RNtrainer

I came to this site originally as a result of web-searching "Completion of Florida IPN" People do complete...funny that there is little to no information out there in relation to the subject. I Guess when one gets the completion letter they are "over" talking about it :-) So here is my experience. When you complete and if you have been compliant you may receive a letter from your Case Manager stating your eligible for completion review by the IPN board. This is dependent upon the completion of four items. 1. A letter from your Supervisor 2. A letter from your IPN Facilitator 3. A letter from yourself 4. Completion of an exit evaluation which was printed on the back of the letter. ALL Letters must detail progress in recovery and the need for no further monitoring. 1. Was easy, I am on great terms with my management though I had to tell them the specifics of writing it in relation to the requirement. 2. A Little more difficult I had to pay my facilitator for all the meetings I had missed and have to read my Item#3 to my group as part of the closure process as I would not be seeing them anymore...(Unless I wanted to drop by) 3. This was the toughest one for me, I wanted to say thank you for all the support and think I pulled it off rather well without being too ingratiating and displaying humility for those not leaving or just starting. 4. Easy survey hardest question...would you refer a friend to IPN? Really????? Send these all to you CM as directed...Keep checking in and drop if called you are not off the hook until you get your letter of completion about two weeks later. Hope this helps those in Florida nearing their time.

I don't know I temper what has happened with the knowledge that sometimes you might not like where you end up but regardless that is where you are, So I have worked with the recovering nurses in my group and have been fortunate enough to be able to find them jobs and re-build lives. Once I accepted the "first step" the things that used to anger me do not have that power anymore... I accept life as it comes, and try to make the best of this situation and help others in return for the help I had been given in the past. Really it's all good. But yes...our Govenor is one of the biggest medicare crooks in the US so of course the BON is messed up :-) I would think twice about re-location to the "Gun-shine" State and in 95 days when my contract is satisfied I am moving to somewhere a little more civilized.

Hello Sionainne I cannot say that it did not confuse me at the time this happened either, one would think that a negative screen and no clear evidence of diverting would be enough to clear one of any allegations. I even permitted hospital security to search my vehicle, my bag, and my home if they opted which they did not. As stated in my intervention.... the HR and Risk management people gave me two choices. either self-refer and "It would go away" which in retrospect was only a half-truth.Like the Starship Enterprise I was on my way to a "Five-year" Mission and just did not know it yet..or undergo investigation and be "Perp-walked" out of the hospital and undergo investigation from the Florida BON and most likely earn a five year IPN referral also. I chose to self refer. At that time my IPN case manager intake person ******* (I am sure if you know IPN you will know who I am talking about here but I will only use last initials because they are only doing thier jobs) Informed me I would have to have an evalyuation done by an addictionologist at USF named ********...I will name her she is a doctor and her specialty is public record. Dr. *****, after sitting on my report for a month while she was on vacation determined in the intrest of public safety it would be best if I submit to nine weeks of IOP treatment and then five years of IPN Monitoring (Now granted, I went into my appointment with Dr. **** angry, hurt, and confused...which when meeting with a psychologist is akin to handing a zippo lighter to a pyromaniac and she burned me with it) I have since found a poker-face is the best affect for meeting with the head shrinker crowd. A few years later I did meet her at an event and she informed me that she will always "Decide cases based on protecting public safety" and that if there was even a minute suspicion that would be enough to green-light a referral to IPN. At this time I can understand that rationale having been in IPN for almost five years I have met some folks who can really "Work a lie". This is not meant to imply that everyone lies but some do and because of that small percentage of bad apples the whole basket must be tossed. The ironic thing is that my experience has been for the most part a positive thing and I have been able to help several group members through my connections the opportunity to acheve a second chance. Long story short, if you choose Dr. **** and go in angry you are going to IPN My point is, that in my experience the BON will always refer first and ask questions later. You can fight it, but I can tell you in my five years I have never seen anyone win anything but a huge legal bill and investigation fees. Having an RN License is a privilege, not a right...therfore the ability to possess one is decided by the folks in charge of granting them. I am sorry.... I do not mean to sound harsh I treasure this group, and all who participate.

Hi, I am in a similar situation...or I should say I was in 2009. Suspision of diverting due to a Pyxis report. I was tested and both tests came back negative. However during my intervention my Manager at the time did me the hugest favor of my life. When asked by Risk management if I wanted to self-report I fought this...she took me aside and told me I had two options. I could self-report regardless of if I diverted or not and I would be granted FMLA for treatment and that with self-referral to IPN Florida the matter would be closed. Or I could continue to defend myself retain an Attorney and in the end the BON would investigate, and find that in the best intrest of public safety I should be evaluated and they would refer me to IPN anyways, but I would also have a complaint and Link on my license in addition to having to re-pay investigation fees which would be about 3000.00 and whatever money I had to give my Attorney which could be upwards of 10K and still have to go through Rehabilitation as a Suspect. I later found that she was speaking from personal experience. In other words, I was between a rock and a hard place. Now, I chose to self-refer. In the beginning I had a lot of anger in relation to the whole "Guilty until proven Innocent" concept. But I have to tell you my experience with florida IPN has been mostly positive. I go to my meetings and have made friends and life-long relationships with some of the people I have met in the rooms. Initially it was a bit of a learning curve in relation to creating a habit of checking in every morning and having to drop a sample every two weeks or so but in the long run I have learned coping skills and have gained an insight into the illness of addiction most people never exerience. And now with less than 100 days to go I find that I will miss this strange and once complained about part of my life. I have not returned to clinical practice as I have found working in the informatics and education sector for private insurance to be much more lucrative. All of this has propelled me in a direction I would most likely have not taken had I chose the other option. Strange how the decisions we make influence our paths..... This decision is yours to make. For me Self-referral was the best option and this may not be the same for you. Best of luck regardless of which path you choose.