IPN Northwest Florida

Trauma Columnist · Oct 4, 2011

Let me move this to the Nursing and Recovery forum.

akhill · Oct 4, 2011

Thanks! Sorry, I just signed up for this and haven't figured it all out. :)

LisaB19 · Oct 5, 2011

I'm entering the IPN nightmare and have just signed my contract. I have 18 years experience and am looking to re-enter nursing after taking the last year off to focus on my recovery. I'm nervous because I have been told none of the hospitals in the area will hire IPN nurses and I have so many restrictions (no home health, hospice, chemical dependency, etc) that it seems almost impossible to find something. Does anyone know of any IPN friendly facilities in the Pensacola/ FWB area?

I'm not in the Northwest, but Central Florida where there are not a lot of nursing jobs. Much depends on your nursing background. If you have med/surg experience, long term care and dialysis are good places to start. Remember to look for job where you have a supervisor. There are some hospitals that do hire IPN nurses, your nurse support group should be able to help guide you. Psych facilities are also known to be IPN friendly. You want to take anything to be able to work that key restriction off and then your possibilities expand.

Good luck!

kitscoon · Nov 10, 2011

I called IPN to self report both yesterday & today. How long does it take for them to return your call?

diva rn, BSN, RN · Nov 12, 2011

I'm entering the IPN nightmare and have just signed my contract. I have 18 years experience and am looking to re-enter nursing after taking the last year off to focus on my recovery. I'm nervous because I have been told none of the hospitals in the area will hire IPN nurses and I have so many restrictions (no home health, hospice, chemical dependency, etc) that it seems almost impossible to find something. Does anyone know of any IPN friendly facilities in the Pensacola/ FWB area?

Hi and welcome...

I am not in NW FLorida, I am in on the South East Coast just the opposite of you, so I don't know of any specific facilities for you to try. However, I want to say, I have been in the IPN now for 2 years and it really isn't a nightmare...once you get your bearings and settle in it just becomes a way of life. You call daily for your color, I have found that I am usually tested on average about every 4-5 weeks. I like my weekly peer meetings, ours is more like a gripe session, and our faciltator is awesome, she has helped several of our group find jobs. There are 12 of us and as of now, only 4 don't have jobs...

Now for some ideas for you...if you have narcotic restrictions...the best places to try are

1. Dialysis centers...no narcs to give and very IPN friendly

2. Psych nursing (if you have experience) or CD..I think you have to have 2 years of sobriety, not sure where you are.

3. Case Management..(that's what I do)

4. Doctor's office...telephone triage...

5. LTC--MDS coordinators

6. Free standing surgi centers (for gi procedures)

If you have your contract then you probably have the restrictions, such as no home health, no hospice, 1 year narcotic restrictions--maybe not...

THe main thing to remember is DO NOT ROCK THE BOAT....

DO not miss a urine drug screen...fly under the radar...go to your peer meetings...get your paper work in on time...

do all of this and you will be fine....

It is not a nightmare and it beats the alternative...which is...having your license REVOKED...obviously we did something to get into this spot..so own it....and do this and get it over with......

You will get a job, life will go on...I have 18 years of experience. I didn't work for almost 1 year either...I was out most of 2009...(I went back to work in Dec 2009)and in Jan 2012 I will have 3 years of sobriety.... For that I will be eternally grateful...and I am grateful to the IPN for allowing me to work...

In many states, there is NO monitoring program at all...your license is just suspended or revoked..or you deal only with the BON not an alternative program.....

I would rather NOT be in the IPN...but between the two, it's the lesser of two evils...

diva rn, BSN, RN · Nov 12, 2011

I called IPN to self report both yesterday & today. How long does it take for them to return your call?

It's usually pretty quick. But I think you are running into the holiday...patience...and you are doing the right thing.

CaseJugglerRN · Jul 17, 2012

You just gotta love the ones that "Love IPN" they are the ones who really need it. And they will happily crow, and share the benefits of sobriety much like a freshly converted Christian trying to convert a pagan However, if you were set up by a co-worker or a jealous ex my advice is to suck it up buttercup, and give those people what they want. Most of them are Zealots and you cannot reason with the recently converted...cry about how happy you are to be in your group, and how this is the best thing that ever happened to you, took me a while to learn that IPN is about recovery for those who really need it. But the system is one of which all participants are considered guilty until proven innocent.

