ams0822

I’ll send you a personal message.

I completely agree. That’s why I was asking why a monitoring program would even be beneficial to me. If anything I was thinking maybe them making me take like 20-30 CEUs on meds, documentation and narcotics to help perfect the area that I lacked in. It would make more sense to me to do that. I just don’t want to tell employers that I had to “submit” to a program solely based on recovery when that wasn’t the issue in the first place. That makes it nearly impossible to find a decent, well-paying job when I wasn’t even an addict! This really makes me want to go into medical law for how unjust these circumstances are for individuals who are innocent and don’t have a drug problem.

I understand but mine was related to missed documentation, not a drug problem or alcohol problem. I am probably one of the cleanest and healthiest people that you would meet. I don’t even have a glass of wine but maybe once/twice a month at the most. My issue is that TnPap does nothing to help people that DO NOT have a problem. The only thing I did wrong was miss documentation on medication in a trauma/critical care setting which can happen in situations that are very hectic from trying to keep someone alive. I would completely agree with you that having 6months or 3-5years is acceptable, but only if I would have failed a drug test or if they had some kind of proof to show that I had an issue with substance abuse. But there is no proof. And I feel like explaining to my new job that I am having to participate in TnPap will make me look like an addict and possibly lose my new job. Or possibly give them reasons to find a way to replace me. I honestly am leaning toward not doing the monitor program and then if the BON contacts me, I hire a lawyer and provide all paperwork. Right now, I’ve already come close to $1,000 out of pocket just for the evaluation period in which I wasn’t allowed to work. I am now at a much hire paying job and will be able to save more money to put back in case a lawyer is needed later on. Then if they insist I do TnPap then vs. probation on my license, I will have finances in line to be able to afford to do that or pay any lawyer to help fight it. Because it seems like with all the research I have done, that I have at least six months possibly before the BON contacts me. Then I will have my foot in the door at my new job and they will likely be able to work with me on whatever the circumstance plays out to be. I just don’t feel like TnPap is trying to treat me like I am an innocent person and digging into my pocket. I may be wrong with this, but I just don’t see how being monitored and risking losing my new job right off the bat would be beneficial. And without any proof, the BON can not suspend my license. Maybe probation or refer to TnPap again at the most. But that’s just what I’ve been able to research. I could possibly be very wrong. What do you think about my point of view?

Yes you are exactly right and I wish I would have known that at the time because then I would have peed at work and then put my notice in. Maybe the 6 month monitoring is a light punishment because I was negative. I have long hair down my mid-back, and a hair follicle test shows up to a minimum of 3months of substances. In some cases they will test a whole strand of suspected, which for me would be at least a years worth of any type of abuse. I think I will try to find another attorney if I don’t receive a call-back today to see what advice they have to offer. I appreciate your input!

I reached back out to my attorney in Nashville to see if he will give me some more free advice. I don’t believe I would need to drop money on a lawyer right now unless the BON gets involved. But TnPap said that if I don’t do the monitoring agreement that they will close my file and it goes to the BON. Even though there is no proof of me “diverting” or “abusing” medications. I simply had pulled more meds than my peers and wasted incorrectly in the Pyxis. In which I did find out from my coworkers that most of them were giving multiple doses from a single vial. I was only giving one dose per vial because each vial is SINGLE USE. So I got red-flagged for it because I pulled more than my peers. Even if I did the monitoring agreement, it still doesn’t guarantee that the BON WONT contact me later. They just “usually” go with what TnPap has put on file (this was straight from my evaluators mouth). But I feel like even if I got investigated by the BON, they will see that I completed the evaluation process, all documentation was shown to be negative for drugs, my physician evaluator describes me not having a drug problem, so would they really try to pursue this with no evidence?

I ended up not taking the drug test at work because of the lack of respect I kept receiving, the mocking, and the lack of confidentiality they were giving me so I ended up walking out after agreeing to do the urine test. I did my urine test and a hair follicle test through TnPap in which both were negative. I have consulted a lawyer in Nashville which I spoke with before and he said for me to go ahead and do the evaluation process, so I did. I’ve tried reaching out to him again because even though all my tests were negative, TnPap wants me to agree to a monitoring agreement for 6 months. During this monitoring period I can work, I will be drug tested randomly, have meetings, and required to have to tell my new employer. I don’t see why doing this would be necessary when I didn’t do anything wrong besides messing up my documentation.

I am so glad I came across this post. I am starting a home health job in 4weeks and was doing some research on how to prepare. I am glad you brought up the point system because that was a question I had on how it worked. Thank you for sharing this!

I just landed a job in Home Health and was wondering what tips anyone could give me. I’m starting in 4weeks (August 2019) so I’d like to prepare myself the best I can. My experience is in critical care so this is a big change for me. 1) I get paid for mileage, no company car. What does everyone use to track their miles? Apps/manual logging.. 2) what supplies should I bring besides a pen, stethoscope and BP cuff? What have you found useful? 3) I am on call for one week every 4 weeks and get on call pay, +per visit, +mileage. Is this pretty normal? 4) what are productivity points? They want us to meet a 30point productivity every week. Anything over that, we are compensated for. 5) what have you found to be the most effective way to chart? Please let let me know of anything else you can think of that may be helpful!

