Kentucky Board KARE

DuckyGirl06 said:

Finally got offered a job! It not a "nursing" position but still in healthcare. I have reviewed my KARE contract a few times and don't see that we necessarily must be in a nursing position during our 5 years. Is this correct? Do I have to work as a nurse? 
(I know I could reach out to my case manager with the KBN but tbh, I despise talking to them and don't want to even have them think about me if I can help it) 

If you elected KARE then it does not have to be a nursing position. But you do have to provide them with a copy of the agreement and have them update the KBON however often it says to in the agreement. There is another punishment that does require us to have a nursing position but it is not KARE. 

How often are yall getting popped for hair, blood, nail tests? I had my first hair test last week (almost a year into the program) and a former coworker had a blood test last month. These are crazy expensive so I'm just trying to plan ahead for budgeting. 

Hi, any advice would be great a year and a half ago, lost my job due to impairment, was able to find another job, worked there for around the same frame, recently notified by BON and immediate suspension, 30 days to respond. What do I do next, should I get an attorney, which I really cant afford because my rent and bills are due, or do I self represent but enroll in whatever program associated with them before the hearing. Im just confused right now, don't want to lose my license. 

Miss Lin said:

 

From what I can assume, you are finally facing the consequences of your impairment a year and a half ago. 

If this is true, you could have an advantage as it is now on the facility that reported you to provide proof that you were an impaired. If this is the case, deny any accusations of being impaired. If you admit to any wrongdoing then will be immediately required to start digging yourself out of hole by getting a drug and alcohol evaluation, possibly receiving inpatient care for drug and alcohol abuse, admit to having a substance use disorder, and finally signing an agreement to enter in to the 5 year long KARE program. 

Your best hope is to be reprimanded for your actions but by admitting that you were working impaired is equal to pleading guilty to a judge. If you have money for a lawyer then go ahead and get one but if not, just fight for yourself. Youre already in a hole by having your license suspended so you don't have a whole lot to lose. Get and stay clean and do not admit to having a substance use problem. 

YourFriendlyAdvocate said:

From what I can assume, you are finally facing the consequences of your impairment a year and a half ago. 

If this is true, you could have an advantage as it is now on the facility that reported you to provide proof that you were an impaired. If this is the case, deny any accusations of being impaired. If you admit to any wrongdoing then will be immediately required to start digging yourself out of hole by getting a drug and alcohol evaluation, possibly receiving inpatient care for drug and alcohol abuse, admit to having a substance use disorder, and finally signing an agreement to enter in to the 5 year long KARE program. 

Your best hope is to be reprimanded for your actions but by admitting that you were working impaired is equal to pleading guilty to a judge. If you have money for a lawyer then go ahead and get one but if not, just fight for yourself. Youre already in a hole by having your license suspended so you don't have a whole lot to lose. Get and stay clean and do not admit to having a substance use problem. 

They have the proof which is why I believe that it was immediately suspended. It's just so overwhelming because, I had to let my current employment know, so im out of a job, license suspended, no longer can work as a nurse right now, I found employment outside the medical field. I lost my insurance, so im sure that it'll be tough to get a therapist. Im debating on taking a chance between getting a lawyer or not, because I honestly don't know what they will serve at this point. Just issue after issue, im trying to remain optimistic but goodness this is wild! 

long time lurker, first time poster. have been in KARE for over a year and got selected for a hair test today for seemingly no reason. another nurse I know has had a couple of blood tests only because her urine was dilute but never a hair test and she's almost done with the program. I wasn't prepared for this cost around the holidays and had to ask my dad to help. did I do something wrong to get selected for these tests? or do these extra tests just happen every now and then  😕

MrsJG said:

long time lurker, first time poster. have been in KARE for over a year and got selected for a hair test today for seemingly no reason. another nurse I know has had a couple of blood tests only because her urine was dilute but never a hair test and she's almost done with the program. I wasn't prepared for this cost around the holidays and had to ask my dad to help. did I do something wrong to get selected for these tests? or do these extra tests just happen every now and then  😕

If you did something wrong, they would have let you know id imagine. .  Hair tests go back a year. We do them every 3 months here. 

Hair tests look back for about 3 months. You did nothing wrong. Not uncommon to have all urine tests for a year, then boom, selected for a hair test. Very common to go 2 or 3 years with all urine tests, then boom, hair test out of the blue.  Very common for many states to do all urine, then in the end of the 5th year as you are close to finishing, you get 2 hair tests in the last 6 months and 3 months before finishing. That's normal. Some states require hair tests every 3 months or once per year as automatic, but many don't. 

Remember, your case manager is a HUMAN, not a robot. They have emotions. For example, you have been doing all urine tests for 2 years, then your case manager reads an article on recovery monitoring, gets an idea, and you get selected, or your case manager is at the monthly meeting where all the case managers for your state program come together and meet once per month (which they do) and discuss their cases with the Supervisor (and there is a Recovery Supervisor in every state/program) and the topic comes up "let's do more hair tests." Then you get selected. It's really as simple as this. 

You have done nothing wrong. don't do drugs and alcohol and you have nothing to worry about.