Grateful RN

I am in the same boat....looking for work since May 2010. It is tough, and even when employers have no idea I am in a diversion program, I do not get selected for interviews. I can tell you the most recovery friendly places tend to be long-term care/rehab, dialysis, MDS or Utilization Review nursing. Dont give up, it does take time but with persistence you will find the right fit for a job:) Hope this helps.

Thank you so much for the response Catmom! Yes, I luckily have a sponsor who has been a great support, along with the other nurses in my support group. Since I have been in Diversion, I have had good luck with both of my work site monitors/managers. I agree that I cant have too high of expectations when it comes to my work site monitor, but I knew there was a good chance I would have a hard time being completely honest with this lady they had chose for me. And that is a big part of my recovery, since Im working patient care with full narcotic access, I really need to feel comfortable with my monitor so I can talk to her/him. This is the only time I experienced a very uneasy feeling about someone being my monitor. I was wondering about the fact that I left my job too. I may run into problems with that. When I did my initial claim over the phone, I told them that I had left the job because I had been moved to days and not given a work schedule, 5 months into working. He didn't say that would prevent me from receiving anything, but I wont know until sure until beg. of Oct. Thank you again for your expertise and suggestions. Its always good to talk to someone who has done this longer than I have.....I am still learning! :)

Hello, I am in CA diversion program, just finished one year here and I have been clean/sober for 2 years. I was employed at a Rehab hospital for 5 months, and I resigned for complex reasons. Basically, the DON (also my work site monitor) who hired me did not tell the corporation I was in diversion, just HR. The DON left (or got fired, not sure) and I immediately got phone calls from the administrator asking me about the status of my license, and that she heard from someone I am in some sort of program and she needs to know what it is. I explained it to her, and she said she would tell corporate and let me know what they decide. This went on for a couple weeks (and it was VERY obvious neither she or corporate were diversion friendly, I felt I was under investigation). She told me I was to be put on day shift where I could be more closely supervised (I was working evenings). I asked her if I would have an actual schedule, and she informed me that no I wouldn't, I would have to call each week and see what was available. She also told me that the ADON would be the only person I could have as my work site monitor. This was the ONE person I refused to have as a monitor, as I was VERY uncomfortable talking to her on a personal level or professional level. To me, I need a work site monitor I trust and that I would be comfortable talking to if I ever felt I was in danger. So putting my recovery first, I resigned. This was in May. I have been applying like crazy ever since with no luck. So here is my question. I am trying to get unemployment in CA as a last option while I continue to seek work. Has anyone heard of being turned down unemployment due to being in diversion or a recovery program that makes employment more difficult to obtain? Thank you for any response, I really appreciate it!! By the way, disability is not an option for me, as I already looked into this. Thanks!

Hi Jack: Your message about the rates of nurses in recovery is very interesting! I am curious as to the relationship between anesthesia and addiction in health care providers. I worked in the PACU for 5 years, and the last 1.5 years I was dealing with narcotic addiction. Oddly, I feel in a way, me being a PACU nurse helped me get caught. I luckily never managed to do the IV drugs (but it very may well of been the next thing for me), and we rarely give a lot of oral narcotics in the PACU. So that was my big red flag....that I was taking out more oral narcotics out than other nurses. Also, Im happy to hear that you are for addicts to not be as anonymous. I am learning my boundries and my comfort level with this. I have had bad experiences with being honest with my coworkers, and its lead me to be cautious. I had told a fellow nurse I was in recovery (it was only obvious, as I had to have other nurses give my narcotics for me). She asked me, "you didnt take them from work, did you"?? and trying out the honesty thing, I replied yes. Next thing I know she is referring to me as a "f*&$ing addict" behind my back and accusing me of the narcotic count being off (I didnt even have access at the time...Im not Houdini!) Very hurtful. And at job interviews, when I tell them I am a recovering addict, I have gotten the question, "you didnt take them from, you know...work did you"? Ive also had interviewers seem ok if it was alcohol was my drug of choice, but anything else would be unacceptable. Yes, as nurses we have access to narcotics and not alcohol. But that doesnt stop alcoholics from coming to work loaded. And yes, stealing narcotics from the workplace was crossing a HUGE moral boundary for me....I would think the same kind of moral boundary alcoholics cross when they decide to get in a car and drive. To me, its all a drug and its all addiction. I really really wish all health care providers could be more educated about addiction and realize we are not all immoral people. I think becoming more open and honest about our own stories is a great step in doing just that.

