So much for "step down year" in TPAPN!

SpankedInPittsburgh, DNP, RN · Jan 3, 2018

Oh god!!! We don't have a step down year here but if we did I wouldn't trust it

catsmeow1972, BSN, RN · Jan 3, 2018

Mine says "you may be eligible for transitional monitoring in year 4 and 5 if blah blah blah." It's sounds great. Oh gee, less restrictions, less p tests......right? Nope. All it does is let you work OT (woopee. I don't work.) you can float (see previous comment, plus when I did work it was in an area where you didn't float, and other things like that. Essentially it means nothing. Anything that would involve a lesser expenditure of money.....yeah...nope. Still gotta pay to pee, still gotta sit in groups that make you want to scream.

Were i still working, I would still have to be crawling into my managers office for that report card and she'd have to notify the nazi monitor what OT I worked. All of that is pretty much why I don't work.

So step down/transitional or whatever you want to call it, it's all semantics and it's all cow poo.....like most of these programs.

Sorry....it's cold and I'm in a rotten mood.

Big Blondie, ASN, BSN, MSN, APRN · Jan 3, 2018

My CM said step down year I will be tested 18 times. My first month I was tested 3 times, second month twice. So we will see how this pans out.

rn1965, ADN · Jan 3, 2018

So, I was all happy when I received a final year step down email stating there would be less selections. Things have been super tight with money this past year and I was excited not to be spending 150-200 per month testing..
Since receiving the email December 19, I have been selected 3 times now. That makes 5 selections in less than a month. These dates are closer together than any other selections throughout my monitoring. I was selected Dec 4, 11, 21, 29, and now today the 3. What the HECK? Were they just trying to psych me out?
What would you guys do in this situation? Should I email my case manager politely and ask about it? I feel like she will just tell me "oh it's random" and then I will be on her radar!
UGHHHHHH

They probably figure with the holidays, some people may "slip" and they can then catch them, extend time in monitor land, make more money, etc.

I hope it is not all about that, but, after reading so many posts, I fear it may be!

Recovering_RN · Jan 4, 2018

I fully expected to get tested around the holidays, trying to catch me out for slipping up (which I haven't done) but no, I haven't been tested since December, and only once in December!

I'm also in my final (third) year at TPAPN. I never received a "step down" email, but then maybe it's because I jumped the gun and emailed my case manager right away when I hit two years and asked about changes for the third year. He replied, but never mentioned less testing. I've never been told of a specific number of times that I'll be tested per year. So far my third year does seem to be a little less. For the first two years I was pretty regular at twice a month, but for this past September & December it was only once, so maybe my third yr will be less after all.

Counting from my start date:

Year 1: 22

Year 2: 28

Year 3 (4.5 months so far): 6

Have you done anything that TPAPN would know about, that might cause them to question your stress levels? Moved, new job, wedding/divorce, anything at all? I never admit to anything like that on my monthly self report because I know they'll increase testing!

catsmeow1972, BSN, RN · Jan 4, 2018

Where that self-report thing goes I don't admit to squat. Where thier Questions are concerned, my life is just dandy. No stress, no financial problems, I eat just fine (yes that is a question), no medical treatments (unless it's required an Rx to be sent in) no nothing, the way I feel, thier job is is to monitor nursing related stuff. The rest of it is not relavent or frankly not thier business. I do precisely what the contract states and no more.

StillRN · Jan 4, 2018

It's interesting how different each state is. We start out with 48 per year (plus a hair test for those under board order) after a year you can petition to drop to 36, then after 2 years you can petition to drop to 28 plus a hair test and the last years u can petition to do 14 plus a hair. But you have to weigh what is most important because they will only drop so much at a time. If you request access to controlled substances and they grant it.. they won't drop your testing. We have to petition for drops in screens, stop AODA, decr/stop AA/NA, drop direct supervision, and anything else that is in our contract. Plus your counselor has to write in and tell why they support it. If you have any missed calls or late tests (we only get 5 hours to test after checking in) then they won't drop anything. If those under board order can't find a job and work at least 600 hrs/year.. their time doesn't start til they are able to do that (yet they still have to do everything else in the mean time). I'm going in to my 3rd year next month and still at 48 screens/year!!!

rn1965, ADN · Jan 4, 2018

I'm going in to my 3rd year next month and still at 48 screens/year!!!

Wow, that seems a bit excessive. What state are you in, may I ask? That is a whole lot of money escaping your pockets!

SpankedInPittsburgh, DNP, RN · Jan 4, 2018

You can petition to drop 12 step meetings??? Are you in Pennsylvania???

Ash2213 · Jan 4, 2018

In TX, the step down email states you do not have to submit your meetings anymore and that there will be less UDS. 48 a year is WAY excessive, even in the first year. These programs are such scams. I wonder how similar the Physician's program is. I bet physicians are more likely to hire attorneys and that the programs are not cookie cutter. I have nothing to base that on other than my own opinion!

catsmeow1972, BSN, RN · Jan 4, 2018

I know in Florida, the physicians program is run by physicians and is nonprofit, so my guess is that it is better designed and not as cookie cutter. The nurse program however, is registered as a for profit program (this is verifiable in state records) and is run by a mix of nurses and social workers and is VERY cookie cutter.

I'll give you one guess as to what the answer will be to any petition to lessen any requirement will be, especially if it involves less money out of your pockets.