iPN troubles

sarahrnuf · Nov 9, 2005

HI1 I'm currently doing just that with IPN! Any suggestions....PLEASE!

Thanks, Sarah

sarahrnuf · Nov 9, 2005

HI! I'm encountering many unfound issues with IPN and was wondering if anyone had any insight or suggestions as to where one can get support, etc. about this. It's so nice to know that there are people like yourself to communicate with via this venue.

Thanks, Sarah

mll0907 · Oct 1, 2007

Hi, I posted this in response to someone elses question:

The issue with IPN in Florida, is that it does NOT matter if you have an Rx or not. If you have a medical condition that requires treatment with a narcotic or other IPN "banned" medication, YOU CAN'T TAKE IT! It's against The Nurse Practice Act. I took my own prescribed narcotic on my day off. I appeared drowsy at work the next day (I also had severe Pernicious Anemia requiring Oncology intervention AND had heart attack range hypokalemia, post Gastric Bypass). I admitted to every single medication that was PRESCRIBED, every medical condition. I was co-erced by my former employer of 10 years, that I go into IPN Voluntarily. I signed a 5 year contract. A few months later, I got two merit raise increases...my best evaluations ever! The next month, the employer terminated me, for falling asleep, in a class, outside the clinical setting ON MY DAY OFF. No badge, no uniform, no clock in. It was my own time and they terminated me. I tested negative, on the day they terminated me too. It really sucks. I have my BSN, have been an RN for 25 years...I took my own prescribed meds, for Fibromyalgia, on my time, but because of the 1/2 life it is still in your system. They will get you! I had another doctor prescribe Ritalin for ADHD and was told by IPN that I couldn't work while taking it...BUT YOU CAN TAKE CONCERTA...Does that make sense??? It's the SAME DRUG!! I went to an Employment Attorney, there is nothing I can do. Florida is a Right To Hire/Right To Fire State. They didn't need a reason to fire me. I signed a 5 year contract voluntarily, I can't get out of it per the Attorney. The worst thing, is IPN is such a negative stigma. My IPN contract does not require random testing. I never had a narcotic key restriction. I do not have to particpate in weekly meetings...but still the employer has to know, per contract. I haven't been able to find work in a year...remortgaged my house, etc. I am down to my last penny. IPN doesn't care. Their response is that there are "plenty of IPN Nurses with jobs!" I have petitioned for re-examination of my situation and was denied, twice. All the employer has to do is fill out that check sheet once a quarter...that's it...I think we are getting Black Balled. My license is worthless at this point. My Pernicious Anemia and hypokalemia is controlled, so I am not sleepy anymore. It has come to the point, that I will have to get a job outside nursing to support myself. I would like to find out if there are any statistics to employment of IPN nurses. Does anyone know??? Oh, I also took myself off the narcotic myself and have been "clean" for 2.5 years. If Nurses get sick...shouldn't they be entitled to treatment too?

morte, LPN, LVN · Oct 1, 2007

it would seem that the long term solution is to amend your nurse practice act.....

kmatheny · Aug 23, 2008

is anyone else having trouble with the "power freaks" at IPN ?? first the "addiction specialist" i'm sent to has someone else's case in front of him... or the case manager sent the wrong papers. when i confront them with it...i get "i'm not going to argue with you". i saw an attorney the following day, and although they're extremely successful at cases like mine, their retainer fee could be another AS degree!! anyone out there in a lawsuit with ipn or the " addiction specialist" ( i put this is quotes because he should have his license pulled!)

I have fought a paper war with IPN since 2-2005. They finally caused my demise by filing incorrect information & never acknowledging the evaluation doctor's report. The one year contract I signed with them

listed bogus lab sites & nurse support group not even in existance.

When confronted with the closed labs & non existant group I was simply told to find my own. I live in Alabama & no one has ever heard

of IPN. There is no nurse support group within 2oo miles.

They ignored anything I said or asked of them. They offered no help.

They constantly told me if i did not attend the nurse support group

that they listed or find my own with IPN stipulations I would be considered non compliant & turned over to DOH. The doctor eval

even stated that if a group was not within reasonable distance of

my home we would have to depend on random drug screens & employer

reports. (the only nurse support group was in pensacola, fl., a two

hour drive from my home) Many more problems existed with the IPN

process that I want even go into.

It all ended with my license being suspended & a federal exclusion to work any position pertaining to medical. DOH investigation & other staff that requested my information so that they could submit it to my hearings were never submitted. The final order read that I did not deny, comply, reply or have prescriptions, and that the employer

ua screen was positive, etc. All was incorrect as stated by the IPN doctor evaluation report. He stated the employer UA was negative, no criteria for a diagnosis, no impairment & return to work immediately. IPN socked it to me.

What did you finally do? If there is any help out there anywhere at $$$$. I just want them to follow the eval report, understand that no nurse support group exist within a reasonable distance, allow me to return to work & to complete the one year contract that I agreed to & for them to follow their own objectives & rules. Their system failed me & my case was sent to hell with charges that were incorrect.

