Scared! Report to OIG and/or NPDB?

Nurses Recovery

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Greetings! Have reached out a lot lately. Thank God I found this site. For 2 + years I have suffered alone (except for my recovery people, but they are not nurses). If you read my topic of a few days ago I decided to voluntarily surrender a CA license as they wanted to give me 3 years of probation. CA said that in 2 years I can re-apply for licensure (with the 3 years of probation....no thanks). My CA license was expired and they still did an investigation and "accusation" and came after me one year+ after the event. I am almost finished with 24 months probational practice here in OR working successfully; doing well. My crime in OR in 2013 was 3 glasses of wine while on-call never saw a pt. nor performed pt care in OR. No conviction. 100% dismissed under a first offender program.

Another high stress hurtle the past week: . Now I am reading that many BONs will turn you into the OIG Exclusion List and the National Practiced Data Bank if you have voluntarily surrendered. Note: there is a difference between revoked and surrender. I chose to surrender. I thought they only turn you in if you are revoked or suspended, not a surrender as an alternative to suggested probation.

So scared!!! If they report me to the OIG I am SOL!!!! Can't work anywhere as a nurse or for that matter a cleaning lady in any health care facility in the US.

I read the most informative thread here on Allnurses about OIG.

Are they going to report me? I also had an active WI license at the time this horrible event happened (oh have I suffered....so many sad stories here....and hope too) which I surrendered as I just could not face the trauma of fighting. I self-checked the OIG Data Bank and I am not on it.......yet. I ordered a self-check on the NPDB for $4.95.

Will we ever be forgiven or will this hell keep torturing us forever? Our names stay on all sites until 50 years after our deaths....bas****s!

Did not get an attorney throughout all this because I was homeless when I started to work again 19 months ago. Maybe I should have. I AM NOT A CRIMINAL!!!! Sob.

When will this nightmare stop? Man, we really get a chance to work the program now don't we?

Blessings to all...paidmydues

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Specializes in ER, ICU/CCU, Open Heart OR Recovery, Etc.

If you were going to be reported, it usually happens pretty quickly. No listing on the OIG Exclusions list is a good thing. I'm going to be applying for reinstatement soon and am still working at getting my name off that list and it's past the penalty period.

I'd get an attorney if I were you. Generally, the OIG will not exclude you from participation for something like this, but I am not an attorney. Take your NPDB report to them when you get it.

Keep us posted, and *hug*

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Thank you Soror...coming from you that means a lot. I have read your well-balance threads and posts and know you have been through the crucible too. I too think this is a fear I need not have. I will consider a lawyer. From now I am just going to work as much as I can and save money like he**. I am not the only one to have held licenses in multiple states who simply surrendered those licenses as they were too traumatized to fight. Tonight I am taking a 5 minute break in the bathroom (LOL!) here at work at my med/surg job here in OR. It's a bear of a shift, but I am always grateful to have my little job where I am clipping off the months until my probation is over. How grateful that I have found you all, am healthy, vibrant and working at 61. I feel that life is really calling me toward barber college and Hawaii as a late in life reinvention........not the 1st nurse to reinvent her/him self. Hugs to you all....Paid

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Specializes in ER, ICU/CCU, Open Heart OR Recovery, Etc.

I can actually see you doing the barber thing in Hawaii :) More power to you. Reinvention is the way to go. I think a lot of us get caught up in "But this is all I know how to do" trap. It doesn't have to be that way. We can reinvent and redefine ourselves at ANY age. I just turned 52. I have no intention of getting boxed into one thing due to fear or perception of a lack of options. Good luck to you and you go girl!

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what ended up happening? on list? off?

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Im sorry to say, that I have the same problem. I surrendered my license in California, I am in the florida program. I was reported to national nurses data base, not OIG.

it took California 4 years to report me.

The only thing I can think of doing is email or call the state board of California attorney general office. They only gave me the option to come and complete 3 years of ca probation or surrender. They are one state that doesn't give credit for completing another states program.

I know of a nurse that had her licenses in California taken off surrender to probation (tolled) What happens is your license is active but you cannot practice in California until you complete your 3 year. I know you are probably thinking, *****??

I happen to be unlucky to have to deal with the 2 difficult states with license issues. Surrender is considered discipline.

Not all states have programs to protect nurses license from the NPDB.

Gabby

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can you still not get a job if you are on npdb or only oig?

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Specializes in Healthcare risk management and liability.

I report to the NPDB several times a year, almost all of them medical malpractice payments. However, there are several other issues that are required by Federal law to be reported to the NPDB. Pertinent to this discussion is The NPDB - Guidebook is the section that goes into detail on which state licensure actions need to be reported.

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Hi there, I recently got a letter that I was on the NPDB, but not on the OIG

(yet...) my license is not suspended or revoked, it's still on probation. Are you still able to work if you're on the DB? I don't know much about that. Any info is helpful! I have an attorney as well. I heard the DB is forever?? Do you ever get off it???

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I am on the data base and yes you can work , the only problem if you where lucky enough to have nothing on your license after completing you contract you would still have all of it on the Date base FOREVER!

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Thanks so much for your reply! You were on the data base only? And able to work? That's great to hear. Were you ever on OIG also? I am only on the data base (so far) I'm scared about the OIG though. Not sure how it works if you're on both or one or the other?? All of this is confusing! Thanks for the input!

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Hi Daisy, I am in the NPDB and not OIG. My state doesn't have an alternative program so it's not something that concerns me a great deal (really not at all). My information is already out there forever.

The OIG worries me more because it keeps you from working at sites that take federal funds (Medicaid, Medicare). It is a pain that requires time and effort to get off of, but people do!

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