sarasidnic

Hi, I don't think mercy is the right word. I think support and understanding is nice. I always try to remind myself that we all think and look at things differently. There are people out there that think we let someone remain in pain while we take their drugs. I find it appauling, I could never do that but people don't know me well enough to know that. Try looking at it from their perspective.

Don't forget, the chain of custody protects you as well. If I were you i'd let it go. Most bon will tell you that a nursing license is a privledge not a right. It sucks, look on the bright side, at least you have your license. CAT

I know exactly how you feel. I took my nursing boards 4 years after I gratuated from college. I was constantly telling myself that I had a better shot of winning the lottery than passing my boards. I finally told myself " the hell with it, whats the worst thing that could happen"? " I don't pass, I definitely won't pass not taking them" I can still feel those happy butterflys in my stomach when I opened that envelope. I was so excited it probably looked like I won the lottery! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do yourself a favor. After you determine what the complaint is if and if you need a lawyer. Don't answer their questions, if you feel you need outside help,get a lawyer. kYou must protect yourself or they'll serve you up like toast. cat19

:mad:Hi Guys, I have a question. I diverted drugs in 2000. Surrendered for three years, was reinstated with a contract. I listen to everyone when they say " you have a documentated drug history,you will always be suspected and it is an unfortunate consequence but one we have to deal with. I had a seizure at work, explained that I have had 6 in a year and a half, and of course they didn't believe me and reported me to the board stating I was impaired at work. I wasn't. These episodes are very real. My doc ordered every test under the sun, it was determined that when I am extretely upset i have a blood pressure spike and have a seizure like episodes. It was documantated that this arguement made me very upset, hence an episode. I don't remember what happened. I read the employee statements and they said I had a disagreement just prior to my episode. It approx 1:30 in the afternoon. I appeared confused, disorientes and had a flat affect. Thet took me down to the director' office,in Iook about 20 minutes before I started to think more clearly I was coming out of the fog that always happens during these attscks. By 10 passed 2 i was lucid. However, we all know that any person whose impaired does not come out of it in a period of 20 min. My shift was over at 3 and they let me drive home. My question is this; If they believed that I was impaired, which is what they reported to the board, why did they did they let me drive home? To make matters worse was the fact that they were aware I had to pick up my 8 year old daughter. If I was wasted, it was their legal and ethical duty to prevent me from getting behind the wheel of a car. They are suppossed to send me out to the hospital to sleep it off or arrange for someone to pick me up. Someone told me that I could file a law suit against them regarding this issue and possibly force them to recant their accusation of me being impaired to avoid bad press publicity. This is a facility that has had alot of problems. Last year a patient left the building was hit by a car a was killed. And this year they had one of male cna's raped a patient twice. He was fired and arrsted. This place can't afford any more negative press. What to you think? Please try to understand I will do what ever I can to protct my family, especially Sara. noone meses wit my kid(period) She is the most beaitifil and amazing child who happpens be my entire world.It's amazing when you such feel the intense emotions to yourself. cat16

Looking at this from a different perspective; I am a nurse in recovery and I was hired to work in a nursing home. I was working on 3-11, most supervisors are gone before 5pm. I of course am responsible for all the narcs, which is fine. However, there was an open bottle of roxinal in the count on a patient who died 2 months prior to me setting foot in the building. I refused to accept responsiblity for this and drew alot of attention to myself. I was not worried that I would be tempted to take it, I was worried about all the different people that have access to the drug besides me. If someone tampered with it I would automatically be a suspect which is par for the course but more importantly it is a "HUGE" violation of the facility, state and federal drug regulations. I would have faced a diciplinary action if the board decided to audit the narc book even if their is nothing missing. I would be reprimanded for policy and drug violations. The currrent policy states that all narcotics are to be removed from count if a person dies,is d/c or out of the facility for more than a week. The director of nursing is supposed to destroy the meds with a supervisor to witness. If a patient went to the hospital but was coming back in a week, a director might not throw the drugs away but they should be removed from count My advice, CYA. I quit at the end of the second week. cat16

