Sj81

LisaB19, Thank you for replying to my comment. As I mentioned, I revoked my participation with TPAPN in October, and went right away started working full time since I was technically allowed to since I no longer had to deal with TPAPN. I spoke with the BON prior to working and confirmed that I was allowed to continue to allow to work as a nurse until I get some sort of notification from the BON otherwise. So, we are now in May and thankfully I'm still working. My insomnia has improved significantly, however, I am still struggling with weight loss. Unfortunately, my weight dropped to 83lbs and I cannot get it any higher than 90. I've increased my caloric intake but have little effect. I finally went to the Dr yesterday (Because I finally have insurance because I've been able to work since I'm done with TPAPN) to have labs drawn to check my thyroid as well as everything else. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't think that it's fair that nurses who NEED and are PRESCRIBED certain medications to maintain their health should at least be allowed to continue taking these medications while in TPAPN. I'm proof that I NEED certain medications to be healthy. I have not taken Ambien or Xanax, which were my meds previously prescribed to me and have been for years, since signing on with TPAPN in June 2014. Even after I removed myself from the program at the end of October, I did not get a script for these meds for different reasons. Main reason was because I was SOOOO BROKE since I had not been able to work D/T TPAPN. I didn't have health insurance either so the Dr. visit would have been expensive out of pocket. I was able to somewhat improve the insomnia by taking OTC meds such as Unisom (which was not allowed in TPAPN). Anxiety continued to be at an all time high however which brought along other symptoms/issues such as mild depression symptoms, increase of heart palpitations (I was having 1-3 episodes every hour), extreme fatigue, headaches...all of this can be prevented if I am taking an anxiolytic. All they care about is that you are on a particular med... but not why. They don't care that I was initially prescribed the anxiolytic back in 2006 to help manage my chronic heart palpitations. Without taking an anxiolytic, it has significant negative impact on my health. Congrats to you on your new profession!! Sometimes I question as to whether or not I want to continue with nursing. I feel like just because I'm a nurse that doesn't mean I am in perfect health and don't have medical needs...and if having those needs means I can't be a nurse by the BON standards then I better pursue a different profession because I unfortunately am not perfect.

I really think there need to be some serious changes to the policies/procedures regarding prior addiction hx and how if effects you and your nursing license. I think it's appalling that you are having to go through TPAPN YEARS after going through treatment and remaining sober. I view that as an insult and that in itself can be a trigger for some to want to relapse. Those who have beat addiction should be praised and celebrated, not punished by putting them through a rigorous monitoring and drug/alcohol screening (which you have to pay for) and then making it difficult for you to work as a nurse because of all of the restrictions! I hope the best for you and good luck with everything!

I couldn't complete TPAPN, and it's not like me to not see something to the end. I had a case manager who was not helpful at all, ignored my thoughts and concerns regarding my physical and mental health, was given a lot of misinformation and ended up only tolerating TPAPN for 4 months. I'm only 5'3", weighed 106 at the start of the program and ended with a weight of 93 lbs and days... literally days of not sleeping because I was not allowed to take my prescribed medication (or any OTC) for my previously diagnosed insomnia. Now, more than likely, I will voluntarily surrender my nursing license even though nursing is the only career I really WANT and LOVE to do. However, I couldn't continue to let my physical and mental health continue to deteriorate at the rate that it was. I'm very nervous about the future, but at least now I'm sleeping better and my appetite is improving. Good luck to you and completing TPAPN!

I just submitted my notice of revocation of participation from the TPAPN program. I've only been in it for 4 months, but I don't see how it would be possible to do it for 3 years with the lack of support and help from my case manager that she was supposed to provide. I don't feel like my case manager new much about the program itself and on numerous occasions she would tell me I wasn't allowed to do something or I was required to something that ended up not being the case. I was apprehensive from the beginning when my CM told me that if I wanted an evaluation for mental illness (I've been diagnosed and treated for anxiety disorder, ADHD as well as have severe insomnia) I had to see one who also specialized in substance abuse (I tested positive for marijuana on a random UA) because that's what I was referred to TPAPN for. So I did some research, gave her names of providers that I found in the Austin area but was told that they had to be TPAPN approved. The only one she said she had was a Dr. in Dallas, which is about 4 hrs from here. I won't bore you with too many details about the experience, but it turns out that I drove to Dallas twice for nothing because I found out that the "psychiatrist" she said was TPAPN approved was actually a psychologist, which is not what I needed for my evaluation. I called my CM and informed her of this, and she didn't believe me. I had to dig up his credentials online and forward them to her before she believed me, and all she said was "huh, I'll have to look into that." No apologies for sending me there twice and wasting my gas, time, or for causing delays in getting my evaluation done, which had to be done before you can get authorization to return to work as a nurse. That was just the beginning of the many bad experiences in such a short period of time. I absolutely love being a nurse, and I'd love to continue being one, but being in TPAPN was such an awful experience that I've been considering just surrendering my license and going back to business administration. Now... I sit and wait for the letter from the BON letting me know that my license is under investigation and start working on Plan B.

Hi MochaPRN, I was wondering if you started the TPAPN program, and if so, how far along into it are you?