sara62

I Think Your Heading In The Right Direction. Now That I Think About It If You Were Not Angry With Her You Would Be Hanging Out And Eventually You Would Probably Be Using Right Along With Her. I Don't Want To Sound Harsh But You Have No Room Inside Of You To Handle Her Problems As Well As Yours. Sara

Her Friend Is No Friend. I Know She Did It Out Of Malice. I Require No Proof,i Just Know. Sara62

Ok, I've Read This Post 3 Times. Do People Honestly Believe That In This Situation That Girl's Friend Was Trying To Help Her By Reporting Her? Trying To Protect Her Patients? I Don't Buy It. Did She Take The Drugs? Yes Did She Create Her Own Problem? Yes Is She An Addict? Most Likely Does She Need And Deserve Help? Absolutely!!!! Does She Deserve To Be Kicked While She's Down? No Should We Offer Her Support? Yes!! Should We Coddle Her ? No I Also Wanted To Make One More Comment Regarding People Who Are On This Site Even Though They Are Not Addicts. Of Course You Have A Right To Be In This Forum But Try To Keep One Thing In Mind " When They Say You Have To Be An Addict To Really Understand Addiction,it's True" I Guess What I'm Trying To Say Is Try To Be Careful When You Comment On Something. Trust Me, There Is Nothing Anyone Can Say That We Don't Feel And Already Say To Ourselves. We Are Seeking Some Kind Of Understanding And Encouragement. I'm Not Trying To Make Anyone Mad, I Speak From My Heart; Always Have Always Will. Sara62

I read an email that was basically sarcastic and mean. I got mad. I can't find it,who knows maybe I misunderstood what I read. I very rarely get mad like that. Both comments have been removed from the list. sara62

I Agree With Mostly Everything You Said Except The Friend. She Did Not Report Her To Protect Her Patients,her License Or Trying To "help Her Because She Cares So Much" She Did It To Stop Trouble Sara62

Hi, I Just Want To Say Good Luck And I Also Want To Tell You To Never Share That Info. I Don't Care How Close You Think You Are To That Person. If You Need To Discuss Such Issues,do It Here. These People Are Very Wise And Have Alot Of Experience . That's The Whole Point For Thses Forums. Sara62

What Is It They Always Tell Us (cover Your Ass) Always Follow Your Gut. A Few Years Ago I Saw An Episode On Oprah. It Was About Security,the Dues And Don'ts Of What We Should Or Should Not Do In Order To Protect Ourselves. He Gave An Example As To Why Women Are More Likely To Be Assaulted Or Raped(stay With Me,i Have A Point) Here's The Example He Gave: A Woman Is In An Elevator Going Up To Her Apartment Holding 2 Grocery Bags. There Was 1 Man In The Elevator. He Was Kind Enough To Help Her With Her Bags. When She Got To Her Door She Thanked Him For His Help And Asked Him To Just Put The Bag Down At Her Door . He Insisted On Carrying Them If For Her. Her Gut Right Away Said No But Women Don't Like To Hurt Peoples Feelings And Ignore Their Internal Warning System And You Can Guess What Happended. That Topic Had A Large Impact On Me And I Have Followed It Ever Since. Tell Me The Truth,"do You Think You Overacted?" Did You Follow Through And Listen To Your What Your Mind Was Telling You? Yes,you Were Doing What You Needed To Do For You. Who Cares What Other People Think. Never Doubt Yourself. I'm Sorry For Rambling But Stuff Like This Annoys Me. Sara62

You Know What Really Freaks Me Out? There Are So Many Important Issues In All Different Types Of Facilities,nursing Care,staffing, Thet Need To Be Dealt With And What Are They Doing? Implimenting Dress Code Policies. I Don't Know,maybe They Just Want Us To Look Good When Everything Falls Apart Around Us. By All Means Make Sure You Are Wearing Clean Underware. Sara62

