Drunk in Public supposed RN

[MedicLifelineRN]

Watching Hard Rock : REHAB party on I think TRU TV. One of the patrons was a supposed RN, who was not only removed from the property, but arrested for ETOH related issues on the show and so on. What can happen to her if anything?

[island40]

nothing special that doesn't happen to other people. Your employer might not like seeing their employees act like this if you are in a customer service position and a right to work state. Even nurses are allowed to act stupid in America

[MedicLifelineRN]

nothing special that doesn't happen to other people. Your employer might not like seeing their employees act like this if you are in a customer service position and a right to work state. Even nurses are allowed to act stupid in America

HUh, I mean one can loose their license per what people say for the little things or something of their past, was curious how this would impact the future of this young woman.

[anITNurse]

In NC many RNs have had their licenses suspended for DWI convictions.

[GreyGull]

If you are arrested, some state BON's licensing offices require you to report it within 10 (some 30) days. At that time the Board will evaluate whether you have a problem that affects you performing the duties of a nurse and will follow your case. You may be required to go through periodic random drug and alcohol testing regardless of the result of your court case. Your license may carry a restriction on it to notify employers that you have broken the rules and this may affect your ability to work in some areas unsupervised. This may follow you until the BON determines you have been rehabilitated or you demonstrate professional conduct to the Board's satisfaction or until your license is suspended or revoked if the charges and following conviction are sufficient enough to warrant it.

In some states, if your friend or co-worker who also holds a nursing (or other health care license) knows of your arrest and that you have not reported it to your employer and/or the state, they may also face disciplinary action.

[Scarlette Wings]

huh, i mean one can loose their license per what people say for the little things or something of their past, was curious how this would impact the future of this young woman.

there was a case at our facility where one nurse got ticked off with another about something not work related. nurse x called the house supervisor and stated she has "seen" nurse y "using drugs and going into work high."

even though the person didn't give their own name calling in the complaint, the powers that be could not ignore it and that poor nurse was required to do a "stop, drop, and pee" urine drug test. the vengeful nurse also did a lot of whispering and made poor nurse y's life horrid for awhile.

had nurse x kept her mouth shut and not bragged how she "fixed that so-and-so nurse" we would not have known it was her. she didn't even get fired for threatening the other nurses license with the drug accusation. people are just crazy sometimes.

[Flying ICU RN]

had nurse x kept her mouth shut and not bragged how she "fixed that so-and-so nurse" we would not have known it was her. she didn't even get fired for threatening the other nurses license with the drug accusation. people are just crazy sometimes.

this example is a textbook definition of slander, with the accompanying real damages to reputation in the workplace.

not very nice.

[canesdukegirl, BSN, RN]

In NC many RNs have had their licenses suspended for DWI convictions.

Absolutely correct. DWI=loss of license.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

in my state you have the obligation to report non-professional behavior. Impaired nurses can be put in a program to keep license while getting sober.

[NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN]

I don't what to say without incriminating myself. But long story short: I'm a nurse and have been drunk before. I was no where near any patients I did this on my own free time. Nor was I driving. I did have to go to the ER for alchol posining though... but no one knew what I did for a living and I preferred it that way. Nurses are not super angels with wings. We make bad decisions too. AS long as nurses don't come to work drunk or be a risk to patients I don't see any actions taken by the BON. Just my 1.5 cents .

[GreyGull]

It is when drinking goes to a point when you are no longer in control more than just a night of fun that went too far or when you are arrested for your actions while drinking that there needs to be cause for concern. Denial can also have a way of presenting things the way you want to perceive them and that may impair other judgments as well including those in your professional life. I'm not saying this is any thing similar to your situation and it is brave of you to share your own experience with the forum. However, I have been involved in a couple of interventions with professional co-workers whose personal life was starting to interfere with professional even though they denied it all the way to rehab. Fortunately both were able to get their lives back on track and now can look back to see where they crossed the line between an occasional good time and where they started justifying their behavior as being nothing extraordinary.

As we have seen in the recent headlines, some states like California have taken to finger printing for renewals. If one was arrested for something they thought to be embarrassing or of little significance and did not disclose it to the state at the time of the occurrence or for any renewal, imagine what happens when your state requires you to be finger printed for a background check again a few years later. Unfortunately this did happen to a couple of very good RNs and it wasn't that the arrests were for anything major, it was the fact they didn't disclose their arrests on any of their renewals.

[Dalzac, LPN, LVN, RN]

In Oklahoma the nurse is sent to BON's Peer Assistance for 2 yrs supervision. That includes random monthly urine tests. So many AA/NA meetings and have a roster signed by the meeting chairperson. And loads of paperwork.