bboy45

I had no issue obtaining my NP license. I was out of the program for about 9 months when I applied for my NP license. I was in monitoring during NP school and neither my college or preceptors for NP school cared. My college must have had the malpractice insurance included in our tuition because I never had to purchase any. I think that can sometimes be an issue, but I've read on here before there are companies that will insure you, but your premium might be slightly higher. But, if you have to go that route, just bite the bullet, pay for it, and do what you need to do.

But you're saying the board had already contacted you and did the investigation right? So, they already know the details and chose not to do anything for almost 2 years. I would think they are either severely incompetent at their jobs or they didn't find anything substantial.

I don't want to give you false hope, but I would think you're fine. The Board is supposed to intervene and protect the public from "dangerous" (I'm using their words, not mine) nurses. If they had any evidence that you were remotely unsafe to practice, I would imagine they would have moved to halt your license fairly quickly. You could always get a consultation with a lawyer and see what their opinion is and if they have ever had anyone take this long.

Please do not do that to yourself. They absolutely test for Kratom. Why don't you do it the correct way and see a pain medicine doctor who can provide documentation to monitoring that you do in fact have pain and perhaps monitoring might be willing to allow low dose gabapentin or some other less addictive medication that could help with your pain? Taking the situation into your own hands and treating your pain with a questionable substance at best is the reason you are likely in the situation you are in now. I'm sorry if I'm sounding tough, but sometimes us addicts have to hear it like it is. I don't want you to mess this up! Show them you're responsible and can be trusted and do it the right way.

I am in monitoring, and I have NSO insurance! You just pay a bit higher of a premium since you're in monitoring, I think like 50 dollars more. It's only 150/yr and the peace of mind you get knowing you're protected is amazing. It also covers up to 25,000$ in legal help for Board investigations/license issues. I wish I had had it when I first was reported to the board for substance abuse. My legal fees might have been covered. It's worth it to me!

Not judging you at all because I was very curious about what they were testing me for, but the truth is, you won't find out and they will never tell you. They use proprietary panels that they will only release with a court order. Just assume you're being tested for literally everything, including Kratom. The legal loophole to all this is it's a "voluntary" program that you entered and agreed to so that's how they can get away with testing you for 3 years without telling what they are testing you for.

Just sharing my experience. I definitely drank the Yogi tea with Kava in it during my time in monitoring, but I was always careful about when I did it because like you, I was terrified of any false positive. So, I would drink a cup on a Friday night because by Monday, any chance of a substance causing a false positive would probably be out of my system. I second the recommendations to not ask your CM. The less you deal with them, the better. Unless you feel like you have a good rapport with your CM. If you're new to monitoring, forget it. If you're a few years in and have proven your commitment and have a strong record of negative tests, then maybe. But as a general rule, the less you interact with them, the better. Stay under the radar.

No I am working in Dialysis. I could work in hospital at this point, but no real desire. I am in the South on the East Coast. Would prefer not to reveal exact state.

I would ask your case manager about the testing but I usually get around 3 a month here in my state. If you get one on a day you have to work, don’t know what to say other than you have to go to a patient first or med express something like that and do it. Having to work isn’t an excuse to not test if you’re picked. I know someone that talked his hospital lab into doing the drug screen for him while he was working at the hospital. He would just go downstairs and test, but not sure how he worked that out. I was really careful about the hand sanitizer at first, but now I don’t even care. I’ve been in the program for 2.5 years and never had a positive alcohol screen and I use it probably 50+ times a day. I will say though the days I have a screen I won’t use hand sanitizer that day just in case, but the other days, like I said, I really don’t care anymore.

I’m confused what the F means?

I am doing dialysis now. I think it is the easiest job to get when you’re in monitoring and they don’t have narcotics so for me, it was nice to be in an environment where I didn’t have to be around them until I got healthy. It also pays well too. I wouldn’t worry just yet about what you are going to say to employers until you get the okay to start looking. Trust me when I say that as you accumulate days of sobriety, go to AA meetings, and test negative a few times, you will feel less ashamed and more confident in the work you have put in to change your life. I did mention in my interview that I was in a monitoring program and that I had a “history of substance abuse” but I quickly followed it up with all I have done to get myself better and how this experience has made me a better person and a nurse. It’s about being vulnerable and honest, but also protecting yourself and your sobriety. They don’t need to know everything and you certainly don’t have to tell them everything. You feel bad - and that means you are a good person who knows right from wrong. Give yourself a break and like one person said, you did something bad, but you are not a bad person. I don’t even think about it anymore. When I first got sober I thought about it at least once or twice a day and would cringe, but now, 2 years later, I think “Oh that was a dumb thing I did, but it was 2 years ago.” It no longer defines my life or is the dark cloud over me. Smile, you are going to be okay. Just STAY SOBER. Including alcohol. You are going to have to prove to yourself and your monitoring program and your board that you know you messed up and that you will abstain from all mind altering substances in order to be a nurse again.