What happens if your surrounded by them? sara62

Hi, I haven't been on for awhile but I feel outraged for you. I know this may sound corney but I love helping people. At present, I am waiting to begin classes to become certified as a nurse paralegal. Maybe it is a blessing in disguise. Some states are actually in dire need for nursing instructors they are developing alot of financial assistance because it's the lack of instructors that's causing the nursing shortage. They are using nurses in so many different ways,your possibilities are limitless. Don't listen to a bunch of a..holes. I have always hated thst saying" when one door closes another will open. I believe if one door closes on me, I won't wait for another door to open,I open my own doors. Don't allow anyone to push you out. sara62

Amen to that! It does get a bit tiring after awhile but I dug my own hole and have had to learn to live inside that hole as best as I can. Sometimes I want to scream or punch something,I have not had one positive drug test since 1999. I would really like to pee on their heads but I have a 9 year old to raise so I pee in the cup. However, there is one particular board member who is the most miserable,****** mean woman I have ever met in my life. She is also on a power trip and thrives on other people's misery. She hates me because I can't be intimidated. I really do understand the function of a nursing board and I know they are vital when it comes to protecting the public and I respect that but I can't abide a person who has a power position and utilizes it improperly. I fished her office(hid raw fish in little spots a person would never look and had the IRS audit her. You know what they say"what goes around comes around" Yes, it was a very immature thing to do. What can I say? I'm a sicilian. sara62

Hi, Yes, it definitely sucks and unfortunately will remain that way. Each state is independent of the other. In my state a license is viewed as a priveledge not a necessity. With that being said, if the BON chooses to grant a license to a person with a criminal record, so be it. They could say yes to you and no to me. I am of the opinion that all state boards should follow the same guidelines.There is to much at stake. If someone doesen't like you and knows of your history"RUN" A nurse should not be on a public list that allows everyone to see and read any kind of drug history that nurse may have. If a nurse is hired by a facility the only people that should know about any type of previous drug issues should be the DON only. I was hired for a position in a nursing facility. Within 24 hrs the don received two phone calls from her to warn her about " yours truly". People will look you up on the list and take drugs knowing the nurse with past drug issues will be blamed every time. I started working in a facility that had a bottle of roxinol 1/2 full for a patient that had died 6 weeks prior. I wouldn't assume responsibility for it. I left before the week was out because I felt like sitting duck. The people we work with come from different (everything) state,country,education level,beliefs etc. I am not going to work with some genious that decides they don't like me and wants to cause trouble for me. If there were national guidelines and every state follows the same protocal I believe it would remove that type of a threat and confusion. I will never,ever,ever allow anyone have that kind of power over me. Nurse's can be brutal and unfortunately alot of them are. sara62

Hi, Please don't put the burden of a colleagues death on your shoulders. It is her fault. Ethically, the management and the BON are responsible. I was never impaired at work period. If I exhibited any one of those behaviors at work my employer would jump all over it right then and there and I would have to take the burden of proving that I was or was not impaired. The BON would receive the complaint and take action ASAP. I don't really know what to think about your situation but I am certain of one thing" it had nothing to do with you" sara62

hello, before you make yourself crazy go to the federal site or the inspector general's website, go to the federal exclusion list,pick your state and make sure you are not on that list. If you are on the list send me an email . sara62

What I have found to be most devastating is being on a public list for all to read. The first thing people do is check the status of a new hire. This does not include management,they know before you walk in the door. I mean fellow employees who find out there is a big sign on your forehead that says "drug user" and then turns around and does something knowing that nurse will always be blamed for everything. sSome people will look at this statement and think "this chicks paranoid" and thats fine,we are all entitled to our own opinions. I have read some of the posts addressing this topic and I don't feel that there is any malice,I hear concern and fear. I hope you try to believe what i'm saying because it is very true,very real and I am living it. I don't know how to explain how it feels to be believed guilty when your not. When I had my license reinstated I thought I was going to have to fight urges about wanting to take drugs. I was not prepared to fight with fellow colleagues. I have never been known to be a quitter but i'm so very tired of having to prove my innocense. I'm sure the majority of people are guilty but try to remember there may be one person out there that ends up being a victim of their own circumstance.

the charge nurse and manager need to be a team and unfortunately it's rare that would ever happen. It's worth a shot. Good Luck

what would you do if that particular nurse went on an loa,got herself straightened out and came back,how would you be toward that nurse?

