Nursing Student Unlawfully Removed from School

Nurses General Nursing

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hello,

i am or i was a nursing student until i was removed pending an appeal because i have a medical condition that requires i take a medication that is screened for in a random drug screen. i previously worked in the aircraft field. i am a usaf disabled vet who wants to work in the nursing field. by the way i was in the panama conflict (just cause) and the gulf war. i recieved several medals while on active duty and i am also listed in the national deans list. they removed me from my classes the day before veterans day. i was hoping i could find information about drug screening policies related to nursing jobs. i was told by the nursing staff at my college that all hospitals and clinics require that all nurses that have to take controlled substances at any dosage have to give up their jobs as nurses until they become free of any prescription that fall in the category of controlled substances that are in the classes that are screened for in a drug screen. i have been taking for close to 10 years a low dose of a medication for pain. i have been evaluated by my physicians and cleared to do all of the essential functions of a nurse. i have invested three years only to be told i should go into some other field of study. i know there are a number of nurses that feel pain medication is not the answer for chronic pain, but i have gone from being confined to a wheel chair to being able to keep up with my fellow nursing students because of a low dose of medication. i know pain can ruin lives and some people have lost their lives resulting from the use of medications, but each person is different. one reason i wanted to become a nurse was because of the encouragement of my pain clinic nurse to follow the treatment plan and never give up. if i loose my fight to become a nurse i can say the fact that i was spurred on to make something of my shattered life by this wonderful nurse i will still be a healthier and happier person because of the struggle. i know numerous pain patients who i have become friends with that have given up the fight to go on to be productive citizens because of the obstacles put up by some well meaning employers and educators. some of these people have lost their fight with pain and have to be continually dosed higher with pain medications just to be able to live. they also have to take numerous other medications because of the depression and the anxiety their condition causes.

thank you for listening,

rob

Specializes in Critical Care, Pediatrics, Geriatrics.
Our nurse practice act has information on student nurses too. Check out your state's BON website and they should have something regarding this.

the only info I found were vague regulations for the school being recognized by the board and for the student's scope of practice...but nothing pertaining to the policies pertinent to what has been posted in this thread. Most of the info is worded for licensed nurses and not nursing students. So does this mean that the school is the ultimate deciding body on who can enter into the practice of nursing?

Hello, Everyone

I thought or read and maybe my dyslexia is acting up this am. The OP was expell from school due to the chronic use of an opiate. Now, the OP is including dyslexia and something else. I do not get it. Was this person dismiss due to the opiates or all oabove? If all above, then the school would be in violations of the ADA and Federal Law. I believe that I am correct on the ruling.

I fought for my rights as learning disability student to take the nclex in the appropriate time as well as the location. I was suppose to sit for the test June and was not permited due to the NCLEX. The NCLEX wanted a lot of paper work (which they received in January, for me to pay my expenses to fly to other testing sites for my accommendations, and last did not want to reimburse my traveling expenses. The NCLEX were notified prior to my graduation In January of my disablities as well as accommendations. My school instructors and myself called the ADA and then a lawyer. The ADA stepped into the conflict and the issue was resolved. I had to take the test at the testing site near my school, my accommenations were met and it was a beautiful day. It took me a total of 83 questions in 1 hour and I passed.

Now, I fought the NCLEX due to travel expenses and not providing a site in my area to meet my accommendations. It was a struggles between NCLEX and studying, I could not fail because I did not want the NCLEX to say...look she failed anyways and all the accommendations prove the student could not pass. It was my feelings and I busted butt. Therefore, I used the resources and had the school helped me.

In addition, I should say college. The college I attended never had a nursing student with a learning disabilities. The school of nursing in the beginning was bucking the system and a meeting was held with the learning diability office. The nursing instructor thought I could not learn due to my disabilities. They did not understand and I had to teach them about disablities. The instructors did not want to provide tutoring, allow tape recorders, extra time and etc. Then the ADA came to the school and did a presentation to them as well as the students. The instructors comply with the ADA. The tutroing was provided for all students and we all attened every session. It started out with two and then 3 weeks later the whole class attended. We all did well and I graduated with 3.56 GPA. Therefore, The instructors were impressed by my accelerations in the classes and the other students.

So, I am saying that OP should use the resources to his advantage. Regardless, how I feel about his post because it is not about me. It is about him and his issues (now). However, I would be careful for alleging what another party says to other people because everyone has their side and we have not heard the school side. We do not know if the violated the ADA and the federal government at all. Therefore, there is two sides to each coin last time I checked.

We do not know what was really the issue the opiates or the dyslexia or both. We do not know the school side at all. We only know what the original poster alleges. In the court of law, everyone is innocent until proven guilty and the OP & the College or University are innocent.