Hello, Myself and 3 other people who I have met so far in this journey all did the same thing you did. We are all happily working as nurses again. Unfortunately, we are in the monitoring program, but things are going well and I even just got accepted into NP school! Hang in there. It might feel rough now, but I promise it will get better. If you need to talk more DM me!

If she truly had 1/2 shot of rum she will probably be fine.

You'll be fine. Don't worry. Lesson learned.

That sounds excessive. Maybe it will calm down once you have been back to work for a couple of weeks. I am in VA, but they will often ramp up testing around holidays, vacations, significant events. Even still, I have never had more than 2 tests a week/more than 4 a month. I average around 175 dollars a month in tests.

I have been curious about this myself! I will be in the same position as you once I complete my contract. One suggestion is to shell out some money for a lawyer who works with professional licenses/the monitoring program in that state and get their advice. That way you are legally covered, but surely there has got to be someone on this board who has done it so I am following this post for updates! My worst fear is that I will be honest and check yes and I will land myself another monitoring contract in that state.

Not sure, but I know my addictionologist has always been on my side and my biggest cheerleader. She would never do anything that would hurt me professionally.

My employer said the same and they held up their end of the bargain. I got my short term disability and cashed out my PTO. On top of that, they put me on a medical leave of absence and they payed for my treatment. I was blessed too! Do NOT take it for granted!

Oh and just a suggestion. If you can get in with a substance abuse doctor in the meantime and NOT wait until you are ordered by the board or IPN, that would bode well for you. It would show that you are taking it seriously and that Dr. could also speak with your evaluator when you do the IPN eval and possibly vouch for you. In the mean time, stop all drugs and alcohol. Show them you don't need rehab to get sober. Ideally you will get put into an outpatient group.

Definitely second not mentioning past substance abuse with evaluator. Stick to the present time period. But do not lie. For example, if they did do a hair test and you have smoked weed in the last 3 months, then your credibility will look bad if you said you never smoked. That's kind of what I mean by being honest. Certainly don't volunteer information or give your life history and that one time you took an Adderall in college etc, but if you have been a habitual user of a drug recently - best to just be honest in case they do test you. I never had a hair test or anything to "prove" or see what drugs I was on. Just the dirty urine test at the time of the diversion

Hey! Everything is going to be okay :). Just take it day by day, step by step, but so far your lawyer has given you great advice. As far as how honest, do not talk to anyone about your addiction unless your lawyer is present. It will be kind of costly to have a lawyer, but it was the best decision I ever made! Honestly is your best policy. You do not have to admit to every single time you diverted, at least I didn't, but they were interested in how much and for how long. I just kept it vague like "I started in June of 20xx and it slowly got worse and harder to control." Which was the truth - but again, all this was reviewed by my lawyer before I submitted it to the board. The board will likely do an investigation since you reported, but it is really good that you reported yourself! Be honest with the evaluator. Own your mistake and your addiction. It will go a long way, but let your lawyer represent you! I cannot say that enough. I am back to work now and life is mostly back to normal. You will survive it ?

I have had an okay experience myself. My current CM is nice, but I have to remind myself they are not my friend. I have seen them turn on people or suspect the worst of you in situations. It has not happened to me yet, but I am always on edge whenever I deal with them. My goal is to interact with them as little as possible. We all cope and deal with it differently! My therapist that runs my aftercare group is my true advocate and the one I feel is in my corner. She communicates with my monitoring program often to give them updates on my progress.

Definitely get a lawyer that is used to working with nursing boards. Just Google "lawyers for nurses" and you should.be able to find some in your area. Let them do the talking. You might be alright if you don't say too much. STAY clean from here on out. Do not even drink alcohol.

Don't do it. I know you just want a yes or no, but I think you should also ask yourself why you want to take Kratom? If you are taking any substance (besides something like caffeine) when it's not being prescribed to you by a Dr., red flags should be going up. That part of yourself that got you into monitoring has not been helpful to you thus far so why listen to what it wants you to do now?

DO NOT do it. Not worth the risk.