Mother with toddler has stipulations on license and needs job

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

My license is on probation for 3 years because a previous employer reported me to the BRN for several medication charting errors including narcotics. I have since lots of float pool job as part of the stipulations on my license. Do you have any advice where I might be able to get a job?? The BRN is heartless and has put me in a complete bind. I have never done drugs and have a monthly drug test that is clean. Please help, I have a toddler and a mortgage and am at the point where we can only survive for a few months at this point.

Dear Stipulations,

Having stipulations on your license makes it difficult to get hired because it requires employers to complete extra paper work on you during your probationary period.

Generally the most difficult place to land a job with stipulations on your license is acute care, so look outside of hospitals. Consider subacute, and also try applying to dialysis. Both Davita and Fresenius are known for hiring nurses in recovery. While you are not in recovery, the monitoring stipulations may be similar.

There's a forum here titled Nurses/Recovery where you can share information with other nurses in the same situation. You are not alone.

Good luck to you.

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth

Author, "Your Last Nursing Class: How to Land Your First Nursing Job"...and your next!