Diverted in a state while Traveling

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New to this site. May have posted wrong the 1st time that I tried. Im a travel nurse from LA that was working in TX when I was accused of diverting meds at the facility that I was on contract with. I was unable to attend a meeting with the facility and did not take a UDS. I was termed from the facility and my agency. I will be contacting an attorney this week. After reading the articles on this site I still have so many questions since Im not from TX. Since it seems to take the BON so long to get in contact w/me, Can/Should I get another nursing job now and continue working until I hear from the BON officially? Do I tell the next job that I find about me diverting drugs? Or do I just apply as if nothing hapenned? Also, I wont be able to afford the TPAPN program, attory fees,& fines while staying in TX where I know no one all by myself. Do yall know if it is possible to go back to my state of LA and go through their program? I would have help from friends and get a job there. I truly dont want any criminal charges. I dont mind if I cant do nursing anymore. I just dont know what to do. I messed up. I own that. This is alot to process right now. Any advise would be appreciated. Thanks

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These things are so state specific that it is hard to give good advise. I don't see anything wrong with trying to get a non-medication related nursing job, or dialysis or something. The worst thing that could happen is you'd have to quit if the board says so it that could take many months. I do know that Texas is probably the worst state as far as these things go... I don't think they have any alternatives to discipline and will put a mark on your license. There's a national website called nursys that employers check and it shows all licenses from all states that a nurse carries or used to carry (It would show if you have a mark on a Texas license, even if you don't live there or let it expire). I know that there is a such a thing as living in another state and going through the monitoring on behalf of another state. Someone I know in IL works as a case manager on the phone and had to get multiple licenses for different states. Texas application asked if she had been in rehab in the past 5 years and she answered yes. Because of that, Texas put a mark on her Texas license and the nursys website shows that. (She never reported herself in IL as there were no employer issues and she had an alcohol problem but never had any issues at work). She was allowed to be in the IL monitoring program but IL had to keep Texas updated with everything. I don't know how this would apply to you or if it would, as it is a different scenerio.

It is rare to get criminal charges but usually it happens immediately, like the day you're caught and usually they have solid proof like finding you passed out in your car with hospital supplies and needles and stuff. So I would think it is unlikely at this point.

At least make some phone calls to nurse lawyers in LA for further advise. Sometimes they give you free preliminary advise and some aren't too expensive. I know in IL nurse lawyers go for $1500-$5000 and I used a $1500 one... he gave me some free advise as I was waiting to get contacted by the board before I hired him. He had told me not to hire him until I heard from the board.

Good luck!

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).

If you have solid support system at home I would talk to Texas BON and tell them you are moving home to LA and can they please refer your case to the LA BON. If appears by your own statements that you did in fact divert. If you have no criminal convictions that would bar you from leaving the state, then go home and call your state BON yourself. Just remember to read your contract carefully before you sign it (possibly have it looked at by an attorney familiar with professional practice issues) . Then get your life in some sense of order a get down to the business of recovery.

Best of luck to you

Hppy

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Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.

Hi Kammi!

Mu hubby and I are both RNs in La and have been through the RNP here - we both started our program in 99 - we had previously worked at the same facility years before we entered the RNP and started dating after we finished our programs.

i have a friend that was diverting while working agency and I'm hoping she can give me a little info that may give u a few ideas.

i know that when I was in the program Louisiana was a lot more "friendly" than some other states - please let me know how things are going - if I can give u info at all I'll be glad to.

Hang in there!

Anne, RNC

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Thank you so much for replying to me. Thanks for the good info too

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Thank you so much. I appreciate your help

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Thanks for replying. From what i now understand, Texas is the worst state to be going through this in. I simply dont know what to do. I keep reading other peoples experiences and i end up even more confused than when i started. I still havent been reported. I checked again tonight. I was going to go through a different travel company and just work until The BON mails me the official letter. I went to update my application and one of the questions is ‘has my license ever been investigated or suspended?' Am i suppose to straight up lie to them and move on? I feel bad about that but.... is your friend on this site that you spoke of? Thanks for replying.

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If you have not received formal notification that you are under investigation then you can answer no.

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Specializes in OR.

I do have the family support but my so called peer assistance program has beaten the life out of me to the point where I have opted to not even work in nursing until the end of the contract. You said in your first post that you did not mind not even nursing at this point. It seems like you've bounced around a lot. My advice for what it's worth is to settle down in whatever your home state is and work on YOU. If you've been diverting and/or unable to stay on your meds, you need to establish continuity of care. Find something non-nursing to pay the bills. Community mental health clinics can actually provide some pretty decent care. Whether it's local 12 step meetings Salvation Army or whatever, take some steps to get yourself back on track. Nursing is secondary right now! Get yourself straight. You will be looking at some type of monitoring program when you opt to return to nursing but that seems to be a ways down the road right now.

My point is that you cannot keep running like this. Please keep us posted.....

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Ok. Thank you so much for answering this question for me. I guess I will just have to say that it isnt ok to contact my previous agency due to some kind of differences and see if it works.

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Thank you for your honesty. I appreciate your advise. You are correct. I have been burned out off and on since 2008. Im good at what I do but I havent wanted to do it for quite sometime. Ive worked at 15 different hospitals traveling and its all the same just different city, staff, & patients but same old S$&?. I do need to work on myself and from 1 location. The traveling and bouncing around hasnt been beneficial to me. The sad part is.. I knew better than to do what I did. I knew what the outcome was going to be. Its like I needed a permanent way out. I continues to divert anyway. And when I got caught, for a moment, I knew it was over and for a brief minute I was relieved UNTIL I started reading everything about this (which I never thought of) and then started freaking out. On top of all this, I have lied to the Board in both states about being Bipolar so I am ultimately Done when it comes to them. I keep getting confused because going through the motions and putting out this ridiclous amount of money just so my name doesnt go on the BON website for the public to know seems like a waste of money and time when once everything is revealed I know I wont have a license anymore. Thanks for listening. I cant talk about this with any of my nursing friends. I will keep yall posted as you do the same please.

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Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.

Hi Kammi! Just wanted to see how everything was going - thinking about u!

Anne, RNC

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