It is a very common occurance in my state as well. It's unbelievable, isn't it? I worked is facility that was so horrible I started to carry a little digital recorder and taped report and certain situations and interactions they warranted. I told them it was so I didn't forget anything they told me. That shut them up real fast. However, it's discraceful to have to resort to such a thing just to avoid the blame game and all the bs that goes along with it. good luck

I've learned that nurses are faced with so many situations,you take them as they come. It's probably why nurses are great improvisers. I look at the level of care and how well I know the person. For example, I had to admit one of my father's friends father. I never met the man, however I bounced on Sal's knee when I was a baby. Starting the iv was easy but the foley was a tad awkward. Sal thought because he knew me that he wouldn't have to leave the room. I said " it's because you know me that you have to leave the room and more importantly, it's an issue of my pts privacy. The second time it happened to me was an entirely different situation. I had to admit a guy I had a one night stand with and then I sort of blew him off. Yes, I was a little wild when I was 25. I was a 32 y/o mother when I had to face him. These things happen when you live in the smallest state in the country. I wanted to bury my head in the sand. He was a direct admit, so I had to get an iv going, blood work and all the paperwork with his father right by his side for all of it. My colleagues had a ball. It's true when they say your past always comes back to haunt you!!

I remember one time, i think my daughter was 6. She had to do a 5 day titrated dose of prednisone. It took three days before it occurred to me why my normally sweet little girl was acting like the spawn of Satan. "PREDNISONE"

Guys, Were you absent from nursing school the day your instructor gave the lecture on idiots?? They are everywhere, deal with it! I'm glad I paid attention that day because she wasn't kidding

Hello, Your going to require a Bachelor degree in something. I don't know if their are accelerated PA programs that are both. I know they offer nurse practitioner programs. Good Luck!!

Thank you for sharing that. I am actually moving to Florida within the next year and I was thinking of contacting them so I can set up a meeting with the board, present my history face to face and see if there is anything I can do to appease them if they would be willing to give me a chance to practice in their state. Do you think kthat is a good idea or bad idea?

sorry, I had something bad happen to me in 1996 I fell apart for a few years because I was an idiot and did not get the counceling suggested by both the police and the Dr. I surrendered my license in 2001 and was reinstated in 2003. In the beginning I believed the board actually saved me becaused I was forced into counceling and it really worked. I had only been a nurse for 6 months when I screwed up with drugs and was forced to surrender my license. I was so naive in my thinking when I was reinstated. (Don't laugh) I actually believed that I was lucky to be working with medical professionals because they understood the physiology when it came to PTSD/MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES and how a person could end up taking drugs. I thought I would be received with open arms so to speak becauses I would be working with nurse's and what is a nurses primary function? To take care of people.( NOT!!!!) It's the exact opposite. Anyway, I was accused of a few things I did not do and I sort of made my state board look like idiots and they did not like that. I learned the hard way that most people are intimidated by the board and rarely challenge them. Unfortunatly,I am a thick headed intalian and I cower to no one. If i'm wrong ok but if i'm innocent, I fight to the death, hence my battle with the board

I am in a perpetual state of limbo. I have no one to talk to about diversion, being guilty,being innocent, my 5 year battle with my BON. I sit in my house everyday and watch people live their lives from my window. I want to share the issues I am presently facing with the group, but I can't. It's too complicated to write,I don't even know where to begin. I feel like the star in a really bad movie. I love being a nurse. I love everything about nursing and I am a great nurse. I ruined my career before it ever began.

In the year 2000 it was decided that if a nurse has any issues with her nursing license including "surrender" the state board must report to AG office who in turn submits the info to the OIG. If you lose your license for a period of time but does have it reinstated by your state board you must submit documentation of reinstatement from your state board in order to apply for removal of your name from the exclusion list which san take from one week to a year. Once your name is removed, you are deemed elegible for employment. However, until your name is removed from that list you can't even sweep floors in a building that acccepts federal funds. If you do gain employment somehow while on that list you and the facility could be in serious trouble.