YOUR RIGHT. SOMETIMES I'M SO BUSY I FORGET. i ALSO TAKE OFF MY LAB COAT ALOT BECAUSE I GET WARM. IT'S NOT INTENTIONAL IT'S JUST ME NOT PAYING ATTENTION. I RARELY DO IT, BUT I AM ONLY HUMAN HUMAN. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!!

It's amazing how much stuff I find in my pockets. saline bullets, alcohol swabs,gauze,tape,meds that were refused but had every intention of trying again,insulin,gloves etc.

So,the best course of action is to nail the coffin shut? May I ask why? The police and bon work side by side. They notify one another so it doesen't really matter who you report to first

tread very carefully when you want to involve the bon. Is it possible for you and your fellow colleagues to approach her as a group first? She needs help. The board will destroy this person. Boards are more dangerous than drugs sometimes. I know that sounds harsh but I have seen it

I'm a little confused about your analogy and the angel of mercy title

try telling her that you know & have concerns about the situation. Being that you are a nurse offer her your assistance and support first. Maybe you could actually help her. It's easy to receive support from a fellow colleague the only problem is it's never offered. It's **** or get off the pot time. Tell her it's up to her. Your actions should be in response to her actions. If she does the right thing,wonderful. If she continues with her behavior you will have no problem reporting her. She deserves a chance to try and you deserve the chance to help someone who is in desperate need of your help. Try putting yourself in her shoes nd see how they fit.

Having personal experience I really understand some of these responses. However, nurse's are caregivers to everyone but their own. Police bond together,our military bonds together and fire fighters. There are a large majority of nurse's out there that will not only put you in your coffin,they will help nail it shut. I know this statement is going to make people angry but it is true,and I hate that it is. Reporting a nurse you suspect might be on drugs is a career, life ruining event. Alot of people out there actually believe that a nurse who is using drugs let people in pain suffer. It's actually the complete opposite. What they really do is take a prn med ordered for a patient who is not in pain. If you suspect a fellow colleague is on drugs start paying close attention to behavior,appearence,excessive complaints from home,how is that nurse interacting with both fellow colleagues and patients,mood swings,losing weight etc. Confront her/him first. If you feel or see that her clinical performance poses a threat to patients,you must report ASAP. If a nurse is having a problem with drugs,that is a medical condition that calls for a Dr. A nurse and mental health worker for treatment.Are we or are we not nurse's? For example; I would confront,intervene,give that nurse the opportunity to seek some sort of treatment and it your satisfied with the result,you saved a life.

HI, I had the state come into my facility at 3 AM . She picked up my MAR chart,went down the hall and checked to see if the patients were wearing all asssistive devices ordered in their care plans. I had one lady that wasn't. It was so cool,this lady is with it and she is supposed to wear a brace in the evening,she was awake and watching tv and when the lady from the state asked her if we made sure she was wearing it or did the nurse forget to check to make sure it is on?she replied" I'll wear it if I feel like it." I had one more incident where the state dropped by. I was in a pt room starting an IV,this lady walks in and says I want to observe" I asked if she was a family member or a friend" "she says no i'm from the state" My reply " i'm going to need to see an ID,I have to protect my pts privacy" her mouth opened, she was shocked. I thought she was going to fall down. I know I sound a little immature but I don't care,it was a great moment. Nurse's take the blame for an awful lot and most of the time we are in the right and doing our jobs as best we can.. S tortis