Role Call, where is everyone at...

catsmeow1972, BSN, RN · Sep 14, 2016

State: Florida

Program Name: IPN

years sober: N/A (also read posts, this is obvious)

able to find employment: yes for a time, then discharged for flaky reasons, now back in the rat race AGAIN!!

Willing to answer PMs: certainly, anything to help others in my boat

Briefly name/list something positive I have gained from this experience: I am sorry to say that there has been nothing positive about this experience. Again, my posts make this clear.

Addendum: I apologize in advance for my crummy attitude. For those who are in recovery and/or have benefited from these programs, I commend you for your strength and ability to rise out of the ashes.

poppycat, ADN, BSN · Sep 14, 2016

State: Illinois now but was monitored by Michigan

Program: the infamous HPRP

Years sober: 27 as of 1/2/2016

Able to find employment: I was employed before my contract started & was not required to find a different job. My employer had no problem with me being in a monitoring program.

Willing to answer PM's: absolutely

I can't honestly say there was anything positive that came from the monitoring program. The people I had to deal with in Michigan were rude & obnoxious and tried as hard as they could to make the whole process unpleasant. I wasn't put into monitoring because of my alcoholism but the program is one size fits all so I was required to do all the drug testing, too, in spite of the fact that when my contract was signed I already had 19 years of sobriety. They did not care.

deltakappamu · Sep 15, 2016

STATE: Florida

PROGRAM NAME: IPN

YEARS SOBER: 2

Able to find EMPLOYMENT: In progress... wish me luck!?

Are you willing to answer PM's and discretely share job search information: Absolutely, I am an open book :) Not much job search info just yet, but anything - just give me a shout

BRIEFLY name/list something(s) positive you have gained from this experience: Accountability, getting back into attending regular 12 step meetings (I was doing this on my own for 2 years and obviously when I relapsed, I fell off of it,) and the main thing is in my nurse support group I have found others that are "like me," as far as being in recovery and in a professional position.

poppycat, ADN, BSN · Sep 16, 2016

I really wish Illinois had nurse support groups for recovery. I happen to attend an AA meeting where there is another nurse & I have a very close friend I know from nursing school (we graduated together) who is also in recovery.

restlessrecovery · Sep 17, 2016

State: indiana

Program name: isnap

Years sober: 2

Able to find employment and willing to share details or anything else that will help others: yes

Describe a positive thing you have gained from this experience: My life. I was an iv drug user and was bound to OD if i didnt get caught. I dont like the nursing board and the ridiculous process I've been through to pay the powers that be. What I did was horrible and I was very sick and I accept that but things that isnap and the board do to us are just flat out humiliation.

New question: What is the most difficult thing that you feel you have had to go through during this process: For me the agonizing wait while the law and the nursing board figure out what they are going to do with you.

Years a nurse: 16

poppycat, ADN, BSN · Sep 17, 2016

Years as a nurse: over 38

gnurse2089 · Sep 18, 2016

I'm 5 months in to a 3 year probationary term. Hopefully will be able to terminate it early after 2 years but I'm not holding my breath.

State: California

Program Name: Don't think it has one for nurses on probation. Probation I guess?

Years Sober: Almost 1 year, though, as someone who got put into this lovely program for a 1 time DUI nearly four years ago, I'll be honest, I don't plan on staying alcohol free once my probation is over. Just won't ever drive again after a drink.

Able to find employment: Was employed at a SNF when I got my DUI, still employed at the same SNF today. Worked my way up from floor nurse to admit nurse which is what I do now.

Are you willing to answer PM's and discretely share job search information: Definitely. My company is very probation friendly. Many nurses look down at SNF work but I honestly prefer it to dialysis or outpatient. The way healthcare is going, we're basically turning into an extension of medsurg units, at least in California.

Positive: This is a hard one as, I won't lie, Probation is the pits. Still doesn't sound as bad as some of the other programs out there but you're basically treated like the worst criminal known to man. If I had to name one positive thing, its that its forced me to look outside my career at other career paths. I really enjoyed writing in high school, studied it for a year in college before I decided to go a more practical route, but recently I've gotten back into it and started taking some creative writing classes at my local community college. I've found I'm still pretty good at it, and though I doubt I'll ever make a career out of it, it feels good to discover a talent outside of nursing.

Hardest thing to deal with: My monitor, hands down. I am incredibly good at my job, my boss, fellow nurses, and patient's love me and whenever I'm at work I feel like I'm the best nurse ever. Then my monitor will send me an email about a form I forgot to fax her or an i I forgot to dot and it never fails that I feel like scum all over again. I will be so glad when I never hear from her again.

RN7916 · Sep 18, 2016

Hi! This is great, thanks for setting this up!

State: Pennsylvania

Name of program: PNAP

Years sober: 6 months

Able to find employment: Ugh, the worst part! Not yet, but not trying very hard either, if I'm being honest. Have a good possibility on the horizon. Working non nursing right now to make ends meet.

Willing to answer questions: ABSOLUTELY!

A positive: OK I may not be popular for saying this, cuz the some of the hoops we hop through are ridiculous, but they keep me accountable until I can be accountable for myself. This was a relapse for me, I had some time before, so also getting plugged back into AA and rediscovering life, well it just saved my life!

Years a nurse: 12

CryssyD · Sep 29, 2016

State: Virginia

Program: HPMP--nasty people, lousy program, never got the feeling anyone really gave a crap, I can't say enough bad things about them; I hope they've changed, but I doubt it. My first case manager didn't give a rip, my next one was an ice-cold hard-*ss.

Sober time: N/A--for me, it was about so much more than that

Employment: Yes--got a job my first year--the boss had over 20 years clean, she understood the situation and believed in second chances; have since moved to a different job--all going well

Something positive: Anything positive I gained was in spite of the program rather than because of it--except for the fact that I would probably never have entered therapy without being forced to by them. My therapist was amazing.

Other stuff: I finished my 5 year contract a year ago--it feels like forever, y'all, but it does end one day. Hang in there!

CryssyD · Sep 29, 2016

Hi! This is great, thanks for setting this up!
State: Pennsylvania
Name of program: PNAP
Years sober: 6 months
Able to find employment: Ugh, the worst part! Not yet, but not trying very hard either, if I'm being honest. Have a good possibility on the horizon. Working non nursing right now to make ends meet.
Willing to answer questions: ABSOLUTELY!
A positive: OK I may not be popular for saying this, cuz the some of the hoops we hop through are ridiculous, but they keep me accountable until I can be accountable for myself. This was a relapse for me, I had some time before, so also getting plugged back into AA and rediscovering life, well it just saved my life!
Years a nurse: 12

Awesome attitude--I'm glad you're doing well! We do bad-mouth the programs a lot--they are one-size-fits-all, it's too expensive, they are too nit-picky about stupid stuff--but if it's helpful for you that's great. I think it's wonderful you're so positive about it.