Just got my TPAPN referral in the mail, scared to death

whodatme · Nov 11, 2015

Hey, sounds a lot similar to me...STRESSED!! I have done TPAPN once in the past, and I know it sucks, but very feasible. When finished with everything, my license went right back to normal(no stipulations attached)!! Hang in there, we can survive together! I live DFW, and will definitely need some help finding a job who will hire me with TPAPN restrictions. I am a pretty good guy, I just feel like a failure right now. But, I continue to fight. There is not really any other options. Hope for the best for you.

Big Blondie, ASN, BSN, MSN, APRN · Nov 11, 2015

You can do this. Take a breath, Do one thing at a time. There are other people at TPAPN you can talk to. Press zero and ask to talk to someone else. Its going to be ok. Defer your student loans. Do what ever it is you have to do to do the next right thing. Keep copies of everything, get organized. Get a family member to help you if you are overwhelmed.

Omaapecm, ASN, RN · Nov 15, 2015

Don't give up! Your already doing part of the program by going to AA. It's a tough program and allows for no mistakes. I've felt like giving up on numerous occasions but am so thankful I didn't. My disease was telling me to give up but I didn't. I relapsed 2 and half years into my 3 year contract and had to start over with a 4 year agreement. Talk about wanting to give up!' Hang In there and I'm wishing you the best

nurselovespink87 · Nov 16, 2015

I have been in TPAPN for 18 months...It is hard especially at first when all the paperwork is confusing and you have no idea what in the crap they want from you. The best advice i can give you is don't give up. Get your assessment start your treatment (inpatient or outpatient) and start your 90/90 meetings. Check in everyday submit specimens when you are selected. Eventually you will get really good and checking labels and making sure you don't consume anything your not supposed to. (ie contains alcohol) The first case manager i had was horrible, she told me i would test positive if i took benadryl or ibuprofen. She was crazy and was not helpful at all! The one i have no is super nice and understanding and she is not always avaliable by phone but she always responds to my emails. After i had been on the program for about a month, i found a job with the same company i was working for before, just a different location. They all knew about my stipulations and the hoops that i had to jump through. But they understood i was a good nurse who just needed a second chance. And now i was PROMOTED! Under TPAPN, it has made me a better nurse and it does get easier. I have 18 months left and its all routine now. But i remember being super stressed and not knowing what to do. Keep going and jumping through the hoops after you have a job and you know the routine it doesn't really take much effort on my part any more aside from going to meeting 4 times a week and checking in every day. Its all about normallcy and for now its my normal. Also use your advocate! They are typically nurses who have been through it and can offer some advice and light at the end of the tunnel! Feel free to PM me if you need support or have questions, it does get easier. Hold your head high and do what it takes to jump through those hoops!

Biosphere · Nov 17, 2015

Very good advice so far. If you can make it through nursing school , you can make it through this also. It's not going to get better overnight but if you work hard, do things the right way, and keep a low profile , you will succeed. Just don't ever give up.

SororAKS, ADN, RN · Nov 17, 2015

It does take a bit of getting used to. I'm in a different state than you, but felt the stress when I saw the monitoring contract, the requirements, and the Participant Handbook that describes all the things I couldn't have in my medicine cabinet. So I got good at reading labels and changed the kind of mouthwash/toothpaste/deodorant I use. I am careful about what I eat and the products I use, but I don't live in fear. I stay away from anything with alcohol in it and don't eat things with poppy seeds. Thankfully, my caseworker is good, responds to emails/phone calls/messages promptly.

Whatever you do, put your recovery front and center. Getting started in a monitoring program can be rough. But don't let it tarnish your recovery or how you feel about yourself. It can and does get better. Not perfect, but better. Take the first steps, go to meetings, get your assessment done and treatment. Check in as required. You can do this. Many of us felt the same way when we started. *hug*

Ash2213 · Nov 23, 2015

Thank you all for your support, encouragement, and advice. There are so many forms to fill out and things to do right now and I am really overwhelmed, but my case manager seemed like she would be helpful and was encouraging when we finally spoke. I feel like I am on the right track but am really scared. It seems like the hardest part may be getting a job. I just pray I can handle rejection with grace and keep pressing forward.