I might as well have a shirt that spells it out for everyone or a giant decal on the side of my car in neon letters. It's hard some days, for sure. And I'm really sorry to hear about what happened at your last job. I've got no words of wisdom for that just sympathy really. I hate that you were put in that position.

Good luck in your job search!

catsmeow1972, BSN, RN · Sep 1, 2016

Oh heck no, I don't actually tote it to the interview. I do have some notes to myself written down with my potential questions, but that's it. They can see it when they've offered me a job.

I actually had an interview yesterday. I feel like it went pretty well. I wait until the end of the interview to discuss it. I explained it, referring only to the parts that were relevant to the workplace (minimizing OT and doing the quarterly thing) The rest of my stipulations have nothing to do with work. My various appointments I book outside of work.

I discuss it there because I've had places that just cannot accommodate the restrictions (of which there are less now than when I started). I work in a specialty area, so things vary from place to place. I also once received a job offer that got rescinded as soon as I mentioned the contract. It was a dumb reason but it also gave me the impression that I didn't want to work for people like that.

I don't mention it in HR at all!! They definitely have no business knowing, in my opinion.

dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN · Sep 1, 2016

I get nervous about the quarterly reports. It is considered a non-compliance if it's in more then a few days early and if it's late, it's considered a relapse and they will temporarily suspend your license and restart your contract. :/ It's all on my manager so I have to have a decent relationship with them...

reggaemuffin, MSN, NP, CNS · Sep 2, 2016

I get nervous about the quarterly reports. It is considered a non-compliance if it's in more then a few days early and if it's late, it's considered a relapse and they will temporarily suspend your license and restart your contract. :/ It's all on my manager so I have to have a decent relationship with them...

When I first went back to work, I was in informatics for awhile until I could practice again. My boss there would wait until the very last day of the month and even then I would have to hound her to get my quarterly reports done. It caused me so much anguish. Now that I'm back in clinical practice, my director of nurse practitioners fills it out. She gives it back to me the same day I send it to her. And I guarantee she's a heckuva lot more busy than my old manager. Ugh glad those days are over!

Axgrinder · Sep 5, 2016

I entered the CANDO program in my state shortly after starting work as a new RN - a little over 3 months. Timeline wise it was not too long after intervention was held on my behalf. (((I swear I must have set some kind of record or something))).

I spent October 27, 1994 through October 27, 1997 in that diversion option program hereby jumping through hoops of various sizes and performing other acrobatics, eating humble pie, and peeing in a cup on command.

Along with my 3 year contract, I was assigned a color (blue); I started my day M-F with a call to Sonora Quest lab's 1-800 number to see if it was my day for the whiz quiz. I paid $50.00 out of pocket for the honor.

Getting caught most likely saved my life â€¦ but oh, the shame I suffered! The burden I carried around with me every minute of every day was sorta like toting around toxic conjoined twins on my back (and believe me when I say the proverbial monkey on one's back had nothing on the "twins"). It was a ego buster by any stretch of the imagination - it sucked, and they were damn heavy!

Initially I went back to work at the employment place of "shame" partly just to prove I could (plus, the head of CANDO also suggested it) and partly because no one else was willing at that moment in time to hire damaged goods me. After all, I only had 3 months clinical experience - which apparently was the kiss of death, and even worse to a prospective employer than no clinical experience at all. However, once I proved I was rock solid dependable to the employer who had reported me I was back in business. I then skedaddled as soon as humanly possible (it was a huge teaching hospital, equating to stress on a stick - any recovering nurse's kryptonite; plus, everyone and their bother knew my business). I absolutely needed a fresh start.

I rattled those soup cans off and on for the next 3 years until completion of the program (but trust me when I say it felt like at least an eon, easily). At first it seemed like all my mistakes and offenses crowded around me - haunting like Ebenezer Scrooge's Christmas wraiths - they even accompanied me to interviews. Guilt and remorse are powerful motivators for an overactive imagination and a restless mind.

Obviously things change, grow and evolve â€¦ the CANDO program I went through was probably a lot different than the one you nurses are currently doing, but this is what I did:

I made no mention of the licensure degree of censure at all until I landed that golden interview. Then I did my best to show the interviewer (usually the nurse manager) I was competent, sharp, dependable, trustworthy and someone they absolutely needed (not just wanted) on their team whether they realized it or not. I brought it up near the very end, once the interview had been going well (you'll know) and they seemed to like me enough to consider hiring me - then I dropped the bomb: KABOOM!!!

I told them nothing but the absolute truth: You'll have peace of mind I'm clean, I'll show up ready to work my shift, be dependable, and fit for duty. How many unmonitored nurses can they say that about with absolute certainty? You see my point?

When I left each job for a better and more lucrative position I respectfully asked for my contract back. One made a copy for their corporate records before returning my original, but everyone else was more than happy to return it to me. You probably already know that your employer has to keep your contract in a separate file from your "usual" employment data - this is to keep those without authorization of having that knowledge from accidentally garnering this private, protected information about you.

