Tessaprn

BON job is to ensure patient safety. With substance abuse (drugs or alcohol) BON is in their right to disclipline however they see fit. At one time nurses did not have any options except to lose their license. Now they promote rehab. You would actually be stunned to know how many people who are nurses are substance abusers and the number of nurses who enter rehab and relapse and return to rehab and relapse a second or third time. This I assume is why the probation period is 5 years or longer. A nurse gets the oportunity to attend rehab when you have a DUI or drug abuse. It's better to turn yourself in rather than be turned in. Years ago people did not get a second chance.

You need a BSN. It is competitive to get selected into CRNA program. School runs $50,000 - $100,000 for tuition, books, fees and other required items. Cost depends on which school. I'm sure that the Nursing profession still has more female then male individuals, but this is changing. My son is a CRNA and no one has looked at him differently because he is male. My husband is also an RN and he does not feel restricted or out of place working as a Nurse.

Nursing used to be about caring for the patient. Today, got to get that paperwork done! 12-14 minutes, that is about par at the hospital where I work. Emphasis is put on the proper paperwork. Don't do the paperwork, administration crawls up your butt. Forget something with the patient, just make sure you complete the paperwork on what was not done. That's computer charting.

Whoever told you that your DUI would not be a problem is misinformed. You might have a 50/50 chance that they will send you to rehab and then let you apply for a license. But you will not find out until you do actually apply for a license.

Ask for mercy from your BON and do what they require to put your license back in good standing.

It's stupid and not a bit humorous. Some will actual believe this crap. Pitiful!

I find it to be outrageous that Hospice has a policy not to suction a patient if needed. What happened to dying with dignity and peacefully.

A recent study stated they do not have any benefits.

The two are apples and oranges. Both excellent areas to work. If you want to apply to CRNA school I suggest the ICU areas. Intensive Care is required, OR experience is not.

Yes it matters. Some require more education and clinicals. Some can perform procedures that others cannot. Some can supervise and some cannot. There is a difference between doctors. They have different levels and types of specialities.

Yes, a blanket policy is correct. You are lucky that you did not hurt someone else. You say you had not had a drink for some time before this DUI, well if I drank 3 alcoholic drinks I would be extremely drunk. Put a little Xanax on board and you are completely beyond impaired. I believe that yes, the BON might go a bit overboard in the requirements for drug and alcohol abuse like having to pay numerous fines when you cannot work. But, if it saves one life than that cancels all negatives about the policy.

If you have one drink and get into a car which you are the driver then you are DUI. You are breaking the law. What we do in our non-work environment oftentimes will determine our character. In areas of alcohol and drug use it can and usually does affect our professional lifes. When you applied for you license do you not recall the questions about alcohol and/or drug use. I would not want someone who has been arrested for drug and alcohol abuse taking care of me or any member of my family without intervention and being monitored. I have had drunks as patients and it is not a good experience. Out of all the patient's that I have cared for the past 20 years, it is the ones that drink and drive that I have not had one shred of sympathy for. People who drink and drunk seem to only hurt those who are innocence. In my opinion and experience with the subject DUI's never hurt themselves physically to any lasting degree, but they do kill others. I do not know how other BON handlers the nurse who is has been impaired? But Alabama takes it very seriously. I have knowledge of this because of my daughter who is an RN. In 2005 she came to the end of a bad time in her life. She was abusing Xanax. She drove to work with it in her system and worked while using it. In January 2005 during a period of 4 weeks, she properly disposed of a lousy husband and she was reported to the BON for being impaired, plus terminated. I make no excuses for her and we her family do not let her make excuses for her lack of judgement while in her non-work related environment or in the workplace. She put her well-being as well as her patient's in jeopardy. She has had to jump through many hoops with her family and the BON for her lack of good judgement. She had to attend out-patient rehab, 2 days a week for 6 months at her expense. She has to make 3 meetings a week with Narcotics Anonymous, send a monthly report to the board, anytime she sees a physician or dentist she has to make a note for her montly update, let the board know of any medication she takes and at her own expense has to make a daily phone call to see if she was selected that day for drug testing. That's $74 a pop. Her employer has to be aware of her restrictions and they too have to send a monthly report about her job performance. I won't even begin to list the amount of fines she had to pay to the BON. When she finally found an employer who would give her the opportunity to work she could not give meds for the first 6 months and cannot supervise anytime during her probation period. The only place that would hire her was because the supervisor herself had gone through the program and gave her a chance. Here she is 4 years later doing great with another year to go. She has done well and took responsibility for herself and her actions. Because she did not have a job the cost of the things she had to do were financially a hardship and if not for her family she would never had be able to pay the cost of the programs, requirements and fines. You want to compare DUI with dishonest elected officials, cheating on taxes, etc. Agreed this is in bad character, but their actions do not involve being an advocate for people who we care for. You also use the "well they did it too, so why should I be treated differently?" Apples and oranges. You do not say that you would arrested for DUI. If it was you or someone you know than take responsibility for the lack of judgement and stop trying to find excuses for the actions and why you should not be held accountable.

If you are speaking about military service then you may sign for 3 years but you will be obligated for 6 years. Which means you are discharged after your 3 year contract but can be recalled for that remaining time. Example of being recalled is the current war.

