lisa bear rn

I hope you figure out the problem soon, because med charting errors left me with a suspended nursing license, had to go to a facility for a 5 day eval to see if I was taking drugs, three months later and no job, finally cleared of drug use, but on probation for 3 years, and a ton of fines and restrictions on my license!! Not to scare you but try hard to better yourself!! This is one HARD lesson to learn. Good Luck, Lisa

Hello, I helped a new outpatient surgery facility get up and running and worked in the PACU department for about 1 year and half. You need to see what all procedures they do, the facility I worked for started doing colon resections and total joint replacements and many other more complex cases that required the patients stay for longer than 24 hours, they are trying to turn into a regular surgery department without the much needed ancillary help (physical therapy, no respiratory therapy, no pharmacist, only one RN on the night shift with one cna). Check out all the details because usually working at a facility like that requires you to take on extra responsibility that you may not have in a hospital setting. Good Luck to you! LISA

My worst nursing experience was brought upon me by myself. I had my license suspended for documentation problems involving narcotics of all things. Got fired, had to go before the board of nursing to try to explain that it was my stupidity that I was not on drugs, had to go to a rehab facility for 5 days for an addiction eval, finally I got them to do a follicle hair test to prove I was not an impaired nurse, this came back negative, finally after 2 months of absolute he!! I will get my license back but I will be on probation for three years and I have to do a multitude of things (continuing ed, pay fines, random drug screens). All of this, but I did clear my name in the accusation of diverting narcotics, which is all I wanted, and to have my license back!! So to everyone out there, BE CAREFUL!! LISA

You should be fine, but talk with the board of nursing about it. You would be so surprised how many nurses there are with DUI arrests as well as "other" problems, and they are still able to practice, not without paying their dues. A friend of mine in nursing school got a DUI when she was 20 years old (before nursing school) and she just had to disclose that on the application to nursing school, when she was accepted to the prof. program, she had to get some paperwork concering her arrest, and she had to show she completed a 12 step program for AA. She made it through nursing school just fine and has been a nurses for 4 years now, and the DUI does not have anything negative to do with her license. Good Luck!! LISA

Just simply chart what ever you saw, pt sitting in bed, resp rate 18/min, unlabored, family at bedside, call bell in reach.... just for example, you will learn to be more observant and you will be able to tell many things about a patient just by looking at them for a few moments. Speaking from experience, charting is VERY important, you can lose your license for poor charting, dont ever let anyone tell you you chart too much, it is your license, not theirs!! Good luck, and just follow your intuition!! LISA

I would advise you since you are single to pick a plan with a low deductible (like 500-1000). You shouldnt pay very much since it would be a single plan. You never know when something will happen. I learned this the hard way, I had a high deductible, had three surgeries last year (I thought I was healthy) and was then hospitilzed with a heart arrythmia. I am only 28!!! Anyway just my opinion!! Be thankful for health insurance! lisa

Happy Birthday, I think you should be hired, usually in orientation they have an EKG class anyway. And learning to draw blood is something you learn on the job anyway! Good Luck! Lisa

No, I am not working right now. Since my license was suspended for a month, I could not work as a nurse and the facility that turned me in fired me, no big deal, I am sure I will be able to get another job. If the BON does contact you, just be straight forward and honest, you might want to write the incidence down so you will remember little details to be prepared. Try to stay cool and not to worry, things will work out. Take this from me, I never ever in the world thought I would be in trouble with narcs and be suspended, but you never know!! Good Luck!

I have been a RN for 4 years, my first job was in the ER, also a Level 1 trauma center for the region. I felt like I knew nothing from nursing school classes to prepare me. I think that nursing school prepares you with the bare minimum to practice safely as a beginner, mostly you will learn from on the job training. When you get out, use your preceptors as a resource, listen to everything they have to say and be open minded, there you will learn the most! Dont worry, school gives you the minimum theory, the rest will come! AND dont be afraid to say I dont know and ask questions!! GOOD LUCK! LISA

Thanks for that, my thoughts exactly. I really felt like I was being brain washed, if I was not a strong person, I might have succomed. I know the facility has to be tough and stern to handle addicts, especially those who are in denial, but I was there for the disciplinary action on my license. It was their job to do what the BON wanted, the psychological eval, even the hair test, but all the yelling and cursing was not called for.

yes, there were many occasions where I did not make sure the nurse who saw my waste go sign the paper. We had a paper systen with narcotics and with this system you can get lazy. Instead of the two nurses walking over to the sheet to waste, I would just show my waste and ask that nurse to go sign. There were so many times that it did not get signed, so that looked bad. Nurses! always cover you butt!! This was hard lesson learned, I will never forget. LISA

Yes I do believe I am having PTSD. Since I left that place I have been having nightmares, I wake up in the middle of the night sweating, wondering where I am. I feel very timid now and I am not a timid person, almost scared. thats interesting, thank you for your thoughts. LISA

thank everyone so much for the thoughts and sympathy. Just to recap, I got fired from a small surgical hospital for discrepencies in my charting with demerol, they drug screened me, and that was negative. They fired me and turned me in to the BON and my license was temp. suspended pending investigation of all this. the BON charged my license with narcotic discrepencies-charting. That was much better than what it was they at first had narcotic diversion-self. So I pled my case, without an attorney, and they changed the charge to the above. So I had to go to this inpatient 5 day eval at a drug rehab center so they could pick my brain to see if I am an addict. They even took hair samples that was negative, so finally it's almost over. I certainly screwed up on my charting, but thats all, BUT that is what brought this upheavel in my life. So now my name is clear and I get my license back!!!!!!!!!! I have learned a valuable lesson and also have learned not to take anything for granted. To all out there, BE CAREFUL with charting, dont let others hurry you, it is YOUR license to protect and please do. I would hate to see anyone else go through this horrible ordeal! Thank you again!! LISA

and this place I was at was the same place Brett Favre went to, whoooo ooohhh, big deal. I wasnt there for rehab, just for those professionals to break me down. I kept my cool and my license will be returned to me in a couple of weeks, pending the BON is up and running (I am in Louisiana) the board is located in New Orleans, so may take longer, I will just take a vacation from all the stress I have been having lately. I have nightmares about the rehab place and I am constantly on edge. I just got out Friday, I am sure I will be back to normal soon. I cant imagine having to stay 90 days there for drug abuse. There were so many doctors, nurses, dentists, anestheiologists, lawyers, you name it. Very scary place,

It depends, if your license is suspended you cannot work as a rn, you must resign. That sucks. That is what happened to me. Now that I am getting my license back, I have to find a new job that will take me with all my restrictions on my license for 3 years. I will be thinking of you, this is a hard situation, but it is able to overcome it!! LISA