There is my opinion and I am sticking too it.

Confused Buttons.

Specializes in Critical Care, Pediatrics, Geriatrics.
Hello, Everyone

I thought or read and maybe my dyslexia is acting up this am. The OP was expell from school due to the chronic use of an opiate. Now, the OP is including dyslexia and something else. I do not get it. Was this person dismiss due to the opiates or all oabove? If all above, then the school would be in violations of the ADA and Federal Law. I believe that I am correct on the ruling.

I fought for my rights as learning disability student to take the nclex in the appropriate time as well as the location. I was suppose to sit for the test June and was not permited due to the NCLEX. The NCLEX wanted a lot of paper work (which they received in January, for me to pay my expenses to fly to other testing sites for my accommendations, and last did not want to reimburse my traveling expenses. The NCLEX were notified prior to my graduation In January of my disablities as well as accommendations. My school instructors and myself called the ADA and then a lawyer. The ADA stepped into the conflict and the issue was resolved. I had to take the test at the testing site near my school, my accommenations were met and it was a beautiful day. It took me a total of 83 questions in 1 hour and I passed.

Now, I fought the NCLEX due to travel expenses and not providing a site in my area to meet my accommendations. It was a struggles between NCLEX and studying, I could not fail because I did not want the NCLEX to say...look she failed anyways and all the accommendations prove the student could not pass. It was my feelings and I busted butt. Therefore, I used the resources and had the school helped me.

In addition, I should say college. The college I attended never had a nursing student with a learning disabilities. The school of nursing in the beginning was bucking the system and a meeting was held with the learning diability office. The nursing instructor thought I could not learn due to my disabilities. They did not understand and I had to teach them about disablities. The instructors did not want to provide tutoring, allow tape recorders, extra time and etc. Then the ADA came to the school and did a presentation to them as well as the students. The instructors comply with the ADA. The tutroing was provided for all students and we all attened every session. It started out with two and then 3 weeks later the whole class attended. We all did well and I graduated with 3.56 GPA. Therefore, The instructors were impressed by my accelerations in the classes and the other students.

So, I am saying that OP should use the resources to his advantage. Regardless, how I feel about his post because it is not about me. It is about him and his issues (now). However, I would be careful for alleging what another party says to other people because everyone has their side and we have not heard the school side. We do not know if the violated the ADA and the federal government at all. Therefore, there is two sides to each coin last time I checked.

We do not know what was really the issue the opiates or the dyslexia or both. We do not know the school side at all. We only know what the original poster alleges. In the court of law, everyone is innocent until proven guilty and the OP & the College or University are innocent.

There is my opinion and I am sticking too it.

Confused Buttons.

That is exactly why the OP should follow his institution's greivence process and then seek legal advice if he is not successful. This is truly a sticky situation which involves a multitude of variables that need to be analyzed from a legal perspective.

:)

Hey Tweetie and others,

Your post triggered my response. I am glad you cleared your part up but realize there are many others who choose to view people with disabilities as being incompetent. You may not be one of them but I was directing my post in general using your comments as I may have misunderstood them to acknowledge a general issue. Whether or not you feel that you belong with that group, that side of the issue still needed to be explored. Glad you have an open mind, we need more of you to spread the word about the difference between disabilities, capabilities and abilities. Thanks for your response. HB

Hey Tweetie and others,

Your post triggered my response. I am glad you cleared your part up but realize there are many others who choose to view people with disabilities as being incompetent. You may not be one of them but I was directing my post in general using your comments as I may have misunderstood them to acknowledge a general issue. Whether or not you feel that you belong with that group, that side of the issue still needed to be explored. Glad you have an open mind, we need more of you to spread the word about the difference between disabilities, capabilities and abilities. Thanks for your response. HB

Thanx for the clarification! :)

What about people who are functional on methadone? What about people from all walks of life struggling emotionally/mentally with there lives who don't want to give up. I know of healthcare workers who are challenged by chronic emotional/mental feelings who charge on and don't give up. Should only emotionally balanced people be healthcare workers? Who is balanced? Don't we all have propensities to be a little off...some are too aggressive, some are too manipulative, some are I think those who suffer can offer deeper insights, compassion, and tolerance. You should lobby for your rights to help not just yourself but all others who suffer like you and are afraid to come forward. Nursing of all professions should be more compassionate, tolerant, and accommodating. If we reject our own on this basis, how can we encourage patients to go forward, go back to school, or seek employment.

I'm sorry that there is so little tolerance for you in the system...I hope you can find the courage to stand-up for yourself and to change the short-sightedness of those making these decisions.

Button: You want people to be accepting of you for your disability, yet you're not granting Rob the same benefit of the doubt.

Just something to think about.

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