santi_05

A lawyer can help but you gotta talk to one about what they've done for past clients and what is reasonable expectation in your case. A nurse in my group had a drug possession charge, but didn't get a narcotic restriction when she went back to work. You can search for RN lawyers (look for ones that specialize in defending license to the board) and ask their advice. A lawyer is not worth it if you've already signed agreement to monitor, but if you're in probation period it might be worth it.

Interviewing for jobs now. I have a narcotic restriction. I'm applying for jobs that do not require giving controlled substances. My question is when do I disclose? Should I put it in a cover letter? In the interview? Or, if I get hired, during the onboarding? Also, employers will know I was referred by hospital to the board (required to disclose this in background check). But the monitoring program won't tell the details. How should I put it? I want to highlight the positives, and I know I need to sound confident. I go to these weekly meetings and everyone just says it's hard to get job with narcotic restriction. None of the nurses in my group had to find a job, and were able to stay with previous employers. The ones who are looking for work say that they were transparent and made it to the end of the interview process, but were passed on because of the restriction. I feel a bit at a loss of what to do.

The way I think about monitoring is that I am proving myself to the board of nursing. It is in no way about helping or supporting me through anything. It gets confusing sometimes because the case managers talk like it's about helping us through recovery, but there is literally nothing about monitoring that is intended to help the nurse. I also keep in mind that nurse leaders who should be pushing for better working conditions aren't doing much. I mean these nurse orgs can lobby for NP autonomy, but there's not as much being done for safer working conditions. We are truly on our own

Patient know that you're judging them. One of the most cringe things I've witnessed is other nurses talking to their patients (who have addictions/drug seeking) but it's so obvious from their tone/language that they feel contempt for the patient. I'm just saying that having an addiction doesn't make people stupid.

I've only done it once. I booked it for the entire contract. I used that one website that everyone uses, and some people list minimum number of days. The place I rented had a minimum stay of 90 days, but I paid for it on a month-by-month basis

I've done volunteer work through Public Health dept. In my state they have medical reserve corps, which help during disasters but also things like flu shot drive. I would look to see if your state has something like that (state department or county public health site). I would also check out Americorps. If they have a public health corps in your area, you could work part time. It's barely any pay so it will feel like volunteer work LOL

Girl I hope your insurance is good! I am sorry you had to go through that. I know I'd feel just as embarrassed. I don't know, I'm used to people falling asleep on nights so it seems like a crazy reach to think you were intoxicated. In any case, once the allegation is there they have to follow through. So, don't take it personal that they were following their protocol. It'd be great if people were respectful to you as a colleague but well that's life.

That's wild. Did you get diagnosed with SUD by the same addiction specialist? Have you ever asked your case manager if you can stop going to the addiction specialist at least? It doesn't make sense if they aren't actively treating you

What do you do with the addiction specialist then? That is so corrupt OMG so these ppl have a guaranteed income and every incentive to keep you in tx for as long as they get paid. Damn so sorry you have to go through that.

You can't see someone in network? I wonder how they chose therapists. It seems fishy that they make you go to their therapists. Can you be discharged from therapy?

3 times a week. I don't even go I just log them on the app. My program lets you go remotely but doesn't require signatures. That's crazy they have to go in person I thought because of Covid everything was remote

I am a fairly ambitious person, who has largely defined themselves by their career/accomplishments. Sometimes I wonder if I should have had a kid/spouse, especially when I hear other nurses talk about how their families give them a sense of purpose/meaning. I just have absolutely no desire for it though. I am 35 years old. I have most of my life ahead of me, and 4.5 years of monitoring is not a long time in the grand scheme. I was planning to apply for school to become a CRNA before this happened. Now, I know there is still a chance I can work in the ICU so I can apply once I finish. I am fortunate to be in a position where I don't have any debt or obligations, and enough savings that the reduced income and monitoring fees, etc. I am grateful, don't get me wrong, but it's still a loss to think I have a job, not a career. It's been 7.5 months, and in that time I have gone from truly despondent and hopeless to functioning. I started anti-depressants to blunt my emotions, and it has been working tremendously (at one point was worried I would descend into alcoholism). I do everything I am supposed to do, when I am supposed to do it. I wanted to share this because it's in our contract that we have to be positively participating in support group so I don't feel comfortable sharing it with the nurses there. If you read this far, thanks I appreciate it!