Congrats Michelle! And thank you for the encouragement! I have been searching for jobs since May, and no luck. I get so frustrated and scared about my financial situation. I live in central valley CA in a smallish town and the economy is horrid. I have been applying to the largest 2 cities near me (an hour away in either direction). Among my 40 plus applications Ive put out there, I have applied for many dialysis positions. It seems to always require prior dialysis experience, which I dont have. I never thought it would take me this long to find employment as a nurse. And I know its not all because of the diversion thing, because most of the time I dont hear back from the employer before I tell them Im in diversion. I have my narcotic priviledges, but the problem I am running into a lot is being the only RN (among LVN's) for a couple hours on my shift (my contract restricts this). I have turned down 4 (!) job offers because of this. Again, congrats on the job and on your hard work!!

I started my diversion program in Arizona for a year, before moving to California. Its do-able, but very difficult. California is making me start my time over, and I have to fill out paperwork for both states each month. Arizona requires me to finish california's program before I officially finish theirs. But I still have to meet Arizona's requirements. Confusing, I know. Good luck with whatever you decide!

Hello SWS RN! I started my diversion program in Arizona, then after one year moved to California. It is a lot of work juggling two programs (lots of paperwork too!). Once I complete Californias program, I then am complete with Arizona's. Im sure every state is different and maybe they would count the time you already put in. I wasnt as lucky, and had to start my time over. At least it was one year, instead of being almost complete. California's diversion program is 10 times tougher than Arizonas, and 100 times more expensive! Im sure this is because California's diversion program for nurses is under a lot of scrutiny, and in order to be able to keep it available, they became really strict. Good luck if you do move! Its tough, but certainly not impossible!! Thank you for the suggestions of jobs! I may look more into those, as I have seen postings for UR nurses but I never applied because I figured I didnt have experience. It seems like these days, it is rare for facilities to want to train you. But I should still try, it wont hurt! Im thankful for this forum.....it is like a "nurse support group" available whenever I need it:)

I have been clean/sober since 8/12/2008. I moved to another state in the middle of my recovery program, so I am doing extra time for that reason (had to start my 3 years over after completing one year). I self reported myself to the board (after being terminated from a job I truly loved). I am in a diversion program, so luckily, my license is in good standing. I am working 2 diversion programs, one from the state I started it in, and the other for my current state in which I reside. It is very hard, expensive, time consuming, but I am doing it. Im so thankful for my recovery, and plan on having it a part of my life after I finish the diversion program. Whenever I get antsy about how much longer I need to go (about 2 more years), I remind myself that this program saved me, my license, and got me into recovery and for that I am grateful. Employment troubles are my biggest concern. I have applied to at least 40 places, with multiple interviews. I am running into the same problems. Either I cannot work at a facility because I'd be the only RN for a couple hours (working with LVNs) which is against my contract, or the facility gets freaked out by me being in diversion (because they have never heard of it). I have experience in pre-op/post-op and long term care/rehab. Dialysis facilities seem to require experience, so I have had no luck there. Money is incredibly tight, and Im living penny by penny. I have been 100% compliant in both programs, but I dont know how much longer I can afford being in Diversion!! I would love it if employers could be educated about diversion programs and nurses in recovery. It seems that facilities who have heard of the diversion program and have had nurses work for them that are in recovery, have nothing but good things to say about it. Its the employers that are not aware of it that seem to be scared off. Thanks for letting me rant:)