I understand and hear where you are coming from. It's not childbirth pain you should compare with chronic pain. Having experienced such it is something that you actually forget about when it is all said and done. I like the idea of the pain associated with a kidney stone. I have a son who has experienced chronic pain since age 4. Today he is 28. I am appalled at the way nurses and doctors look at an individual who has such pain. I learnt in nursing school that pain is whatever the patient says it is. My son was seeing a pain doctor. You would think that at least people in this area would have a better idea of pain in an individual. 8 years ago I was with my son while he was being prepped for treatment. He had complained to me that the nurse always made him feel like he was lying and just wanted drugs. I sat quickly while they interacted and by the end of this assessment I was ready to bounce on this nurse. She had ask him to grade his pain on the 1-10 pain scale. His response was 6. This person looked at him with the expression that relayed to me she thought he was lying and she said "oh really." She had the attitude that someone with moderate pain should not be able to have conversation exchange without showing signs of pain. Like my son said when you have pain everyday for years you become able to function withouf showing it. When he was moved to the procedure area I spoke with this nurse and nicely explained how my son felt. I received the response from this twit that when one actually has pain their facial expression show. Since his did not, he was lying. That was the last treatment that he has receive from a "pain clinic." That was 8 years ago. Since then he has had hip replacement and has been prescribed several different meds for mod-severe pain. He was on Fentanyl for 13 months when he decided he did not like the way it made him feel. Today he is maintained on Methadone. He is a radiology technologist and works in a hospital setting. He has never missed one day of work. He continues with some chronic pain and says now he feels awkward we he gets the methadone script filled. It is assumed with this drug that he takes it because of drug abuse. That in itself is a whole different post. And the one where the recovery nurse thought she knew when someone felt pain and needed more medication instead of the patient.

This is a very hot and debatable topic. I suppose on paper universal health care sounds good. I do not wish to have my taxes increased. I believe if people would take responsibility for themselves instead letting others do it for them this problem could be improved. I believe health care is a right for every American citizen. If we stop supporting every other country first we would have the funds for our own health care. Universal health care is not the answer. How are we nurses going to like having our salaries modified by the government. Does anyone think that doctors will take to spending years and a bit of money becoming physicians to have the government not pay them enough to pay off their student loans. England and France have spoken out about how bad universal health care is and they had it for years. As for Michael Moore other than bashing the United States government and making money from his propaganda projects what has he offered to the country?

Sometimes that attractiveness can be a hinderance.

My SICU wants nothing to do with Cardiac. They feel inexperienced with matters of the heart just as CV feels out of place with traumas. SICU handles just about everything except cardiac. They get all of the traumas and surgeries, whereas CV gets the fresh hearts straight from surgery. Both have the drips, chest tubes, and vents.

I live in Toney not very far from your location. I have never been pushed, spat at, and/or threatened by any bubba's or bubbettes. I thought the rural area was coming along nicely with the grocery stores, banks, and restaurants, day cares and need for larger schools in the area because of the many subdivisions being built. I stand corrected and I'll tell my sister who lives off Walker Ln to watch out for these deliverance type people. You forgot to mention that Nasa is also a huge employer in the area and there is Space Camp. :chuckle

Deliverance land? Thank you very much for the insult!

Huntsville area has a freeze. Benefits are being cut and RN's are having to take 4 hours off a month with or without pay. I will not be surprised when lays-offs occur. I do not believe any PRN employees are getting the hours either.

It is the hospital's responsibility and they are legally required to report to the BON. They most certainly will not see the "cold turkey," as treatment or let one month of professionally treatment as the answer to the problem. If she wanted to self-report she should have gone to the BON not the nurse manager. BON helps but they do not make it easy.

Does not matter if it is a false-positive. It was positive. Rehab facilities have heard all of the excuses for abusing drugs. They will not believe any excuse.

Not many ways needed to get the point across. If anyone receives a DUI in any profession they are "scum of the earth." Being in the Nursing profession even makes it worst for the individual's stupidity. Drive drunk and you put everyone around you in danger. I lack total sympathy or any understanding with anyone who does this. I have raised 4 kids and they knew if they ever were stopped for any type of DUI they best use their one phone call to call someone other than me. A nurse who drinks and drives obviously has no respect for their own lives. I surely do not need a nurse with that lifestyle caring for mine or anyone elses well-being. The BON is doing exactly what they are suppose to do. Did you ever wonder why one of the questions that is asked on the license application is in regard to arrests for DUI? DRIVING DRUNK IS NOT A HUMAN MISTAKE. No excuses. You tell your "colleague" they received from the BON exactly was was deserved. I cannot see any nurse that uses this board giving you any other type of reply other than maybe nicer.

I think your first problem is the nursing board letting you take the NCLEX. If you response on the application where you request to take the boards that you have criminal problems they can deny you to take boards. If you can get through that part then on the application for employment you are asked about criminal history so Nurse Manager will already know your history. Good luck.

I personally believe the Boards of Nursing to be a joke, for reasons I will not entertain at the moment. My daughter had a drug issue. Drug of choice being Xanax. Bad marriage, etc, etc. No excuses for her or anyone else who abuses legal or illegal drugs. Take an attorney or don't take one. It will not make a difference. The board will do what it wants. Probably has minds made up way in advance. Now, if you reported your drug problem yourself you can travel a different road, but if not boards make it extremely hard. Let's not forget that big fine they will lay on you. Don't expect the board to give you any help in aquiring employment if your license is on probation. My daughter's probation is 5 years and may request early after 3 years release and if granted she has to pay something like $1000. She has 17 months left and she is going to ride it out. She had to attend a treatment program. That was 2x weekly for 20 weeks. Random drug testing, at least once monthly and has had 3 x in one month. Every time she goes it cost $72 that she has to pay. She had to do the 12 step program. Monthly paperwork has to be submitted regularly and on time. I am sorry for you but if they want your license, they will get your license. It was implied to my daughter that to bring an attorney was sort of admitting guilty and the decision they make is justified. I wish you great luck and success with your endeavor. I think after a sertain time you can request your licenses back if revocation does occur.