IPN vs. BON?

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I went for my IPN evaluation yesterday. It wasn't nearly as scary or as intimidating as I thought it would be.

There was a doctor there, a psychiatrist, who told me she was a former addict as well. Still takes meds for depression and still attends NA meetings. I was fascinated by this. Here was someone that knew first hand the issues I have encountered being a nurse on bipolar medications.

What interested me was the fact that she told me that my DON at my former job did NOT need to call the Board of Nursing on me with regard to my being impaired at work. She told me that the DON could have just contacted IPN and left the BON out of the equation. The Board never has to be involved at all and there would be no punitive damage done to my license.

I wonder...do DON's really know to call IPN for a nurse or is it always straight to the BON? That really confused me.

Anyway, I have to do 3 months of IOP but the Pdoc in charge of the IPN where I am insured me that I will probably be released for work before the 3 months is up. *shrugs* They also told me that I cannot take xanax any longer although it is prescribed to me for my bpd. This is going to be a tough one for me to give up. I just don't know how they expect me to stop it cold turkey like that! I'm going to try though...

I just have a feeling I am setting myself up for failure.

I take valium and a blood pressure med for my anxiety and seizure precautions and I just gave them my prescription so they could document the validity and that was it. My drug tests always test positive and that is fine with them because my doctor wants me on it and what he says goes. A psychiartrist is not an internist and has no right to challenge one

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