Published Oct 24, 2008
PEPPER1
13 Posts
I am just beging to process of re-instatement (gathering of letters and documentation etc.) I was licensed in Tx but now live in another state. I am not clear how to proceed. I know I need to address my primary state BON first but is there any need at this point to contact the state I am currently living in and where I want to eventually work and will need to be involed in? I want to make sure to do things in the correct order and be as pre-pared as possible from the begining.
ms. papa RN AGAIN
58 Posts
When I reinstated my license I started by contacting my states monitoring program (KNAP) and spoke with them. I wasn't able to actually enroll with them before my reinstatement app was on file but they were very helpful with giving some advice. Then I wrote a letter of explination to the BON and mailed that with my reinstatement application including the fact that I had already been in contact with the monitoring program and that I planned to get assessed through them and follow their recommendations as needed if they allowed my application to go through. It doesn't sound like our stories are exactly the same but I also had extended clean time when I began my mission and I was also very scared of the possibility of a NO THANK YOU. I have been reinstated since May and in July I started working as a volunteer RN to get through my 6 month narcotics restriction b/c I was unsucessful finding a job and I needed to start using my license for that time to start ticking away.
My other requirements by the KNAP program included getting a drug/ETOH eval and following the recommendations which led to a 6 week outpatient "relapse prevention" treatment. Then I signed a one year agreement (often 3 years but I got lucky b/c of my long clean time) and for that time period I take random monthly UA's (I make a phone call EVERY DAY to see if I need to go test that day) and weekly 12 step meetings. My narc restriction is up the end of December and I will be off paper with KNAP in April!! All cases are different, I know, but it is possible. Don't let fear stop you. I was scared to death of withdrawls and actually of being clean and hell look how far I have come. It will turn out exactly like it should so just get on it!!
Thank you so much. I will go ahead and contact the peer program here in the state where I live. I have just a few more letters to collect and I'll submit by application very soon. thanks again.