eknurse1

Just wanted to check in to see if there is any new information regarding the class action law suit?

Thank you so much for the update. I am definitely going to be looking into what I can do about starting a petition. I know there are many others in my support group who feel the same way I feel. Do you have any advice on how to get some statistical information about the programs? I saw in this thread about the completion rate was 1/3 of those that entered and I would like to know how I could find out NJ's RAMP statistics. Do I just call my case manager? They seem to be very strict with me and majority of my questions do not get answered even though I send them via email (to have proof) and I ask on the phone as well. Its crazy that they don't even have anyone above them to make a formal complaint to. Since I have been in RAMP since February there has already been 2 tragic events in my group. One woman is now in a federal prison after being charged with child abuse and child Mediaography charges (she was in the program for 2 years, seeing a therapist per RAMP, attending support groups etc., and no one had any idea she had a crazy dark secret until the FBI arrested her) and another member just last week was driving drunk which resulted in a car accident killing a single 33 year old mother. He was released from the program a few weeks ago, just shy of 2 years (released early, even though this was his second time in the program). Then they have people in the program for 5 years for a DUI they had 7 years ago and a clean record since, someone who was accused at work of being on narcotics but she passed a urine test and hair test. They made her go for a nail test and she failed for valium. She paid for her own nail test because she denies ever taking anything and the nail test she had done came back negative but RAMP will not accept her results even though it was done through a RAMP approved site. She got a 5 year term in the program. These are just some of the examples of how RAMP continuously fails. They give harsh sentences to those who do not need it, let child molesters slip through the crack, and release people early from the program who needed long term treatment and end up killing someone. I could go on and on! Any advice on how to fight this would be much appreciated. I am still in the program but do not think I can continue for another 4+ years, its a daily struggle to come to terms with it. I've asked to have a meeting with the director of RAMP and it was denied. I'm at a stand still and don't know how much more I can take.

Can I please have an update on how this is going? I would like to start a petition in NJ for the RAMP program because everything you stated above is completely correct for RAMP as well. They force people to enter the program, there is no rhyme or reason to which nurses get 1 year, 2 years or 5 years in the program and they do not adhere to the recommendations of the Addiction Specialist that they send us to that we pay 450$ cash to see. Could you please give me some information about how to start a petition like this and how it is going for you? Thank you!

I am also in RAMP and completely understand here you are coming from. I struggle every day with whether or not to quit nursing due to the requirements of RAMP. I have no issues with staying clean but its the hoops they make you jump through that really bother me. I have seen people come into the support groups who I believe truly should not be there and get 5 years in the program and then others with a similar issue only get 1 or 2. I think its a big scam, there is no rhyme or reason to half of the decisions they make and when you start asking too many questions to your case manager they retaliate against you. I was told by my case manager that if I wanted to not continue being a nurse, and therefore I would no longer do RAMP that they would have to report me to the BON and that there would be a public action against my license for not completing the program, even if I voluntarily decided not to complete and inactivate my license. So if there was a public actions against my license, when I applied for another license for another career path there is a possibility that they could look up and see my public action on my nursing license. My case manger said its a 50/50 chance they would see it and that I could just explain to them that I voluntarily quit the program and it could either go in my favor or not. But definably something that has kept me in the program so just thought I would share and perhaps you could speak with your case manager about it. My experience with my case manger is that she takes forever to answer my questions and when I get her on the phone she never knows the answers and always has to ask the director or bring it to the team. Clearly I have very negative opinions of RAMP. I believe that it can indeed be a very great program for people who are struggling and need it, but they don't seem to really take things case by case and seem like power hungry people who are far removed from addiction and lack the proper education. Hopefully one day there will be enough people who take initiative to do something about it and contact NJSNA to file complaints against RAMP and they make the necessary changes that I believe are needed to the program. Hope that you find the answer and can make peace with your decision about staying a nurse or not. Just take everything one day at a time! Prayers and well wishes with you!

Thank you! Do you know if typically jobs with those degrees still make decent money? Not that money is the only thing that's important but I have a son and I'm a single mom so I still have to make sure my bills are paid lol

So I've been thinking a lot lately and am thinking of maybe switching my career path. I'm just not sure if I'm cut out to be a nurse anymore. So I'm just asking if anyone has any suggestions on other avenues I can take using my bachelor's degree but not using my nursing license. I still want to work with people and help people so If anyone has done this or has ideas o positions that would still pay a decent amount of money but just not being a nurse I'd grately appreciate it. Thanks in advance!

Thank you! Did you happen to apply for a Delaware license and get it? That is where I am applying for the second license. On the nursys website it says I failed to respond due to drug addiction. I never had to enter a program or anything but they still gave me a disciplinary action because I failed to respond in the time frame. I know that I had another arrest after that, again another disturbing the peace and the board just found out about it over a year after it happened. So i am still waiting to hear back from that. I believe they may make me go into the RAMP program....but I dont know how that works if I already have been to rehab and have been living in a sober house and have significant amount of clean time...will they suspend my license? Or do i go for evaluation and then they determine? Sorry for so many questions but I don't know too much about all of this!

Has anyone had a disciplinary action on their nursing license and then applied for a nursing license in another state? My NJ license (where I got the disciplinary action for failure to respond...due to addiction...which it also states in the report that's why I failed to respond thanks to my horrible advise from a lawyer....) My nj license is still active. Im applying for a license in a different state and am afraid that they will not give me a license due to the fact that I had a disciplinary action on my license. I have almost two years clean and the incident is from two years ago. If anyone has any experience with this or suggestions please let me know! I am supposed to start work in January and am afraid to count on this job if I wont be able to even get the license in the state that I will be working. Also, would it make a different if I go to the Board review when they go over my application? Thanks for any input!