Nurses help me

Nurses Recovery

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good day everyone.

i need your help.

the hospital where Im working let me go due to violation of policy. My husband has a sleeping disorder, he have 3 sleeping meds. 2 of which are prescribed and 1 is OTC. I meant to grab the OTC out his medication box and unfortunately took the wrong one. Both has the same color. It was certainly an error but not intentionally. when i went to work i was slower than usual and my colleagues noticed that i was off. I didn't think I was and my head was clear in fact, i didnt have mistakes. my supervisor asked me if i am ok and i was truthful and told her what happen. she reported me and drug test came back positive for a prescribed medication. the hospital is zero tolerance so they let me go though I worked the entire shift with no mistakes and I was not sent home even after my supervisor knew what happened.

so now i am ask to self report to the BON. HR told me that i need to do it before their complaints because it would not be good for me. I asked her if theres a time frame because I would like to utilize my membership and assistance of the state nursing association before i report to BON or to the IPN however, they just told me as soon as possible. they terminate me yesterday friday and now its weekend. The state nurses association is closed by monday and I am freaking out because I am scared that their complaints would get to the BON first.

I need your help everyone.

I have read online that before doing anything consult a legal counsel.

I am thinking of just running away and move to other countries as I am so sick that this happen in my life. its very painful.

thank you

Thank you LisaCar130.

I'm in Florida. They have IPN here but I've read that it cost $30,000 and monitoring for 5 years. My other question is if i signed up for the IPN does that mean I have to be here in Florida? My husband and I were planning to move to Colorado.

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I am not here to be scolded or to be questioned. I own my mistake. Healthcare professionals like us know that medication errors can happen any time and even at home. I hope you don't experience what I've been through right now. If you dont have pleasant or nice to say just dont say it please.

An anonymous forum is the BEST place to be scolded and questioned.

You will be questioned by a professional group of your peers... concerned if you should continue to hold licensure. It will not be pleasant or nice.

Might as well learn here, than have sunshine and rainbows sent to you.

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I agree. I guess I'm just very sensitive right now. Sorry

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I would have said I don't feel good so please let me leave early or there is a family emergency, I need to go. You knew you made the error with the meds.

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Why on earth would you do that? Even if it was the OTC sleeping aid did you think it would clear your system by then and if not why risk it?

Also you're a nurse and didn't think to more carefully check what you were taking?

One does not have to be a nurse to realize that six hours is not enough time to clear that med. You really were not thinking clearly throughout this entire episode. Reread the post by lisacar until you realize what your next course of action should be, then take that action.

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The choices are (1) surrender your license, (2) volunteer for monitoring and possibly escape with no public record of it or (3) be forced into monitoring and have a public record of it.

As you admitted you took a prescribed medication without a prescription, I don't think you will be told "gee, we understand. Mistakes happen." Monitoring is likely happening, whether you volunteer or not.

I'm guessing this medication also has a potential for abuse, right? It wasn't the first time you did this, right? I'm having a hard time believing you mistook a prescription bottle for a nonprescription bottle when you took the pill.

An attorney can help navigate the process and help save your license. Maybe my doomsday prediction is wrong and an attorney can get you out of monitoring. But, be prepared for the worst. People do move while in monitoring programs. You'll have to check with Colorado on what they require, but if Florida requires monitoring, chances are that Colorado will too. And you can't just surrender your Florida license. If you do, you won't be able to get licensed in Colorado.

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You should repost in the recovery forum on here because you will find nurses in the IPN now that can give you good info on IPN. I do hear IPN is a pain. I am hoping that supposed $30K was including costs of rehab that perhaps their insurance didn't cover and that perhaps that won't apply to you.

Yeah people in monitoring do move to other states but DON'T blow off what is happening with Florida right now because Colorado will find out and you'll have the same problem in Colorado or even worse for blowing off Florida.

If you do self report, which again I see no other alternative, you can still work with a lawyer during the eval process. See, you report to IPN and they have you get an eval by a psychiatrist to determine if you are an addict and how much if any rehab you need. I see people on the recovery forum here say to find a psychiatrist NOT affiliated with a treatment program (hard to find) because they always recommend whatever treatment program they own or whatever and you don't want to have to do some 30 day rehab you don't need.

The lawyer can perhaps further guide you on which psychiatrist to go to and whatnot. Anyway, the eval process I'm guessing would include a hair sample to prove if this was really a one time mistake or if you were in fact using your husband's meds for awhile.

I'm still thinking you can't escape doing the whole IPN program with the drug tests and meetings but I know for sure you won't be able to escape the eval. Your job is going to report you so don't you have nothing to lose by reporting it yourself first? They aren't lying... they will do it. And you can still be 100% honest about the fact that it was a med error on yourself (they will test your hair so don't say that if it isn't true). Also... you can still choose not to join IPN after reporting yourself but since your employer is going to report you anyway, you would be in the same boat facing the BON whether you self report or not.

Anyway I have to go for now but have you visited the IPN website? https://ipnfl.org

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Specializes in ED, Pedi Vasc access, Paramedic serving 6 towns.
6 hours before work. Around 1pm and had to work at 7p

That wasn't to bright, no offense, but...

Annie

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I am sorry you are going through this. Sounds like an honest mistake. But I am no expert. think this is an excellent opportunity for Nurses in Recovery to address. I have read their stories and many begin like this.

You will face issues with the BON, mistake or not.

You will likely end up in an alternative to discipline program that is expensive and extensive. You will be required to attend meetings and submit to random drug tests. You will be doing this for some 2-5 years more or less.

The good news, is, you can keep your license from all I have read and heard from folks I know in recovery. (I work with two of them). It may chafe you to have have to deal with the BON this way----as you don't believe you have an addiction--- but a whole lot of folks are in the same boat from what I see in the Nurses in Recovery forum.

You made a mistake. One that will sadly, cost you dearly, if you want to keep your license.

Get legal consultation and proceed with the BON with such counsel. Do not deal with the BON by yourself. They are not our friends. They exist to protect the public, NOT nurses.

You'll get through this. What they others say is wise. Seek legal counsel and guidance and proceed with what they advise.

I wish you the best.

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I can see a mistake like taking the wrong pill happen. The question is when did you realize it and still go to work? Unfortunately, the board may look at it as trying to cover it up. Hopefully a lawyer can help you sort through this. Best of luck!

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Here was a good thread... check out the comments. The second comment explained a lot about the IPN process. One thing I would add is I have read from others in the past to ask about seeing a different evaluator from the 3 or so choices they give you.

https://allnurses.com/nurses-recovery/failed-preemployment-drug-1167669.html

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Specializes in Pedi.

I am thinking of just running away and move to other countries as I am so sick that this happen in my life. its very painful.

This is a terrible idea. If you run away and don't show up to your BON hearing, they will revoke your license. (That's how my best friend's sister-in-law lost her license, diverted narcotics from work, reported to BON and then didn't show up to any of her hearings.) And then you'll be up the creek without a paddle should you ever want to return to the US. A revoked nursing license in one state is certainly going to give any other state pause about licensing you.

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