OhioRN on probation, not drug related, been 3 years! What to do please help??

[GotoGirlRN]

Ok, I have posted here before. Long story short, I was very depressed (had miscarriage, husband diagnosed with M.S.) about 3 years ago while I was working on a Med/Surg unit. I worked midnight shifts and was also driving my husband to the hospital everyday for Solumedrol infusions for his M.S. relapse so needless to say I wasn't getting much sleep. I was also just started on an antidepressant and a sleeping pill.

Well one night I went into work and anonymously I was reported to my supervisor for "behaving strangely" and "smacking a patient on the butt well putting lotion on him"... I didn't have any complaints from any patients, and had never been written up for anything. I was a good employee. I was actually working as charge nurse that night and thought I was doing a good job, just a bit tired.

Anyways I was drug and alcohol tested after I was pulled off the floor, everything came back negative.

I was fired from my job with no reason.

I was reported to the Ohio Board of Nursing and honestly didn't think I did anything wrong so I talked to the investigator from the Board of Nursing and THEN hired an attorney -------BIG MISTAKE.

Long story short, I was placed on Probation for 2 years, only restriction is that I cannot be a Nurse Manager. My future employer has to give quarterly reviews of my progress.

Well every interview I have went on the manager has fell in love with me and my experience (Home care, Med/Surg, IV team, Pediatrics) and said they wanted to hire me but had to talk to their attorneys.... Well then I get a call saying that I am too much of a liability and they can't hire me!

My question is, am I ever going to work as a nurse again?

Any advice?

Which places should I try that might give me a chance?

If you do the hiring at your facility would you give me a chance?

I am now well adjusted to my medicine, sleeping well, exercising, been in therapy for 3 years and a completely different and better person,,,, except for not being able to find a job, we are losing our home. I feel like this is all my fault...

Any advice would be much appreciated!

Thanks in advance! :confused::confused::confused::confused::confused:

[No Stars In My Eyes]

My heart goes out to you; we are in a similar boat. I am on probation and have been applying for nsg. jobs for a year now and have never received one "bite"....ie, no interviews at all. I have a time period within which I can work off the probation, but already a year has passed. I think I have another six months in which I can "take care of this"....I have been working as a CNA doing PDN with permission of the board after talking with my agency supervisor. I think the only reason this agency is willing to employ me is that I have worked for them for 30 yrs as a nurse, and they KNOW me. I am afraid I'm going to have to end up giving up my nursing license, and it is breaking my heart. It does seem ridiculous to be SO severely penalized for circumstances that are NOT even criminal. The message I get for having a flag on my license is that, no we will not even give you a chance. Who cares, except me and you, and all the others in this boat with us?

I was told, way back at the beginning of this ordeal, BY a board member, no less, to try applying at a dialysis center. I don't know if that'd work for you. It doesn't for me, because the one thing I am totally inept at is venipuncture; not 'afraid'...just have no aptitude at all.

You know, I just don't understand throwing a perfectly GOOD, reliable, experienced nurse under the bus. People have said it's the economy, the not-really-a-nursing-shortage, etc., and to not give up. Well how do I not give up when it seems, quite frankly, that I have been given up on?

I'm sorry, I don't mean to bring you down. I wish you all the best. I know how hard this is. I will pray for the both of us.

[all_over_again]

I would first find an attorney and sue "John Doe" for defamation of character if I hadn't really smacked someone while applying lotion to his orifice. If you have been fired, then someone has a name somewhere and a subpoena will fish it out. Lawyers suck, but sometimes its the best you can do. Nursing ruins lives. Good luck.

[No Stars In My Eyes]

"Nursing ruins lives." Truer words, etc. (sigh)

[diva rn, BSN, RN]

GotoGirl,

I am not sure I understand. What are you on probation for? The depression and "acting strangely" or suspected patient abuse? It's not clear to me...can you clarify?

[kbell99140]

I feel your pain. I had no drug hx but was out for postpartum depression 14 years ago and was investigated by the board because someone thought I was acting "funny" ---fired after starting up a new PICU and ,like you, talked to the board before talking to a lawyer because I thought I didn't have anything to hide. After extensive investigation, alot of money out of my pocket to pay for the investigation and lawyer fees , I also was placed on probation with no restrictions on my license except for quaterly reports from my manager. 14 years later, I am still trying to get a job without having to explain the incident but as soon as they see the investigation part, it never gets any further. I was lucky because one of my attendings went to bat for me and I was able to get a full time job in a PICU but my daughter is now in college and I need to supplement with another job and can't find one. It is the most frustrating thing I have ever had to deal with. Although I know they are trying to protect the public from RN's with a drug problem-when does the statue of limitations expire for time served? I have had no further problems in my job and have a stellor evaluation every year for the past 10 years! yet I can't get hired outside of the hospital I work at. My only suggestion is to get references from the doctors and nurses you used to work with and look up the Nurses in Recovery Chapter in your local area. They were a lot of help when the problem started with me they had great contacts that might be able to help you. GOOD LUCK!