Kentucky Board KARE

Are you a nurse attorney? I wonder what the threshold is for reporting to the DEA, I know. I have made incidental discrepancies before but they were never addressed or mentioned, even when I tried to remedy them I was told "it's fine" (I worked in an ER).  What If I do a hair test and there is no evidence of the substance? also I was never accused of being intoxicated at work.  Am I able to track the status of that anywhere? 

I'm not a nurse attorney. I'm a former paralegal. The threshold is basically when the organization has clear evidence of diversion. A pixis discrepancy is and has been done by probably 99 percent of nurses in the country thst work in busy places like ER, Med Surge, OB, ICU, and the hospitals, pharmacies, and DEA are aware of that. It's common sense. What clear evidence would be this example...

A nurse goes to the boss and reports you because she suspects you might be high. The hospital does an investigation and in reviewing your pixis pulls, you have 80 percent more pulls that the average ER nurse and you give 80 percent more narcs that the next closest nurse. That's alarming. It's not 1 or 2 or 3 pixis discrepancies and that doesn't cross the threshold. People that divert can be found out with pixis diverdionn software that can literally account for tons of variables like work hours, amount of narcs timing of narcs pulled on shift, etc and compare you to every other ER nurse and come up with risk predictors. Most nurses have no idea how advanced pixis's are today. They literally contain diversion detection software the pharmacy uses and can easily tell.

There is no way to know if you have been reported to the DEA. One give away is if your work approaches you. If you are still working there after 30 or so days, then it's overwhelmingly likely you haven't been reported because the investigation would usually be over by then, and if you were found to be a likely diverter, the hospital would fire you or offer you to quit because imagine the risk they are taking by keeping you. That's one way to know.

Here's 4 key things. If a nurse isn't on camera and nobody at work complained that she was high and the nurse didn't admit to anything, and the nurse can complete an SUD eval by passing a drug and alcohol urine and hair test, they are going to win and they will not get monitoring if they fight it, EVEN IF the nurse diverted once or twice or 5 times and has some seriously alarming pixis pulls.

If nobody has claimed you are high and you aren't on camera and you never admit diverting and you can somehow pass a urine and hair drug test at an SUD eval, you will win. If ANY of the above factors is going against you, you will likely lose.

Someone can be just an awful person or mad at you and report you.  A lot of us are forced into a monitoring agreement for no reason. 

This one is definitely going to be tough. HR lady kept telling me to call EAP.
I started a different (lower stress) job this week because I need to feed my family. SUD/Psych was not substantiated. 

Healer555 said:

Someone can be just an awful person or mad at you and report you.  A lot of us are forced into a monitoring agreement for no reason. 

That's so frustrating. My new job had someone show up to work wasted and they just sent her home. 

SMBnurse said:

That's so frustrating. My new job had someone show up to work wasted and they just sent her home. 

What an idiot to go to work wasted. I think this is an absurd way to try to protect patients.  People who shouldn't be reported are, people who shouldn't be reported aren't and tons of people don't seek help because they fear the board or a monitoring agreement.  

Has anyone had issues with relapse and willing to share their story? Would love to hear info on how it was handled by the BON and your employer, and if any charges were pressed. 

DuckyGirl06 said:

Has anyone had issues with relapse and willing to share their story? Would love to hear info on how it was handled by the BON and your employer, and if any charges were pressed. 

Relapse alone wouldn't get any legal charges.  Other states usually send you to rehab and add time.  

RN0919 said:

 

Self reported mental health issues very vaguely in late Dec to BON. got the order to undergo SUD/psych eval in late jan, failed urine for thc but wasn't working in "nursing capacity" at the time so "not illegal" sud wasn't substantiated and eval said I was "safe for patient care". Previous employer included 6 Pyxis overrides the week I planned my "permanent solution to a temporary problem". Responded to my own "self report" via lawyer mid feb which endorses SI and acknowledges the overrides for this purpose.  How long is this gonna take by the board to address?  I just want to move past this. The shame is unbearable. 

Hello, new to this thread and just trying to gather information. 
Has anyone had charges pressed on them for taking medications from their employer? Currently on suspension and waiting to hear if any charges will be pressed. I have already self-reported to KBN and waiting for that process but I'm very concerned about any charges being pressed. 
I feel very hopeless and like life is over 😞

Tony Trimble said:

Hello, new to this thread and just trying to gather information. 
Has anyone had charges pressed on them for taking medications from their employer? Currently on suspension and waiting to hear if any charges will be pressed. I have already self-reported to KBN and waiting for that process but I'm very concerned about any charges being pressed. 
I feel very hopeless and like life is over 😞

Hey there! Believe me. I know how you feel. Do not beat yourself up! I personally did not catch charges from stealing medications from work, as I never did anything in my workplace to get me in trouble. Mine was all a personal struggle with substance use. I was an IV meth user, got suspicious I relapsed, was reported, put on monitoring, failed a drug screen, surrendered for a year, went to long term treatment, then got reinstated in October 2024 and signed for Kare. However, I was charged with 2 counts of promoting contraband during my last little run because I was running drugs to an ex in prison and got caught. I paid for a private attorney to avoid jail time when indicted and immediately self reported my charges to my nurse investigator at the time. Thankfully, I was put on a 5 year pre trial diversion considering I had never been in any trouble. If I were to mess up, return to use, catch more charges then I would have to serve 3 years in prison, however, I do not anticipate that happening. I don't know your history, but all I can say is to keep your head up, stay prayed up, but most importantly be honest, open, willing, and humble!! those are a few things my program taught me!! I have over 20mos sober, been drug screening for them since October 2023 and I currently have a job working in recovery. If you do catch charges it may hinder your employment for sure, I have experienced that. However, I am honest in a cover letter and I am honest in my interview and I explain to them I was not in the right state of mind then I also remind them that I am in the KARE program and I am considered one of their most compliant and safest employers. I am a Nurse Practitioner and currently making 30K a year because this is a new company and we haven't started med management yet. I struggle to live a comfortable life, but I am sober, I work in a safe environment, they work with me for my own mental health appointments, or any self care I need, they communicate with then nursing board, and I am happy for once. I know my income will increase as we grow and as I move into the med management side when we open it, but for now I am just grateful to be employed. While I was surrendered I worked in a head start making $13/hr or 23K/year. I have greatly humbled myself the last 2 years. Good luck. I will pray for you!