Scared to death

Nurses Recovery

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I live in GA and went to treatment for alcohol approximately a year ago a half ago. I had my license renewal this past January and naively answered yes to the question “Have you sought treatment for drugs or alcohol within the past 5 years?” The Board required a few things shortly after which I complied with all and have heard nothing since. Out of nowhere I receive this 10 page consent letter requiring me to do a plethora of things, amongst them start peth testing. Which depending on how soon I am required to start I will FAIL!!!! I am completely FREAKING OUT right now. I am hoping someone can PLEASE HELP ME!! Does anyone have experience with this?!?! There is no getting around a blood test. I’ve never done drugs, and went to treatment because my drinking was out of control at a really bad period in my life. I had no idea the Board was going to do this to me and now I’m potentially SCREWED!!!! Please somebody give me some advise!!!

2 Votes
Specializes in Med/Surg, Women's Health, LTC.

First, take a breath. This MAY be a long road, but people do get through it.

If you can afford one, GET AN ATTORNEY! One that specializes in license defense. See if they can help with any of this.

You are not alone and many people have walked through the fires of monitoring and come out on the other side.

If you can, see about self reporting to your boards confidential program. It may not be possible now, but it is worth a try, as that usually leaves your license UNMARKED.

What's done is done, do not beat yourself up. But most of all, get the help you need to stay sober and live happily. If AA is your thing, do that, if it is church, do that, if you need a counselor, do that.

Reach out to any of us here on this forum. Many times, these folks have made it so I can get through the day without tearing my hair out! (Been sober 14 years!)

You can do this, we are behind you!

10 Votes

Easy to say, but..do your best to stay dry.

20+ days before a Peth

Read it here. Lots of details.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1556-4029.13874

However, sobriety is progressive, once i got dry, i stay dry. Slowly moving to POSItive sobriety, seeing thing half-full, etc.

12-Step works for me. I d not promote it. It is just easier for me to believe it that way. A few mantras: "I can not do it alone, one day at a time" and so on.

The public health safety requires for once spotted medical professional to stay absolutely sober. All or nothing. No other way around.

I believe that for a "normie" iit is way harder to stay dry and sober than for an AUD carrier like me.

However, again, you want to stay as a medical professional at work = sobriety is a must.

Hope and pray you are to do it well.

2 Votes

the firm what i found might be in your state as well

https://www.thehealthlawfirm.com/areas-of-practice/intervention-project-for-nurses-ipn.html

Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).

I am going to chime in with a message of support as others here have done. IF you are placed in a monitoring program you can and will get through it. Also a word of advice. If you went through treatment over a year ago and you are still drinking (As evidenced by your assertion that you won't pass a PETH test) Then you are not yet in recovery. It's not to late and relapse is a huge part of all our journey's but it may be time to reacquaint yourself with the principles of your recovery. A positive PETH test now could mean a trip back to in-patient depending on how your BON. Still stop drinking now - if you need detox or treatment seek out a medical professional immediately so you can show you are aware of the relapse and seeking treatment.

This too shall pass

Hppy

Ouch, a lesson for ANY future nurse dealing with the BON and any thought of self-disclosure(GET AN ATTORNEY BEFORE ANY BOARD OF NURSING RELATED COMMUNICATION OF ANY DISCLOSURE!!!)

And, if it seems like I am coming off hard and inconsiderate- I made the same mistake as the OP, and paid with financing another career from scratch.

And, (drum roll),... finding out that I still had to satisfy my BON before moving on with my new Professional Board without ever working another day in Nursing(and that doesn’t even take into account all the $Thousands spent to just comply with a Board I will never need again...

LAWYER UP!!!!!!!!!!!?

2 Votes

Vykingboy RN,

What????? Why in the world BON will interrupt in your new career? Especially, when you don’t have to do anything with nursing or medicine.

What was their explanation? Or let me take a guess.......?they didn’t need to explain or tell you anything!!!!

This whole monitoring thing is suppose to be a rehab. I never have in my life so worried and stressed constantly. And, it’s over smallest ingredient in anything I use as not to have an incidental exposure. It truly is a nightmare!!!!!!

I’m in midst of switching my career too. I didn’t know this was going to follow me with my next career!!!! UGH?☹️???

On 7/22/2019 at 1:46 AM, Elias1234 said:

Vykingboy RN,

What????? Why in the world BON will interrupt in your new career? Especially, when you don’t have to do anything with nursing or medicine.

What was their explanation? Or let me take a guess.......?they didn’t need to explain or tell you anything!!!!

This whole monitoring thing is suppose to be a rehab. I never have in my life so worried and stressed constantly. And, it’s over smallest ingredient in anything I use as not to have an incidental exposure. It truly is a nightmare!!!!!!

I’m in midst of switching my career too. I didn’t know this was going to follow me with my next career!!!! UGH?☹️???

I wish I could report better news?...

I even sat and passed my US Corp of Engineers Exam, and received the bonding and insurance personal number.

Upon filling out for my Official PE Licensure Number, there it was...

“Do you have now, or have you had in the past, any territorial governmental issued professional license that underwent any investigation, discipline, voluntary surrender, inactivity, or revocation? If Yes, please explain below.”

I got a great Attorney, but guess what?

Bing! Bing! Bing! You Kyle, are the next contestant on Please satisfy the MS State BON, even though you don’t plan to practice one further day as an RN, NP, or even UAP Position?!!!!!

$27,487 and 5 years later, I have my license clear and active... just to let go inactive as a Chemical Engineer in a Consulting Firm, lol!

Karma is mean, and she has a dark morbid sense of humor...

4 Votes

WOW!!!!!!! I am speechless?

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