Soberlink

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Specializes in Mental health, Critical Care, Nurse Educator du.

Has anyone here been required to use a soberlink device? My evaluator recommend it, so IPN is requiring me to test 4 times a day. The problem is I work nights, and go back to a regular day schedule when I'm off.  They put me on a night schedule for testing, so when I'm not working and on a day schedule, I have to wake up twice to test. It's very very difficult to do and I have slept in once, making my test post as "missed", despite the fact that I just tested a bit late (10 min). IPN has told me that this is considered a failed test and if it happens again I will be required to do another evaluation and refrain from practice. I have not had a drink in almost 4 years. I'm not worried about my sobriety being questioned because there is nothing they will find. I will however loose my job if I have to refrain from practice. My life could easily fall apart very quickly. Are there requirements excessive? Can I somehow petition to be released from the Soberlink program? I still have to do my regular testing on top of the soberlink, so the whole package is financially devastating. 

If anyone works nights and has to use a soberlink device, how do you handle it?

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

Good lord, they are really pulling out everything to throw at you. 
 

Is this your only means of testing? Do you also have to do UDS? If so, seems overboard.

I’ve never heard of soberlink so I do not have any advice. Just commenting on the amount of testing you are required to do.

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Specializes in Mental health, Critical Care, Nurse Educator du.

I have soberlink 4x a day, plus random  testing at least twice a month. An occasional hair test and testing for kratom every few months. I can barely keep up paying for it all. If I think about it too much I get extremely hopeless and depressed. I'm 55, should be saving for retirement, but IPN has not allowed me to save a penny. I can't believe it'd 4 years of this. I love being a nurse, it's all I've ever done. 

Advice to anyone entering IPN....it's your last chance not to loose your license. Don't make ANY mistakes.

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