xjailnurse

I agree with the other nurses who suggested that you grab that OT, you may need that cash for an attorney and in the future if your earning potential is harmed. No news isn't always good news; I was reported in January 2003, board investigators told me that my case would probably go in front of the board in about 6-9 months. A year goes by and I hear NOTHING from them. Another YEAR goes by, still hear nothing from them.....please, don't ever think that they forgot about you, trust me, they DON'T. It was another six months before they got to my case. Two and half years.

I'm also from PA. I'm in the same financial sewer that you're in, ChristiRN. If only I could get a job making $30/hour---even $20! I'm making $10.20/hour, I still need 19 more months of drug screens before I go before the board, even though my suspension was up in 08. I was going through chemo at that time and just couldn't do the reinstatement process. I couldn't afford then and honestly I still can't afford it. I don't know how I get by each month; my brother is now living with me and that helps a little.... I really can't complain too much about my nursing assistant job, even though I'm underpaid; (as ALL of my hardworking coworkers are) and overqualified. The company that I work for actually has really great health benefits.

Is it just one page long? If so, it is part of PNAP. I recieved the same thing. I'm also from PA and have been with PNAP about as long as you have. Have you had alot of different case managers?

I've only been with PNAP for three months but I have been screened twice each month.

I'm preparing to sign a three year contract with the Peer Nurse Assistance Program to increase my chances of reinstatement. I've been signed up with First Labs since late Sept and have given 7 clean urines. I had 9.5 years clean and relapsed for 44 days in late 2002. I took 3 weeks vacation from my job and went to an inpatient rehab half way across the state to avoid running into any inmates (I was a correctional nurse). Upon discharge, I did become worried about my job finding out about my relapse so I sought out the VRP (there was no PNAP in my state at that time). The VRP discovered that I had a misdemeanor possesision conviction for marjuana from 1989 that I never told the SBON about and reported me to the BON and denied me admission to their program. My job fired me in May 2003 when the Board investigators showed up and told them that I would "soon" be losing my license. (I wish they would have defined "soon" as it was another 2.5 years before it went before the board) I hired an attourney and after a lenghthy process, my license was suspended for a minimim of 3 years in 2005. I've been working as a residential aide in a group home for mentally and physically challenged females since 2004. I've also became a Humane Society police officer in 2008. I've gotten very involved in animal rescue and do alot volunteer work with my local shelter. I've also had breast cancer and a mastectomy and chemo in 07 and 08. During chemo, I was prescribed oxycontins and abused them for 3 months til I went on Suboxone. (This was my only relapse since the 44 day relapse in 2002) I'm still on Suboxone though I've gone from 24mg down to 8mg in the last 2 months. PNAP can't "officially" accept me until I'm off of Suboxone. I just recently started going to meetings again (I haven't been going to meetings for 7 years) but I'm only going because I know I'm going to have to go once I sign this contract. I've been tapering 2mg every 2 weeks; I'm targeting being Suboxone-free in early January but if things get shady, I may have to stretch the decreases. My PNAP case manager said that shortly after that we will be requesting reinstatement, which was a nice surprise but I'm not getting my hopes up. I read the BON disaplinary actions online and I see them do some erratic things and some days it gives me hope and some days it makes me angry. There are days I want to just say forget it, I was getting along just fine without it, but I want to at least give it one shot; and if the BON does not reinstate on first request, I will then decide if I want to continue. The cost and the general pain in the butt of it all is starting to become a little more routine. This forum is great; I've been reading it for days and have learned alot and I don't feel so alone in my frustration. I also am feeling some gratitude as my contract is 3 years and a few things have been waived on it that would have been a huge pain to me so I do need to remember to be grateful for those things too. Thanks.