PNAP unfair

[Dale8jrbudfan]

I self admitted myself years ago to get off pain medication into a rehab for whiplash injury... After a 14 year relationship breakup I was admitted to hospital dx postpartum depression ended up on nerve meds ... About two years ago I self admitted to a rehab to safely come

Off due to risk of seizure . All

Of this I thought I had to provide on paperwork when I enrolled .Have had two DUI charges never when was working... I worked a double shift one night went home it was my birthday only for 8 hours to come

In for another double next day ... Drank a few beers that night went to work next day ... They said I stunk

Of alcohol breathalyzer 0.4 told me leave drive home I was terminated . I was told by a patient at that facility and another nurse I actually saved his arm one night ... Possible compartment syndrome and RN in charge wouldn't go assess him ... I have always tried to do my very best and have never injured anyone .

I enrolled in PNAP and believed I had to disclose all

Prior treatments I ever had . The very first urine screen I failed small amount of alcohol and small amount of Vicodin . I got printout from pharmacy showing I had script for the Vicodin but it wasn't a "current " script . It automatically went from

One year supervision to five years ... Passed every random urine screen after that completed outpatient therapy and intensive outpatient therapy .. I had no drivers license was under suspension and I asked

Them to allow me

To wait to attend AA meetings until could legally drive was told no.. Wanted three AA meetings and a professional meeting so four a week for five years ... Even told them I had no problem doing the random drug screens as long as needed... AA is supposed to be a choice of yours to make it does not help everyone ... I am and always have been shy person unable

To talk in groups of people.. I had no problems with the private counseling or intensive outpatient .And honestly I had two duis two months apart during bad period of my life .. Never had an addiction to alcohol . Was told what medications I couldn't take even though they were prescribed for my whiplash injury... Had to quit meds I was on for awhile ... There is a way to monitor levels of drugs to be sure not abused . How can they say u can't take a medicine a doctor has prescribed ??? Went through three different people as my person to contact at PNAP.

I finally gave up because I couldn't take the risk of driving illegally.. And one test failed which I showed I had

a prescription for from prior surgery. Had broken finger and used one . Wouldn't u think if had left over from prescription month or two before shows they weren't being abused ??? I was enrolled online LPN to RN classes... Now since suspended in default on that also ...

One year to five years for

One test??? I even went through bring front page news saying that they Weren't sure what drugs I abused while caring for the elderly and printed same article

Few months later ....

I was LPN for 12 years and never had any kind of

Problems at work....

I feel

I was treated unfairly due to huge jump in years of monitoring and also them expecting me to drive illegally... I did not live in town as they kept saying AA members will give u rides ... Was at least 8miles each way and I was told

I couldn't work ... Who would do that for free?????

Is there anything I can do to try and resolve this issue.... My last home health job went perfectly ... Parents of pediatric daughter liked me until ran my name and saw I had prior DUI. So right away I was not allowed to work ... Even though things weren't even through court system yet . One DUI alcohol related and one had prescription pills in system and they said marijuana ....

Now due to the suspension I have ruined credit ...$20000 in collection agencies ... They group everyone together ... I was never a heroin or crack addict never harmed a patient but since couldn't attend that many meetings while trying to work third shift at warehouse I was not compliant ...

Please help I love nursing I am now 37 worked as aide since 16 this is all I have ever known and loved

Thank you

[JoseQuinones]

What do you want us to say? Your story is a sad one. Those who mess with drugs and alcohol often pay a steep price. My family is a total wreck due to these substances, which is why I never touch them.

That being said, they all say that they do not have a problem either. It is always bad luck or a "little" weed or a "little" DUI or a "little" meth. There is no little. If it is illegal, it is a crime. The ones who insist they are "in control" really are not, and being arrested is an act of mercy for them. So I wonder what you are leaving unsaid.

[dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN]

Oh, what a mess.

I will say I don't think you have any sort of legal standing, if that's the avenue you are trying to take. You entered into a very specific contract with PNAP that laid out the ground rules and you have broken numerous rules in a myriad of ways.

I sympathize with the AA ordeal. I am an alcoholic and it's not my favorite program --- and I strongly dislike how professional monitoring programs are built around AA/NA as the only way for true recovery. However, yes, had you called the AA main office in your area, you more than likely would have found plenty of people who would have given you free rides indefinitely. Selflessness and helping other addicts are core tenants of the AA program. And having to read about yourself in the newspaper is awful and cruel. I think I read that article online, actually, and it was not favorable to any of the addicted nurses mentioned in it.

I don't know whether you're an addict or not. You have a lot of excuses for inexcusable behavior. "A few beers" isn't going to blow a 0.4 (I have seen folks tubed for less because of airway concerns) and your birthday is a reason to call in, not come to work reaaaallly drunk. Your story does highlight an established pattern of poor decision making which is an alternative but valid reason for needing extra monitoring from the board. My good judgment has re-established itself over a year of a sobriety and I can definitely say that no, I would never in a million years take a narcotic that I had left over because I am in a program that does random UAs and wants updated scripts for everything. I keep updated scripts for Prevacid and Excedrin with my monitoring program.

