bayarea123

Hi - 2 yrs late to this. Any nurses in this post have any updates? I am a RN who had a complaint filed against them for malpractice/non diversion related. I am catastrophizing a bit but also am wondering if I should give this career up.. I read a lot on forums of nurses struggling to find jobs even after discipline.

Hi again @C Rizzle, I saw in your post you had ADHD and are taking Vyvanse. I have ADHD as well. Does that affect your ability to return/delay to work in the program? I was reading a resource document by Maximus about the class of medicines that are approved/not approved. I know Adderall was on the list of unapproved meds. Since your original post in Oct 2023, have you started to work?

Thank you all for your advice, and I agree. Taking on hobbies, fitness and even cooking right now during my unemployment era has done wonders (things I didn't really do before).

@Healer555 I agree that it's not the ideal option for mental health, but I have a formal complaint made by my employer that fired me to the BON last month. It seems after consulting with a few lawyers that it will save my career by not being put on probation and having the record of discipline on my license.

@hppygr8ful thank you for sharing your passion and seeking ways to change the system. I also hope that intervention or alternative to discipline programs expand to include those with mental health issues that also may affect their practice as a nurse. California seems to include mental health as well, but its by no means a perfect program. Everyone deserves a chance.

Hi I was wondering if your email you received from the CA-BON looks like the one I received? At first, I thought it was just a general email all licensed RNs got, but after some thought, I realized that I received the email around the same week I was having issues at work/discipline related to performance/mental health, Has anyone else received this email? If so, did you end up joining?

Thank you for your prompt response. I am going to follow up with my doctor.

Does anyone know what the initial drug intake for the intervention program involves? Will they conduct a hair follicle test at the beginning? I had never taken an opiate in my life until a couple of week when I fractured my arm while biking. I took 2 tablets of norco that my mom provided from her leftover medication from surgery earlier this year. I didn't have a prescription ? I am in the process of enrolling in the program for mental health reasons, as it is affecting my ability to practice as a nurse.

Hi @C Rizzle , I don't have an answer for your question, but I hope you found an answer too your question since it's been a while :). I'm an RN here in CA & I'm seeking to enroll in the CA Nurse Intervention program for mental health purposes as well. Would I be able to private message you? I am highly considering joining the program, but it's a big decision. Hoping to learn more. Would I be able to private message you?

@Healer555 I am sorry to hear it's going rough ? from what I've read online it does seem to take over your life. did you self-refer? How long have you been in the program? I'm curious if you've met other nurses in the recovery program, and if so, have you met these who enrolled primarily for mental illness?

@Healer555 I will, and thank you for your response. Did you go through a recovery program? I really hope that I can qualify ? . If I am accepted and start, and the BON gets a complaint, from what I understood from the website "In the event there is a complaint filed against your license (and an investigation reveals you violated the NPA), the enforcement case will NOT be referred for disciplinary action as long as you continue to participate and complete BRN's Intervention Program." I hope this is true

Hi everyone, I've been fired from my job and reported to the CA BON as of 2 weeks ago in CA. The past year my nursing judgement & practice has been impaired, & I didn't seek help. It wasn't until getting fired that I've realized I need help and desperately want to improve myself, be a safer nurse and save my career. I received an email from the CA BON regarding their their Intervention program. Does everyone who has a complaint to the BON get this email? Are there people in the nurse intervention program who's issue aren't primarily drugs/ diversion but mental illness affecting their ability to practice safely? I do drink alcohol as a form of relief a few times a week, but I don't have a formal SUD Diagnosis or anything documented about that as I've coped in silence with my struggles since late last year. I realize I do lack good coping mechanism :/. I've had a major depressive disorder and ADHD diagnosis for several years now which does affect my cognition and how I function daily. Unfortunately, I stopped taking my meds for both around September of 2022 thinking I could overcome my issues by myself. Unsurprisingly, my performance and unsafe practice issues began afterwards into 2023 & with the recent termination in 2024 - 2 weeks ago. I thought I could pull through without therapy, medication or help, and now here I am with a complaint from the board. I got fired for performance and manager said I was a a safety risk. I was also getting bullied at work around the time all my issues started last year which didn't help my depression (had to get compliance department involved at the hospital for the bullying). I see this intervention program the possible only way to save my career as a nurse without having the mark of discipline on my RN License. I just hope I am eligible. I consulted a nurse- lawyer and she believes I will probably get probation for my situation regarding unsafe practices and weak performance history such as a couple of medical errors which were very concerning but no harm, Pyxis documentation waste errors (never accused of diverting), etc. She didn't think I would be eligible for her intervention program, but I have to see and try. I have not yet received any formal letter or communication from the BON, just the nurse intervention program email. Would appreciate any comments on my matter on how to go about this process or if you think there's a chance for me to be eligible for the program. Best,

Hi everyone, has anyone been reported or complaint filed by employer to the BON for non-drug related issues? When do they reach out? I resigned from my employer due to performance issues affecting my practice but they were ready to fire me. One of them involved a med error last year but it didn't harm any patient. The second was an incident that happened in May, hence me resigning now. Would appreciate if I can private message or discuss with someone who has been through this.

Hi there, not sure if you're active on the forum, but do you mind if I message you. I got an email from the CA BON about their intervention program. Something happened at work not drug or medicine-related, but was regarding patient care. @sharklady

It's possible depending on what step you're in and the years of experience. At kaiser anything after 8 hr is 1.5x and after 12x is double time. If I had 4-5 years experience, 24hrs / week is possible and make $200k - as a per diem nurse. By 2025 my hourly per diem rate would be 124.74/ with 4 yrs exp. differentials are also multiplied with OT. Evening = 11%base and nights are 17.5% base. example doing 3pm-7am shift (16hrs) Jan 2025 step 4 = 121.7 121.7 x 8 = 973.6 182.55 x 4 = 730.2 243.4 x 3.5 = 851.9 = 2555.7 base differentials Evening 1st 8 hrs = 13.38 * 8 = 107.09 Night 1st 4 hrs = 31.94* 4 = 127.76 Night last 4hrs = 42.58*3.5 = 149.03 = 383.8 Total for 16 hr shift= 2939.58 Weekly if 2 shifts = $5879.16 Total for doing 2-16hr shifts week for a year is: $305,716 some kaisers offer a lot more overtime than others. It's very unpredictable and that's not a schedule I want to live by. I would rather have a set schedule knowing what my next month looks like than constantly being on-call and coming in when they're short staffed. It's not a great work life balance. The nursing culture at kaiser really sucks in my opinion. Yes I am greateful for the pay but really sucks working there. I would never want to be a patient at a kaiser. Stanford / UCSF are superb when it comes to inpatient care - speaking for ICU. At Stanford with 2.5 yrs exp on nights 3/12hr shifts I was making 200k with a predictable schedule, less stressful to me because we were never short staffed on my unit. At kaiser, you work very hard for that money.