I found very few potential employers held it against me (i.e., possibly one) and I think you will be pleasantly surprised to find that a large majority of employers (and most people in general) won't hold a past mistake against the recovering nurse. Most people in general have their own crosses to bear in life, and many are busy doing just that. Please keep in mind that some people who aren't even addicts have so many skeletons in their own closet that they can hardly open their mouths without a bone flying out.

Rather than having nothing to bring to the table, you have much, much more value than you realize. The kind of security a recovering nurse has to offer - one whom is being randomly monitored and vetted - gives a prospective employer a peace of mind worth all the credits in the universe. You offer a lot more to an employer than you seem to know at this time. Plus, they know you will go to great lengths to prove yourself once they roll the dice and take chance on you. You are worth your weight in gold my friend.

Ask the head of your SBON censure program exactly what you are required to do as far as your contract to an employer goes (best to know - claiming ignorance later won't wash). Then go get that job you earned by choosing recovery. I'd be honored to have you as the nurse caring for me any day of the week. And good luck - you're long over due.

catsmeow1972, BSN, RN · Sep 8, 2016

Yesterday, I got a call from one of the places I put an app in for. (It was about an hour after I did the app.!!!) I was asked "is my license free and clear?) Ummmm....with a question like that you know they checked already. So I had to say something. I suppose if they checked it and still called, at least HR might be okay with it. She did go on to explain that there was no department director right now but did explain the hierarchy of the current management. So maybe I passed that hurdle to get the interview. Upside I was able to explain that the employment restrictions were minimal. No key restriction and we don't float in OR anyway. Pretty much just quarterly reports and minimizing the overtime. Downside...it was an HCA facility. I don't know if they are IPN friendly. Does anyone else know?

catsmeow1972, BSN, RN · Sep 16, 2016

Well that interview went to hell. I've done 30+ applications in the last week or so. it's getting to where I don't even have to look up the zip code of someplace I worked 8 years ago. On one i got what has to be the world's fastest rejection notice. like I put the app in one evening, had a reject by the next morning. They probably pulled the license and, poof...there goes the interest.

I'm beginning to wonder why i'm doing this to myself. Nursing treats it's people like crap and i keep running back for more. The fact that I endured so much crap at the expense of my physical and emotional health is why I'm in this boat to begin with.

I am so close to telling the BON to take their license and well, you get the idea. Unfortunately, like many of us, i don't know how to do anything else. If one can even get an interview for anything that is more than minimum wage, they all want to know why you'd want to leave a great field like nursing...yeah, whatever.

I bust my orifice to jump through all the hoops, in spite of the total BS that this is, in the hopes that someday it'll go away and it does no **** good. I'm nearly to where I just don't care if i ever work in nursing again.

I collected SSDI for the last time I bottomed out (in part courtesy of the nursing career, shocking, right?) and I'm not above doing it again. In the meantime, would you like fries with that?

catsmeow1972, BSN, RN · Sep 20, 2016

Had another interview yesterday. It seemed to go very well. i got the nickel tour of the department which is usually a good sign. I had put the contract stuff on the application because it asked a pointed question regarding it. I still got the interview. In fact the HR rep remembered me from another facility that she worked at that I had interviewed with. I brought up the employer related stipulations at the end and the manager said "awww, pffft, we've hired people with that before." so far so good. The facility does have a reputation for being IPN friendly to the point that there used to be a nurse support group that met at the facility.

I would have to relocate but not a big deal. I don't have kids or anything that would make that an issue. All things point to good, but i don't want to get too excited because I've been disappointed so many times before. Hopefully, I'll get answer by the end of the week (most of managerial staff is out of town, they specifically said I may not hear anything until then.)

So I guess i'll wait and bite what I have left of my nails. Maybe this will be my chance to let go of those rattling soup cans. G-d I hope so...

deltakappamu · Sep 20, 2016

Had another interview yesterday. It seemed to go very well. i got the nickel tour of the department which is usually a good sign. I had put the contract stuff on the application because it asked a pointed question regarding it. I still got the interview. In fact the HR rep remembered me from another facility that she worked at that I had interviewed with. I brought up the employer related stipulations at the end and the manager said "awww, pffft, we've hired people with that before." so far so good. The facility does have a reputation for being IPN friendly to the point that there used to be a nurse support group that met at the facility.
I would have to relocate but not a big deal. I don't have kids or anything that would make that an issue. All things point to good, but i don't want to get too excited because I've been disappointed so many times before. Hopefully, I'll get answer by the end of the week (most of managerial staff is out of town, they specifically said I may not hear anything until then.)
So I guess i'll wait and bite what I have left of my nails. Maybe this will be my chance to let go of those rattling soup cans. G-d I hope so...

This is awesome! I am so happy to hear this! I am keeping my fingers crossed for you :)

I myself went on another interview today... It went well also, so here's to hoping!

How far would you have to relocate to?

catsmeow1972, BSN, RN · Sep 20, 2016

The move would be about 80 miles.

deltakappamu · Sep 20, 2016

Well, thats not too terrible. I wouldn't mind it either. I have no kids, no spouse, so I can definitely relate to that being do-able. :)