Has anyone gotten a part time job while in monitoring? I can't do overtime and make less hourly so my income is significantly (~35%) reduced. I was thinking of getting a part time job in a non-nursing position. I haven't worked in any other field in years but was curious if anyone has any suggestions. I was thinking of doing my BLS instructor certification or maybe working as a tutor.

After 2 years, you are allowed to use substances?

My guess is that if we knew, it would be more extensive testing. And in my program, I think the more drugs/metabolites they screen for, the more expensive the test. Not knowing what the tests means participants will just abstain from anything that would result in a positive.

It depends on the content of the alcohol. I've read it is very sensitive test but sensitivity can be affected by certain factors (eg if the drinks are spread out over days it is lower vs one episode, BMI, hgb, if you're a heavy drinker it is lower). The only safe option is to abstain completely though. I had 2 glasses of wine (roughly 12 oz) at a friend's house that I genuinely believed was fruit juice (no taste of alcohol whatsoever). It was 5% abv, so I consumed 14g of alcohol (used an online calculator) and my test was negative after 12 days. My new rule is not to eat/drink at a friend's house because man it was not worth the stress. In my state (NnJ), there is a relapse protocol listed in our guide, which includes inactivating license, getting tx, and attending 90 meetings in 90 days. A nurse who relapsed had to do all that and her contract was extended by a year. I felt bad because she had less than 6 months to go, but it was better than having to start all over (which I understand is more likely the closer you get to the finish line). From what I gather, they will give you another chance if you relapse, unless you're also missing check-in/tests/meetings & it is a recurrent issue (3 or more)

$5/mth???? Wow I'm sorry I know I shouldn't be surprised but it costs pennies to send a push notification and I am shocked they want to charge for it

H or B? From what I found on FL Probation site, it's on page 18, it looks like a drug test panel but this is also from 2012 https://www.floridabar.org/dasset/DIVADM/ME/MPDisAct.nsf/DISACTVIEW/CD416848DBDB676685257CB60007BFA0/$FILE/_19.PDF

Do you guys use affinity? It sends me a notification every morning at 4 am to check in on the app. It's become a habit at this point for me to check in as soon as I wake up, but I would definitely recommend setting an alarm so you check in every day. I don't get why they just don't notify you if you're going to test that day, but c'est la vie

No but there are nurses who are cut loose at 90 days.

I just posted this on another thread. We have to do a blood draw, but if they can find same thing from a prick I would prefer that instead

I wonder why they make us do blood draw if PeTH can be detected with a finger prick. It is $138 for the test, would imagine a prick is cheaper

I had three positives (back to back) for alcohol and I went into an IOP. My case manager didn't specify the treatment either, just that I had to go to a facility. As long as your subsequent drug screens are negative (and you're completely honest about the positives), I don't see why they would insist on rehab. There are nurses in my program who cannot go to rehab, but have been allowed to do less intensive therapy. I don't think any state board really cares if you have a documented diagnosis or not. They would rather err on the side of caution, and all that matters is the drug screens to prove you're in recovery. I am not an alcoholic but I have the risk factors for addiction. I did shop around for a suitable IOP that wouldn't interfere with my work. If you can afford it, I would look for something that works for you.

IDK if you signed a contract, it may not be so simple. I think there is no harm in consulting a lawyer, but it is harder when you have already signed an agreement (presuming that is what happened because you are getting tested). In my state, there was a nurse who fought the order and the court ruled in favor of the BON. They give a lot of latitude to state boards in these cases.

In my program, they would send you for higher level testing. In this case, a hair test would be most likely. If you haven't used, I think you should be fine. Mucinex could cause a false positive, and I would be proactive about contacting your CM. Several nurses in my program had a false positive for alcohol (likely a UTI) and they were sent for PeTH tests to confirm. I had three positive screens at the start (they were back to back) and was proactive about telling my CM that I was drinking alcohol. She ordered me to go for treatment. It was uncomfortable experience but I do feel like it made a difference that I was proactive and honest with her about my struggle. Obviously not the same as what happened to you, just sharing my experience