Requirements of TPAPN?

[LilRedRN1973]

I hope I got that right...I'm trying to find out exactly what Texas requires for their impaired nurses. Currently, I'm a couple of months into the Alternative Program in Nevada. I've been to rehab, am attending AA meetings daily, going to IOP, seeing a counselor, attending a nurse support group weekly, and random drug testing. Nevada's program is one of the more strict ones in existence and I will be on the monitoring program for 5 years. We are thinking of moving to Texas (I grew up in a town called Humble, NE of Houston) and wanted to know how it works with their program. If anyone has any details, I would greatly appreciate it!!

60 days!!! Woohoo!!!

[Veteran Nurse]

Congrats on 60 days! Here is the link for TPAPN. If it does not work, go to texasnurses.ogr, and there is a link from there. Stay sober, no matter what.

http://www.texasnurses.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=107

[longhornfan1]

Been in this "peer ASSISTANCE" program a while now. Contract is for 2 years, providing you do what your told, when your told, exactly how your told. And even then, nothing is guaranteed. I had done 20 months. Bent over backwards, admitted I was an addict, their definition of one anyway, IOP, 4 meetings a week, work restrictions, ridiculed by coworkers, cried daily, EEOC complaint/discrimination. New job, got the Narc keys back, underpaid/overworked by new employer because "TPAPN friendly" employers are extremely rare. Finally got tired of the employer's compliance to restrictions based on staffing needs and quit. They told TPAPN I was emotional, so was sent to Psychiatrist for eval, therapist for treatment, of what I didn't care, whatever it took to keep my license. 4 more months. Then WHAM, positive UDS for Morphine!. MRO said poppyseed muffins, MD, Psych, Therapist, sponsor, IOP counselor all said "No Relapse" let her finish, but TPAPN, the almighty said, Nope, 2 more years.

Can you tell I'm bitter?? I am their puppet for 19 more months!

Bend over, and you will be fine, ask questions or let them know your name, then it's a bumpy road. !! Just my opinion!!

Things need to change.

:banghead::argue::argue::bow:

[LilRedRN1973]

Well, at least it's not as long as NV. I am required to do IOP four times per week at $30 a pop, nurse support group once a week at $25 a meeting, daily AA/NA meetings, 20 hours of individual counseling at $90 a session, 80 hours of didatic in addition to the 80 hours of process. I also call in daily for random drug testing, which runs $100/month. I also have to do aftercare once a week at $35 a session, once a week indefinitely. After 6 months of all the above, I have to apply to the Disability Advisory Committee and plead for my license back. If granted, I have to work full time, only days, no controlled substance administration, be directly supervised by a nurse, etc. From the time I actually get hired, it's 5 years of monitoring. After that time, I will finally be given a regular, unrestricted license. Texas seems a tiny bit more lenient than Nevada! Rehab (which was also mandated by the Board) cost almost $30,000 for a total of 17 days and after about 6 months of doing what's required of me, that will be $4500. Since I'm unable to work, I don't know where we are going to find that money but if I don't do all these things, it's a violation of the court document I signed. All the therapy isn't too bad but getting together all the damn reports that have to be submitted at the end of each month is a pain in the ass. Thanks for the information and good luck with the remainder of your time with them!