It has been almost three years & I remain without a solution other than returning to their program. I really do not know what to do, but I

panic at signing another contract with Fl. IPN . Any advise from your experience?

fcosmo · May 11, 2009

Get a lawyer and firght

nofightleft · Nov 27, 2009

Like many,many other nurses in Florida, I am currently in the seemingly inescapable stronghold of the IPN. I was referred after taking 2 diet pills on my weekend off, and tested positive for amphetamines after an injury at work in the ICU 3 days later! Between the evaluations, mandatory outpatient meetings and seeing a psychologist,a psychiatrist, an addictionologist, mandatory attendance of 4 AA/NA meetings weekly, mandatory IPN nurse support group meetings weekly-I thought I was going to lose my mind. Instead, since I was kept out of work for over 16 weeks, and I'm the primary income in our home since my spouse is W/C bound due to SCI,---I didn't lose my mind, but we lost just about everything else we owned-including our home. When I tell you that IPN does not care one little bit about nurses or the added stress that they place on us...You can take that to the bank! Since I was referred to IPN for an innocent attempt to kick start a diet a year ago, it has cost me well over $20K if not more, in lost wages, loss of my home (which I bought in 1983!), and loss of an enormous amount of time with my husband, who requires a great deal of assistance! We have no help from anyone, neither financially nor physically.

The stress and aggravation applied by IPN was, and still is relentless, and uncaring. Nevermind, very expensive!

The IPN is a self-governing body of people who make their own set of rules, and bend them however they choose.

they are not monitored by, nor answer to the BON. Now, as a result of 30 years of lifting patients and equipment, I have had to undergo neurosurgery for the second time! This time, I bought myself 2 Titanium plates, an allograft, etc., in my C spine. Does it hurt? You bet your ass it does! Does IPN care? Not one bit! IF I should be able to return to nursing in any arena, IPN will require that I not be permitted to take any prescribed medications for pain, or the horrible neuropathy associated with this surgery. Since this was a "cumulative injury", and not something specific, I can't file Workmans Comp. Instead, I receive $200/wk disability, which doesn't go very far. What's the answer? I think that it's time that nurses like us really unite in an effort to make changes to the way IPN functions, and makes their decisions. There is absolutely NO uniform initial evaluation protocols in place, and after a lot of investigation, the "IPN approved" physicians we are forced to go to can perform an eval any way they choose! Then, they send that eval and recommended TREATMENT MODALITY to IPN, who then proceeds to make the rest of our life hell. It costs an enormous amount of money, time, and emotion to make a mistake(even the innocent ones) which forces a nurse into the IPN. Urine drug screens-$47.00 a pop, 52 weeks in an outpatient recovery program-$4000.00, IPN support group meetings-$10.00/wk, IPN $50.00/yr, and the list goes on! There has to be a way for a higher agency to monitor IPN, mandate changes demanding uniform evaluations, and requiring annual reviews of progress, instead of arbitrarily handing out 5 year sentences to nurses who,like me, unintentionally screwed up! OK-I'm sorry this was so long, but I'm really angry that this IPN crap has had such a negative effect on my career. I don't drink alcohol, or take illicit drugs. All of the drug screens since the initial one have been negative. But, yet-----IPN goes on!!!!! ANYONE IN TALLAHASSEE LISTENING?????????:angryfire

tra10 · Jan 6, 2010

Ipn has their hands on me also. I am having to start my narc restictions over and only work days. I need help finding a job now, which is going to be imposable.

LStanfield · Mar 11, 2010

What exactly does IPN stand for? I've had a similar experience with TNPAP (Tennessee Peer Assistance Program). Took meds on my day off, random urine test when I came back to work, idiot evaluator couldn't do his job right and caused me to lose months of work, hair follicle test clean, every random/surprise urine test since then has been clean... Luckily didn't have narc restriction or requirement to enter rehab facility but I do have to attend a peer meeting once a week and not many jobs allow me to leave in the middle of a shift... Also not many job opportunities in my area. Actually I live on the state border so most jobs are in the wrong state... Go figure. Anyway, here I am, without a job, and suddenly, after almost 20 months into my 3yr contract, someone makes an accusation and I'm fed up. I've had it. The next step is mandatory 6 months in rehab, narcs restriction, start over with a 5 year contract, and not so much as an investigation. Murphy's law has been my life for the last few years now. I'm honestly ready to give up on my license except I just saw a guy on here that I'm hoping can answer some questions for me. I hate to hear that you've had a hard time with your state's 'assistance' program. Have you noticed that they seem to think they are doing us a HUGE favor and that we should be more grateful???

tra10 · Mar 11, 2010

Wellthank you for responding. IPN stands for Intervention Project for Nurses. Yea we all have five year contracts, and even if you were arrested for DUI then you have a narc restrictions for one year. What happen to me is not too different from what happen to you. I had to go to rehab and spend lots and lots and lots of money to keep my licence from the board. The job that I had when I was "caught" told me they would hire me back. Yea Right. Then I looked for a job and went to work in a nursing home. Worked there for 8 months and the nurse passing my narcs hated me and wanted me fired and tried everything she could to get me fired, she finally got what she wanted, they found some pills in my purse I never saw any nor did I have any they were not narc pills they were reglan, yea thats right she set me up. Well after that, I had to have another evaluation 450 dollar worth. Then IPN restarted my narc restrictions, and I can only work days or 3-11. That was in Nov been looking for job ever since. Had over 10 interviews and all say the same thing no because of the IPN. The narc restrictions is the worst. There have been times when I just want to say F it but what do you do then, I have 3 kids and bills just like everyone else. It has been a nightmare, I also have to go to meetings, which I pay 40 a month to go to. We have once a month UDS which are 42 per month, you call this number for your color.

The meeting is a joke, they dont help you at all. So my advise to you is dont come to Florida. Hang in there. You could have a 5 year contract.:)

FLmomof5 · Mar 11, 2010

BTW, for the poster who thought it illogical to allow Concerta but ban ritalin....

Ritalin comes in tablet form and can be crushed and snorted for a high. Concerta is tamper-proof and will deliver a therapeutic range throughout a 24 hr perior. Make sense?