I guess my Etg was NEGATIVE, after all. The program Director emailed me as a followup from the letter this morning. He said he will forward to my caseworker for closing and successful completion. I checked on affinity, and now my caseworker also says it was NEGATIVE and that I will be allowed to complete.
I kept screenshots of all of this, and all of the correspondence all along, as it is rather interesting for comparison purposes.
But either way folks I'm DONE. I have successfully completed my monitoring!
Thank ALL OF YOU, from the bottom of my heart, for believing in me and believing me, for your prayers, and for checking in with me throughout all this hell to make sure I was still sane and alive.
This forum and community we have is awesome! THANK YOU ALL!
Specializes in ER, ICU/CCU, Open Heart OR Recovery, Etc.
law school i tell you!
sun shine is the best disinfectant=make public all the disingenuousness that you have come across.
Actually, I am going to take a Legal Nurse Consultant class :)
Indeed, sunshine IS a great disinfectant. I have a contact or two in this state that I am going to share this with, and a physician in still another state who sees this with HIS colleagues and is fighting the good fight there. Yesterday I reached out to a state assemblywoman about the stonewalling and nastiness I have experienced at the hands of the BON there.
Congratulations! I have followed so many of the stories like yours from the first day I found AllNurses 2 years ago. Though I'm still a nursing student I am a second (or third) career nurse so I've been around the block a few times. Please know that sharing your journey, along with so many others, has really shaped how I view the BON, practitioners with problems, and the stress of this field. You have put a very real human face to a 'problem' mentioned in school in a 'scare your pants off' kinda way, rather than a 'hey, this is real and can impact your life' way.
No one wants to be the lesson, but you have stepped up and carried that burden with dignity and grace. Whatever you decide to do now that you have choices again, I'm certain you will be fantastic!
Specializes in ER, ICU/CCU, Open Heart OR Recovery, Etc.
Congratulations! I have followed so many of the stories like yours from the first day I found AllNurses 2 years ago. Though I'm still a nursing student I am a second (or third) career nurse so I've been around the block a few times. Please know that sharing your journey, along with so many others, has really shaped how I view the BON, practitioners with problems, and the stress of this field. You have put a very real human face to a 'problem' mentioned in school in a 'scare your pants off' kinda way, rather than a 'hey, this is real and can impact your life' way.
No one wants to be the lesson, but you have stepped up and carried that burden with dignity and grace. Whatever you decide to do now that you have choices again, I'm certain you will be fantastic!
So happy for you!!
Thank you kindly :)
Although I didn't wake up one morning and decide to be The Lesson, I'm here. The reason I have shared this is because I know I'm not alone. Not only are there recovering nurses here, but there are other nurses and nursing students that could be. Even if some never have to deal with it, they will have colleagues that likely will.
I shared this because EVERY NURSE and EVERY NURSING STUDENT needs to know how these things are. Nurses need to know they don't have to suffer alone if they do have problems with substance abuse or mental health issues. They need to know that there are REAL HUMAN CONSEQUENCES from these issues, and that they are not a moral problem. There's a very real stigma about substance abuse and mental health issues in our profession that needs to change.
Me telling my story here may contribute in a small way to that change. I also remember how horribly alone I felt dealing with this alone, years before finding AllNurses. I'd not wish that on anyone.
I also realized that nurses who must deal with their respective Boards and monitoring programs needed to hear about this in the event that the horrible Positive result comes into their lives. It's not a simple matter, like some think. Its not a matter of just following directions. That will likely get one through a contract unscathed, but as my situation and those of others demonstrates, there are exceptions and testing isn't infallible. I didn't relapse, and this situation STILL really shook me to the core. I knew I'd followed directions, but was still made to prove myself after a long time being clean.
Most importantly, I hope that my story helps someone develop skills of advocating for themselves. The Boards and monitoring programs are not infallible. As a profession and as individuals, we need to do this. Had I left it to someone else, my outcome would have likely been adverse and against my interests. If I can help at least one nurse to do this, that makes my day.
I am over-the-moon thrilled for you, SororAKS! What a frustrating roller coaster ride the past month has been for you. No one should be put through that!
From the day you posted about coming up positive, I had no doubt you were being truthful with us. I've been reading your posts for a long time & it's very apparent how sincere you are.
Specializes in ER, ICU/CCU, Open Heart OR Recovery, Etc.
Wow. I'm so honored, all of you awesome people :)
Much is said about nurses bullying each other. I am so pleased to see the level of support and well wishes that have been all over this forum for me as well as others. It gave me strength during very dark days and re established my faith in this profession.
I feel so bad continuing to ask questions about your situation considering you should be celebrating but **** it because I know these questions are relevant not only to your case, but, god forbid, to others should they find themselves in a similar situation in the future.
Not sure if this is standard procedure for all states, but in mine, when you provide a sample they do a split screen. For those not familiar- they pour your specimen into two tubes. If your sample comes up positive, they can use the second tube to run the test again and either substantiate or question the validity of the first.
So, in your program do they do a split screen and if so, was the second tube tested to confirm the results of the first one?
Specializes in ER, ICU/CCU, Open Heart OR Recovery, Etc.
I feel so bad continuing to ask questions about your situation considering you should be celebrating but **** it because I know these questions are relevant not only to your case, but, god forbid, to others should they find themselves in a similar situation in the future.
Not sure if this is standard procedure for all states, but in mine, when you provide a sample they do a split screen. For those not familiar- they pour your specimen into two tubes. If your sample comes up positive, they can use the second tube to run the test again and either substantiate or question the validity of the first.
So, in your program do they do a split screen and if so, was the second tube tested to confirm the results of the first one?
I'm not 100% sure, but I want to say yes they do the split.
I don't mind questions. It is precisely for the relevancy to others that might get caught up in the Positive test Spin Cycle, that I posted my situation.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
I have been following your story with great interest and hopes for the best. I am truly happy for you. CONGRATULATIONS, YOU DID IT. You should be proud of yourself. I know I am.
I wish you all the best in your future career, free of monitoring. YOU MADE IT. This has to give others who are in this place, some real hope. The world is your oyster now.
SororAKS, ADN, RN
720 Posts
Actually, I am going to take a Legal Nurse Consultant class :)
Indeed, sunshine IS a great disinfectant. I have a contact or two in this state that I am going to share this with, and a physician in still another state who sees this with HIS colleagues and is fighting the good fight there. Yesterday I reached out to a state assemblywoman about the stonewalling and nastiness I have experienced at the hands of the BON there.
So yes. Decontamination proceeding.