So if you are in the "Club" as an unwilling member my advice is to keep it quiet these people love to rip you apart in group and scream DENIAL...because in doing so it justifies their own fall from grace, and solidifies their feelings of self superiority...well I have a news flash for these people if you have been in IPN for three contracts and go to four meetings a week...it does not make you a senior statesman and old gaurd member....it makes you a three strike screw-up who could only offer advice on how to get another contract. Florida's program was three years originally but because these people are incapable of learning and IPN will not snip their license on the second offence we all have to do a five year mission like the USS Enterprise. This is most likely because what IPN Reeeally likes is repeaters, repeaters justify their position and ensure constant cash-flow to Affinity their testing arm. I wonder sometimes how much stock Jean D'Aprix was offered for this.

I am sorry if this seems somewhat bitter but having been in this program for three years myself I can see where it has really helped some people with serious control issues out and where is some respects it is quite evil to the non-addicts. IPN is a mixed bag and you only pull out of it what you out into it. However do your time give em a great show if you have to and do not try to screw the testing, it will get you in the end, accept this and the time will go by....and most importantly learn and take strength from the experience.

mona1023 · Jul 17, 2012

IPN is very similiar to all the other monitoring programs out there. I am not from Florida, but in my state there are nurses who are in our program who are not addicts or alcoholics, but find themselves in monitoring due to "lesser" offenses. One of the nurse's in my support group was set up by a co-worker.

To the previous poster, I say that it is unfortunate that you have felt judged by other people and overwhelmed with the unfairness of the "one size fits all" approach to monitoring. It is definitely not fair. Being a second strike screw up myself, I am very grateful to be reading your post. It reminds me to be mindful of my speech when I communicate what I have learned because I certainly would never want anyone to feel judged or demoralized by anything I said or did.

I am an addict so I certainly earned my place in monitoring and at my nurse's support group and am fortunate to learn from the addicts and non-addicts alike.

I really hope your time passes quickly in IPN.

To the original poster, I hope the same for you. And best of luck in your job search.

SouthernPoint · Jul 18, 2012

CaseJugglerRN - I totally hear you. I have been dealing with them for 3 years also. One would think if your supervisor calls IPN every other week, someone would look into possible harassment. Nope, not in my case. I was pulled out of work over 5 times in a 6 month period. Every time I had to shell out the cash for the evaluation. The Doctor even made a comment about possible harassment and wanted to see documentation of the so called incidences. Seems no one at IPN cared as no proof was ever sent to them after many requests. And every time I basically was held guilty. I eventually hired an Attorney. That might have been my biggest mistake. IPN seems to get ***** when one hires legal council. I was basically kicked out of IPN and sent to the BON. When I sat for my hearing with the BON, IPN straight up lied. So my punishment for trying to defend myself was a year suspension and a fine large enough for a down payment on a nice BMW. The BON violated their own procedures. They claim my case was investigated. When I questioned if this so called investigation included speaking with me and/or proof from my employer of these so called incidences, I was told yes. When I asked for a copy I was turned down since I had legal council. When my attorney and I set up an appointment to speak with the person investigating my case, we were both informed that a report had already been summited to the BON. My attorney wasn't even able to get any information from the BON.

So basically I have learned that IPN nor BON needs much hardcore proof of anything. All they need is someone to call them, whether or not the claims are legit or not. Pretty poor system I think.

Now don't get me wrong, IPN could be a great program. But they really need a lot of work. Honestly, if a Nurse is on their 3/4 trip through the Land of IPN, really?? Wouldn't one think that somewhere something isn't clicking for this Nurse and Maybe, just Maybe they need some more indept help?

I now have a record with the BON and the complaint has the word allegedly in it over 43 times. Now how can that be? I know if a so called murder is going to court the attorney can't say "He was allegedly in the area, but we have no proof he pulled the trigger. Only his ex-girlfriend saying she thinks she seen him there, but she wasn't in that neighborhood that night." and then not except to get laughed out of the courtroom by the judge.

Anyways, just my rant.

SP