Pain management RN and getting a job

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I have been in chronic pain management now for 7 years. I recently left a job not realizing that by me taking medications for chronic pain would affect me getting another job. I recently went through a complete background check and UA for a job that I really wanted. Of course my UA showed that I was taking methadone (changed from morphine due to cost) and Percocet. Everything checked out fine with the Medical Review Officer when he called me.... prescriptions matched, etc. I never take my medications incorrectly and if I did not have them there is no way I would be able to work due to this chronic pain. Well, the NP that worked in employee health said that "methadone is used for heroin abusers" so needless to say I was not able to go any further in this job. I am so angry and hurt that she would actually say that to me.

Does this mean that I will never be able to work in nursing again? I do not abuse my medications, can function perfectly when I take my meds. Will no one ever trust me just because I take opioids? I feel discriminated against especially by two injuries were from assisting patients.

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I'm no expert, but I do think that the general thought is that any sort of opiods taken while you are working, are mind altering.

I just wanted to say that I feel for you, you are in a tough situation.

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Unfortunately most workplaces and BON will say that if you take the medication you are under the influence even if you are taking them as prescribed. That being said each case is individualized but be aware the BON is ALWAYS going to er on the side of caution and agree that you can not work while on these medications, and once you come off them and return to work you will most likely be placed in a AP or chemical dependency program with random drug screens that can range from 3 to 5 years. I wish you the best and hope you can find peace and live with the results. This is a great place for help and support.

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This really ...... me off. I got hurt helping patients and here I am being punished and not allowed to work! What do I do? I guess I am going to have to suffer and get my pain management doctor to put me on something non-narcotic. I will just have to grin and bear it and probably cry after every shift.

If I am able to come off the pain medications completely do I even have to tell anyone that I was once on them? I am embarrassed enough that I even have to take them. I feel like a complete failure...

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I used to take hydrocodone every day for chronic pain, and I thought I'd have to do so for the rest of my life--honestly, I had tried other drugs, injections, acupuncture, etc, and nothing else seemed to work. But when I landed in a monitoring program (DUI, for my rx muscle relaxant), I had to quit the narcs. I won't lie--it was rough for a while: it really is true that your brain "forgets" how to manage pain on its own, how to produce its own painkillers. But things got better. I now take Elavil and a mild muscle relaxant for neck/back pain and spasms, and it works fairly well. As well as the narc--no. But well enough. There are other options--if you really give it a good try, and don't expect miracles overnight, it might work out better than you think. I sympathize--good luck and I hope it works out.

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).

At this point you need a letter from your pain management specialist stating why you are on methadone. There are a lot of misunderstandings about methadone and its use for pain management. It might also help to print out some peer revied research on this to help educate collegues.

Hppy

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How did the NP know you are taking Methadone? If you were able to show proof of a prescription, the Medical Review Officer should have reported the drug test as "negative". I take Adderall daily and Vicodin PRN for a back injury and every drug test I have ever had to take shows them, but as I am able to show proof of a valid prescription, the drug test is always reported as "negative".

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I think the main problem is the methadone. The director of my monitoring program told me she didn't know of any state, including mine, that allowed someone to practice on methadone regardless of the reason for it. Evidently the boards feel that regardless of how or why it is taken it is too impairing to be taken safely by practicing nurses. (And this is a state that allowed me to take controlled drugs including schedule 2 narcotics while on monitoring for diversion as long as I had a prescription, so I think they are fairly liberal compared to others). You said you switched due to cost, obviously I am not you or your doc but maybe you could look into switching back to whatever you were on previously, or to something, ANYTHING else? From what I was told, short of illegal drugs methadone is pretty much the one drug that guarantees problems for you in most if not all states.

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Sorry, just realized this is so old...this is a topic that really gets me though. I know the OP takes it for pain but I just don't get how people don't understand that when people take methadone or suboxone in a properly prescribed and monitored way as part of a strong recovery program, temporarily while their biology adjusts to recovery and until they have a solid program built, that it is indeed very possible for them to be just as unimpaired as those who take ambien or unisom to sleep the night before work, or many other examples. that's why they can take doses that would kill people who have never used opiates-tolerance. And considering the abysmal long-term success rate off other treatment for opiate addiction and that pharmacologically assisted treatment has been proven to be more successful, and the severe consequences of addiction, why is there still such a strong backlash against these drugs? They certainly aren't perfect but the fact is right now they are among the best options for people (10-20 percent of the general pop!) with this disease.

*steps off soapbox

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
This really ...... me off. I got hurt helping patients and here I am being punished and not allowed to work! What do I do? I guess I am going to have to suffer and get my pain management doctor to put me on something non-narcotic. I will just have to grin and bear it and probably cry after every shift.

If I am able to come off the pain medications completely do I even have to tell anyone that I was once on them? I am embarrassed enough that I even have to take them. I feel like a complete failure...

What is the source of your pain - musculoskeletal, migraine etc.... I received a skull fracture while I was working psych and suffered terrible migraines. At the time I was in monitoring so opiates were out of the question. The BON suggested I go on disability which I refused to do. I went on Imitrex which made me sicker than hell and finally got a botox injection that kept the headaches at bay. Later I developed fibromyalgia (no longer in monitoring) I do take opiates on my off days but never within 24 hours of my next shift. I have also found that what I eat greater contributes too or diminishes my pain. If you want to know more send me a PM.

hppy

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