heidi5189

Hi fellow nurses, My name is Heidi and I have been an operating room nurse for 11 years. Of those, 10 have been as a traveler all across the US. I have a wonderful work history and great references from my travels. When I was in California, I got a DUI (in 2008) and this, along with alcohol-related charges from my teens, landed my CA license in probation. I came to Houston and got a travel job at a wonderful hospital in the Medical Center and they gave me a full-time position even though they new I was having difficulty getting a Texas license because of the California issue. Texas took a long time to issue me a license (1.5 years) but they finally did and it is a probationary license with a lot of the same TPAPN restrictions. My hospital in the Medical Center is in the process of hiring me back, at which time I will start a 3 year probationary term. I have a few questions for those of you who have been though this process, as I do not want to do anything to mess it up. I can say that I have been sober now for many months and this has been an eye-opening experience for me. I realize now that I am an alcoholic and I am totally committed to my sobriety for life. I am not asking these questions with any intent to "mess" with the system or try to get away with anything-I only ask for advice on getting through the 3 years. Thank you in advance to any of you willing to share your thought with me! 1. I understand that when I get my job back, they will fill out the paper showing that I've given them the board order and mail it to the board. At that time I will get a board case manager. Is this correct? Is the case manager someone that will answer all these questions for me? 2. I have not been able to work since March of 2011. I understand that the drug tests are $43 and you are to have 3 on your person at all times with some kind of paperwork for each. Then, I call a number every morning and see if I've been chosen to test. My work shift begins at 6:30 a.m. Would I be able to call before that time and find out if I've been picked? Are there certain times you need to call during the day? 3. I will be working from 6:30 am-5 pm. The labcorp places I've looked into around the medical center close at 5. I'm worried about having to leave work early several times a month to test. Is this what I have to do or does anyone know of labs open later? 4. Will I be tested a few times a month or more? I am wondering because I will have to notify my employer of having to leave early for each testing and also because of the money issues. 5. Are there any common pitfalls to avoid in this process? Three years seems like such a long time and I just want to do everything right to get back into good standing with the board. Thank you all for reading this and taking time to answer back. Bless you all on your journeys. Heidi