zoeintx

DO NOT take chances. Years ago I came up with a + result from hand sanitizer after using it for a 12 months +. I know that's what it was cuz I absolutely was not consuming alcohol any other way. They said they believed me cuz the level was so low but if it happened again they wouldn't be so nice. Ironically at the lab hand sanitizer with alcohol was all they offered. I carried my own alcohol free sanitizer after that.

When I was in the program I worked with a LVN with 30+ years experience and a RN. When the RN left they hired a RN with approximately 8 months nursing experience. Well guess who had to find a new job. The powers that be felt like the LVN with decades of experience was not adequately trained to recognize a impaired nurse and the RN with 8 months experience wasn't either until she reached her 12 months experience. That was years ago and it still raises my pressure. Is that not the most ridiculous nonsense you've heard! How could something so STUPID, IGNORANT AND THOUGHTLESS come out of my CM's mouth. Maybe she was in recovery too and fried too many brain cells or maybe she was just a dumb f$#k. I had to find a new freaking job after almost 2 years. OMG I can't believe the BS I had to put up with. Now that's 10 minutes of my life I can't get back remembering that s*#t!

TRUST ME...nothing is destroyed. Your history will be accessible in a keystroke. I know from experience. Don't make the same mistake again and stay outta trouble! Congratulations and best of luck.

I'm sorry you have to go through this hell. I have been free for over 2 years and went through, more than once, what you are going through. DO NOT use alcohol based hand sanitizer or put ANYTHING into your body unless you know exactly what you are consuming. I speak from experience my friend. I brought my alcohol free sanitizer to work and everyone loved and used it cuz it didn't destroy their skin and then it kept disappearing so I got complacent and used the real stuff. Then came the Recovery Trek results followed by the phone call. They agreed it could have been an incidental exposure and only threatened me. Fast forward 15 months and I used a athletic supplement from GNC called DHEA that came in liquid form with a dropper for under the tongue. I did not know it had alcohol in it as a preservative (took me months and a discussion with a toxicologist to figure that out). Then came the Recovery Trek results followed by the phone call that I was reported to the Board. Incidental exposure could not possibly happen twice they barked! I went through hell and back and back to hell with the Board but I survived the exorcism they put me through. Your guilty no matter what and you can't win. You just learn how to play the game until it's over and it IS A GAME. Good luck and may the best woman/man win...

Good luck to you!

I would go where the work is...dialysis! I have been a nurse for 26 years, 16 in dialysis. If you look for job opportunities you will see lots of dialysis positions with sign on bonuses. I work in a chronic outpatient clinic and can honestly say our supply of PPE is adequate. We have been asked to limit our mask and gown changes throughout the day but that is about all that has been asked. The problem has been with patient's stealing supplies. We used to have masks, gloves and hand sanitizer EVERYWHERE but now they are strategically placed for staff. In the past month I know of only one patient who has tested positive and I took care of her. She had no symptoms until she suddenly spiked a fever. She was hospitalized, recovered and been discharged home?. I was scared but I'm okay?. My company has been very proactive in protecting staff and for that I am grateful and happy to go to work.

The investigation could take years. I have been through this more than once. The difference being that I was guilty. My attorney, who was also a RN, gave me the best advice while being investigated and that was to sign up with a monitoring program that did random drug screening. I enrolled in the same one the nursing board used to prove my sobriety. I don't recall what it cost but it was cheaper than if you were ordered to do it. After a 2+ year investigation I provided my results and they took that into consideration and reduced my "sentence" by 50%. When it comes to the nursing board you are guilty until proven innocent!

Don't use it. Buy alcohol free sanitizer. I had an "incidental exposure". That is what TPAPN called it when the level was so low and they called my supervisor to see if I had been under the influence of alcohol at work or if I had been using the hand sanitizer at work which I had been using the latter. They said it as okay and switch to alcohol free which I did. Fast foreword a year or so and I started using liquid DHEA/Pregnenolone drops from GNC under the tongue and I had a second "incidental exposure" from the drops. I had no idea there was alcohol in the mixture which I later found out from my toxicologist contact is used as a preservative in many OTC liquids. My fault and I have paid dearly! TPAPN kicked me out and I bought myself a 3yr board order for two incidental exposures. Use nothing unless you know for sure!!!!

I requested my vacation through Recovery Trek and it was DENIED. I called the BNE and was told they no longer approve out of the country requests. They approved my last two Cancun trips so I don't know WTF is going on. Guess they gotta give one last turn of the knife before my agreement with them is up.

My goddaughter is getting married at a Caribbean resort in the near future. I am so excited for her future and more excited she asked me to be her matron of honor but guess who has ruined our plans. You guessed it...the BNE! I am no longer allowed to leave the country as I have two times before since starting my sentence. All of my immediate family and seven extended family members are attending to celebrate and have a reunion. I will not be attending. I am a piece of trash and must be reminded and put in my sub-human place. Doesn't matter I have not encountered any bumps on my road through hell, never missed a deadline or failed to call in or pass a test. Again reminded my mistakes have landed me on Purgatory Row.

My license was suspended for a year and I successfully petitioned for reinstatement. The year I was off I completed everything that was required to be reinstated and kept records of everything. I am now less than six weeks shy of completing my three year sentence and being SET FREE!!!!! It hasn't been a walk in the park either. You MUST accept that you will be treated like a second class citizen for the duration. You will be judged harsher than any other medical professional by the BNE. Go into it saying "yes maam, you are right and I am wrong , yes you are superior and I am a loser" to the BNE and you will get along just fine. Do everything you are told and be damn happy to do it and more. Play your case managers game and say "thank you can I have more" whenever you are berated. ...and by all means STAY CLEAN AND SOBER! Good luck my nurse friend

I am 4 months shy of my membership expiring with the TxBON!!!! The worst part of it has been dealing with my case manager, DB. This troll is rude and nasty. When I am forced to call her sorry ass she sounds so annoyed and irritated to be bothered with my annoying inquiries. I called to let her know I would be out of the country on vacation and then I asked when my last day was. Well that really pissed her off and she replied it will be extended because I "decided to go out of the country where there is no lab". Then I asked if I weren't leaving town what would be my last day and I got "it doesn't matter". *** you *****. Four months of this hag left...I know I have to play the game of "yes maam, whatever you say maam". Now on to Recovery Trek. Always,always keep your confirmation # because I have received threatening letters from the hag about my missed calls and yes there have been 2 Sundays I forgot but RT reported 3 additional days and baby I had those confirmation #'s. When I called RT they said they would look into it. Haven't heard a word in 4 months! I also sent the hag a note with the days and #'s and NADA. She freaking sent me another copy of her threats. I'm sure there have been negative consequences for some who didn't save their confirmation #. To be safe my husband and I both call. Pray for me that I don't get in my car, head to Austin and torture the hag.

The board will find out and most likely offer a peer assistance program. Go with that, do exactly what they say and stay clean. In Texas, if you successfully complete the program, you will not be reported to the board.

Absolutely not! It is none of their business just as their past is none of your business. You will be persecuted, crucified and hung on the cross. Nurses are to be immune from "character flaws".

Mind your own freaking business! Who do you think you are? Go to work, do your job and leave. You saw something on his phone and you assumed the worst. You are a perfect example of what is wrong in nursing. Nurses turning on nurses. You have no clue what you could have done to his career based on a assumption. You need to THINK before you SPEAK. Do us all a favor and find another career!