Questions! Help please!

crazin01 · Jun 3, 2021

Wow, such a mess. I'm sorry, I can't offer much input about the drug court thing. But as far as a job, in nursing, addiction & SA nursing are usually friendly towards those with restrictions upon their license. AND a bonus, it helps you keep your sobriety, to see others in the same boat, and knowing how quickly you could be back there. (at least it made sense to me). Also, dialysis is also friendly to nurse license issues.

Also, as far as the board, they are PAINFULLY slow, so I wouldn't be sure they won't request a hearing or appearance. It took me almost 3 months for them to reinstate mine after I submitted all paperwork the day after I was able to apply for reinstatement.

Oneday82 · Jun 4, 2021

1 hour ago, crazin01 said:

Wow, such a mess. I'm sorry, I can't offer much input about the drug court thing. But as far as a job, in nursing, addiction & SA nursing are usually friendly towards those with restrictions upon their license. AND a bonus, it helps you keep your sobriety, to see others in the same boat, and knowing how quickly you could be back there. (at least it made sense to me). Also, dialysis is also friendly to nurse license issues.

Also, as far as the board, they are PAINFULLY slow, so I wouldn't be sure they won't request a hearing or appearance. It took me almost 3 months for them to reinstate mine after I submitted all paperwork the day after I was able to apply for reinstatement.

Thanks for responding! I don’t have any stipulations right now. I have been trying psych and addiction places, but there isn’t a lot to choose from where I am. I don’t have any stipulations right now because I’m not in monitoring..yet anyways. I’m just not sure if I need to self refer. I was going to but then the board just renewed my license as active. I don’t if they ever renew and then later call you in for an appearance. I feel stuck and not sure what I should be doing.

LMRN2003, MSN, RN · Jun 5, 2021

It sounds like you reported your stuff when you renewed your license, correct? If so, just hang tight. Like @Oneday82 said, the Board lags tremendously and may be taking awhile to review your stuff. I wouldn't say anything further, as long as you've already reported. Where are you located? I was arrested in CA, no charges were filed/pursued, but the arrest was sent to the Board and they almost immediately sent me a letter asking if I wanted to enter the Diversion program. CA BRN is very intense, though, compared to other states, unfortunately.

Oneday82 · Jun 5, 2021

17 hours ago, LMRN2003 said:

It sounds like you reported your stuff when you renewed your license, correct? If so, just hang tight. Like @Oneday82 said, the Board lags tremendously and may be taking awhile to review your stuff. I wouldn't say anything further, as long as you've already reported. Where are you located? I was arrested in CA, no charges were filed/pursued, but the arrest was sent to the Board and they almost immediately sent me a letter asking if I wanted to enter the Diversion program. CA BRN is very intense, though, compared to other states, unfortunately.

Yes I reported the charges and drug court when I renewed after my license had been expired for the year. I’m thinking maybe I should just self refer to ISNAP/IPRP just in case anyways. I’m in Indiana.

Knurse1967, RN · Jun 6, 2021

I’m sorry you are going through this. I had felony charges for diversion and did one year of drug court. My drug court program would not allow me to work as a nurse. I worked at various non nursing jobs until I graduated from drug court. I’m also in the monitoring program. My charges were reduced to a misdemeanor after I completed drug court. Good luck.

NervousinKS · Jun 18, 2021

After drug court we’re you able to find nursing employment?

Knurse1967, RN · Jun 18, 2021

Yes I found employment as a nurse in a doctors office. I had narcotic restrictions which turned a lot of employers off. Don’t get discouraged. Drug court was tough; you can do this!! Good luck!

shirene, RN · Jun 20, 2021

hello! I’ll share my experience may be helpful— I had a felony charge for fraudulent prescription. My activity also was during a 2 year lapse in practice and my license was expired. My lawyer had me evaluated for drug court but ultimately the decision was that I was not high risk enough for this and went down the treatment track instead to a goal of diversion of felony and charges would be dropped. While in IOP my counselor told me to notify monitoring program. My license was expired when I got in trouble and when I called my monitoring program she also told me it needed to be active to participate. I renewed without difficulties but had been told by my monitoring case manager there would be an investigation coming. She highly encouraged me to enter into the monitoring program asap as that would reflect in a positive light to the board when investigation began. I immediately self referred, started monitoring the first of the next month from my intake. My investigation was completed within a few months of my entering into monitoring. The stipulation was to remain active in my monitoring program, follow all of their orders and the board would be satisfied to allow me to practice. My license is active but has an order attached. I must complete a total of five years. While waiting for my monitoring contract to become active I had little to no luck applying for jobs, my theory is that they could see my charges but no monitoring in place to show that I was working with the board or to improve myself. Doesn’t look to a potential employer that there is forward motion when all they can see is the charges and court business. They want to see the board involvement and that you are being monitored *if* they’re even open to hiring someone with a past.