I know my program which I think is run by the same company lets you petition to re-enter the program after you have been kicked out. I don't know if this is an option for you or something that you would even want to consider. Yes, these programs are insanely hard and sometimes outright unfair but, simply put, you have to play by the rules. Moreso than achieving life-long sobriety or a love of AA or transcending onto some other unworldly plane -- you have to play by the rules, and if you can't re-set your mindset out of the "this is unfair, I shouldn't have to do this, everyone else is the cause of my problems" rut that you've gotten yourself in to, you will never be successful. And there isn't going to be another option should you decide to stay in healthcare.

You might look into some career counseling. There might be low-cost/free options within your community. You will have a long road ahead of you with two DUIs and a suspended professional license. But another career may be, in the long run, a cheaper and easier route to getting you back on your feet and financially stable again.

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

I agree with the above poster's when I was in a five year program I had to go to a meering everyday for 2 years until I was released to work then the meeting requirement dropped to 3 a week. When my car broke down I took public transportation. While AA may not be the only way to get sober it is the way the Boards want it done so no in your case AA was not voluntary. You don't have to speak at meeting except to introduce yourself and Identify your addiction. There are some there that don't even adentify as addicts but simply state Drugs and or Alcohol have have caused problems in their lives and they wish to stop. I had galbladder surgery halfway through my program and was allowed to take pain meds while recovering with verification from my doctor and a letter stating what I was taking and how long I might be expected to take it.

As for the whole thing being unfair - whoever said life was fair? You must have been informed that the program required strict abstinence. So you making the choice to use any narcotic medication prescription or not was a violation of your contract.

PS I would bet dollars to donuts not having a driver's license ever kept you from getting to your doctor for a vicodin script.

The trick to making it through these programs is to humbly accept you have a problem and follow the boards recommendations to the letter. Have you done your 5th step yet? that whole fearless and searching moral inventory puts your whole experience into perspective and helps you get on with things.

Right now you are engaged in stinking thinking. I have been sober since 2004 and there are still days when I am in the grocery store and pass the liquor asile and dream about a nice dry martini, but I don't do it because tge cost is too high.

TRust me do what they say and good things will come to pass.

Peace and Namaste

Hppy

[Omaapecm, ASN, RN]

I sympathize with your story but it really sounds like there is some legitimate claims the board has against you. If your not willing or able to continue with the program there is not much hope in a nursing career. However, there is still hope for happiness and a great life. Your career doesn't define who you are but your actions do. Your post clearly exhibited the inability to take responsibility in any if the situations took place. Anyone that say I only had a few beers then gets behind the wheel has a problem. I have no tolerance for anyone putting others in danger. What makes it worse is the justification of such an act. Did you read back your post before you submitted it ????? Good luck but you may fare best to move on from nursing.

[Twoyearnurse]

I have to agree with the above posters. We all did wonderful things as nurses. Patients loved me, and I had a five star review from my supervisor and a pay increase two weeks before I was fired for diverting narcotics. We have to pay for the things we do.

[june2009]

Here's how it works. When you enroll in PNAP you are given a large packet of information telling what you can and cannot do. You also have a case manager that you can call with any questions. You have to do what they tell you. Period. I was in this program for a total of almost 4 years. I did what they told and I successfully completed the program. They do not accept excuses. If you don't do what they tell you, there are consequences. That is all.

[anotherpnapgame]

Its a shame to say, but the VRP and pnap are corrupt. The VRP is the state program. PNAP is a contractor working for the treatment centers. The centers get kickbacks on how many nurses and other other heath professionals are conned into the web. The state is above the law and no lawyers really want to touch these cases because they are strong armed by the state to loose their licenses to practice law by defending those accused. You are guilty before proven innocent in most cases. Don't believe me?

[june2009]

I'm not saying that there aren't people who are put into these programs that don't need to be. My experience is that PNAP saved my life and probably the lives of patients I would have taken care of impaired. I'm clean for almost 5 years and if I didn't have PNAP to keep me accountable, I don't think I would have been able to do it.

[Dale8jrbudfan]

Haha that's a good one beings that I have not been on prescription pain Meds for at least 5-6 years except for when I had surgery .... So me not having license like ur implying to get "Meds" is ridiculous ...

i know I have made a lot of mistakes and am the first to admit them ... Wish I could turn back the clock a million times already so I really don't need sarcasm... Im my own worst enemy there ...

Purpose of my post was to see if anyone else had problems with PNAP

[Big Blondie, ASN, BSN, MSN, APRN]

Everything aside. If you want to be a nurse...do what it takes to be a nurse. This is where you are. Good luck.