I worked in critical care and was hoping someone had some information to help me because I was told I would be turned into TnPap. They said that I had pulled more meds during one month than other nurses in my unit, and I wasted incorrectly on a narcotic because I typed a 3 instead of 2mg in the Pyxis machine. I never gave anything outside of a doctors order, I was simply flagged due to giving more than my peers in one month and typing in an incorrect waste number. I was completely baffled at the way my situation was handled because my clinical manager walked me out in front of my friends/coworkers an hour after coming into work to take on two VERY CRITICAL patients. After some discussion, I agreed to a urine test and asked for some water. Then my clinical manager said I would have to be written up and take off two weeks of work. I asked to pull up patient charts and wanted to know what my rights were, they didn’t want to go over either with me. During our discussion on the matter, the interventions coordinator laughed at me when I said I had three degrees and would not risk that by taking lethal medications that could kill me. At this point they completely disregarded my confidentiality (again) and opened the door to the room for our MRT (rapid response) team to come in and get their keys/backpacks. I was so embarrassed at this point that they could treat me this way as a person, let alone as a nurse, that I walked out. Some Backstory: My situation is simple in the fact that I do not have to work because my husband makes enough money; I work because I love what I do. Critical care was a stepping stone in my career and I was waiting for my boss to come back from vacation to turn in my resignation out of respect. When this situation occurred, my boss was on vacation. Upon walking out, I explained that I was not going to be treated this way by being mocked and that I was so embarrassed on the way things were being handled. I also said that I felt like it was extremely disrespectful due to the lack of confidentiality. I explained to my clinical manager that I was putting my notice in anyway but I was waiting for my director to get back from vacation out of respect for doing so because I had better offers on the table. After this, they said they were turning me into TnPap. I consulted a lawyer who suggested I go through the evaluation process to go ahead and get it underway and to have paperwork documented to prove I am not using drugs. So, I self-reported to TnPap at this time and explained my situation. During my TnPap evaluation, I did a urine test ($70), saw an independent evaluator for one hour ($500), then spent $290 for a hair follicle test which was a 14panel. All tests came back NEGATIVE. My evaluator said he did not see anything that would signify me as abusing narcotics in which the drug screens verify that. Now, TnPap wants me to agree to a “Monitoring Program” for 6 months. I am not sure if I want to accept this since I don’t have an abuse problem, it was documentation errors. I was wondering if anyone else had some helpful information to inform me on the right decision. My issue lies with the facts that TnPap does not guarantee that the BON won’t get involved regardless of doing what they say. I have all documentation showing that I don’t have a drug use problem, so I don’t understand why I would need to be monitored? I asked TnPap why I would need to be monitored when I don’t have a drug use problem, and their response was “for extra assurance”. Can anyone give me some better input as to why it would be beneficial? I feel like this program is not beneficial to individuals like me who have not done anything wrong besides misdocumentation.

I am glad I came across this thread. This situation is similar to mine except in critical care. They said that I had pulled more meds during one month than other nurses in my unit, and I wasted incorrectly on a narcotic because I typed a 3 instead of 2mg in the Pyxis machine. I never gave anything outside of a doctors order, I was simply flagged due to giving more than my peers in one month and typing in an incorrect waste number. I was completely baffled at the way my situation was handled because my clinical manager walked me out in front of my friends/coworkers an hour after coming into work to take on two VERY CRITICAL patients. After some discussion, I agreed to a urine test and asked for some water. Then my clinical manager said I would have to be written up and take off two weeks of work. I asked to pull up patient charts and wanted to know what my rights were, they didn’t want to go over either with me. During our discussion on the matter, the interventions coordinator laughed at me when I said I had three degrees and would not risk that by taking lethal medications that could kill me. At this point they completely disregarded my confidentiality (again) and opened the door to the room for our MRT (rapid response) team to come in and get their keys/backpacks. I was so embarrassed at this point that they could treat me this way as a person, let alone as a nurse, that I walked out. Some Backstory: My situation is simple in the fact that I do not have to work because my husband makes enough money; I work because I love what I do. Critical care was a stepping stone in my career and I was waiting for my boss to come back from vacation to turn in my resignation out of respect. When this situation occurred, my boss was on vacation. Upon walking out, I explained that I was not going to be treated this way by being mocked and that I was so embarrassed on the way things were being handled. I also said that I felt like it was extremely disrespectful due to the lack of confidentiality. I explained to my clinical manager that I was putting my notice in anyway but I was waiting for my director to get back from vacation out of respect for doing so because I had better offers on the table. After this, they said they were turning me into TnPap. I consulted a lawyer who suggested I go through the evaluation process to go ahead and get it underway and to have paperwork documented to prove I am not using drugs. During my TnPap evaluation, I did a urine test ($70), saw an independent evaluator for one hour ($500), then spent $290 for a hair follicle test which was a 14panel. All tests came back NEGATIVE. My evaluator said he did not see anything that would signify me as abusing narcotics in which the drug screens verify that. Now, TnPap wants me to agree to a “Monitoring Program” for 6 months. I am not sure if I want to accept this since I don’t have an abuse problem, it was documentation errors. I was wondering if anyone else had some helpful information to inform me on the right decision. My issue lies with the facts that TnPap does not guarantee that the BON won’t get involved regardless of doing what they say. I have all documentation showing that I don’t have a drug use problem, so I don’t understand why I would need to be monitored? I asked TnPap why I would need to be monitored when I don’t have a drug use problem, and their response was “for extra assurance”. Can anyone give me some better input as to why it would be beneficial? I feel like this program is not beneficial to individuals like me who have not done anything wrong besides misdocumentation.

Hey there! I just finished my first semester at the Jackson campus. My only advice to you is to get as many prereqs out of the way as possible like: Micro, developmental psych, and statistics. My semester wasn't as crazy as the others in my program because I didn't have to take as many courses. They just said it was rough having all of those together with Patho. Hope is helps!

Hey guys! I start the accelerated BSN fall 2015 at the Jackson Campus too! I wanted to see if anyone recommended a certain company to go through for private loans? I'm having a hard time pulling enough for the full amount. Does anyone else have this problem?? Or do you pull out a smaller amount for each semester? I haven't pulled private loans before, so I'm not sure about the process. I have so many questions about the program! I am very excited to start this path and meet everyone 😊