Oneday82 · Jun 21, 2021

18 hours ago, HenryJacksonMaley said:

hello! I’ll share my experience may be helpful— I had a felony charge for fraudulent prescription. My activity also was during a 2 year lapse in practice and my license was expired. My lawyer had me evaluated for drug court but ultimately the decision was that I was not high risk enough for this and went down the treatment track instead to a goal of diversion of felony and charges would be dropped. While in IOP my counselor told me to notify monitoring program. My license was expired when I got in trouble and when I called my monitoring program she also told me it needed to be active to participate. I renewed without difficulties but had been told by my monitoring case manager there would be an investigation coming. She highly encouraged me to enter into the monitoring program asap as that would reflect in a positive light to the board when investigation began. I immediately self referred, started monitoring the first of the next month from my intake. My investigation was completed within a few months of my entering into monitoring. The stipulation was to remain active in my monitoring program, follow all of their orders and the board would be satisfied to allow me to practice. My license is active but has an order attached. I must complete a total of five years. While waiting for my monitoring contract to become active I had little to no luck applying for jobs, my theory is that they could see my charges but no monitoring in place to show that I was working with the board or to improve myself. Doesn’t look to a potential employer that there is forward motion when all they can see is the charges and court business. They want to see the board involvement and that you are being monitored *if* they’re even open to hiring someone with a past.

Thank you so much! That made me feel a lot better. I did go ahead and self refer. I have an intake appt today. My license was renewed active with my positive responses last October. I haven’t heard anything from the board yet, but someone I talked to at the monitoring program said they are behind. I was thinking the same that it’s prob better to go ahead and get started for when they do get around to me if that’s the case. Plus I did look a little for nursing jobs and haven’t had any luck while being in drug court. Honestly my drug court program is probably more extensive than the monitoring program, since I get tested 1-3 xs a week at random, but I think an employer would feel more comfortable if they have the monitoring program to speak with, and they know for sure that I’ve made the board aware of my issues. I hope once I get my agreement I’ll be able to find a nursing job. I was starting to think I may have to wait to finish drug court which probably won’t be until at least December, but it would be great if I could find something once I start monitoring. What type of nursing did you find a job in? And you did start working while your charges still showed pending?

shirene, RN · Jun 21, 2021

50 minutes ago, Oneday82 said:

Thank you so much! That made me feel a lot better. I did go ahead and self refer. I have an intake appt today. My license was renewed active with my positive responses last October. I haven’t heard anything from the board yet, but someone I talked to at the monitoring program said they are behind. I was thinking the same that it’s prob better to go ahead and get started for when they do get around to me if that’s the case. Plus I did look a little for nursing jobs and haven’t had any luck while being in drug court. Honestly my drug court program is probably more extensive than the monitoring program, since I get tested 1-3 xs a week at random, but I think an employer would feel more comfortable if they have the monitoring program to speak with, and they know for sure that I’ve made the board aware of my issues. I hope once I get my agreement I’ll be able to find a nursing job. I was starting to think I may have to wait to finish drug court which probably won’t be until at least December, but it would be great if I could find something once I start monitoring. What type of nursing did you find a job in? And you did start working while your charges still showed pending?

Hi-

I am working in oncology infusion now about two years. That is my specialty and where the bulk of my experience lies. My charges were pending when I was hired but my investigation and stipulations were completed and attached to my license before I was hired anywhere. In my stipulation agreement it shows all the evidence and within the evidence they highlighted that I was in a felony diversion program and that my charges would be dropped upon completion. Hired on about four months before the charge was dropped. First twelve months I had narcotic restrictions. The drug court program is for sure more aggressive than monitoring— for a period of time I was donating urine to three programs: treatment / probation / board. It’s hard but it does get easier as you get further in. My job was a result of my monitoring program posting employment opportunities periodically in their general email to all participants. I also picked my case managers brain for “program friendly” employers and she gave me some leads. Once you get into your monitoring the peer support group should also have some leads as most everyone in my group was employed and they’ll be a good resource for you. It takes time and there’s lots of unknowns but there is hope just be prepared to be handled differently at first and there will be some hard NO’s. Don’t give up- you can salvage your career. Just keep doing the next right thing!