Telling your employer the BON places you on probation

Nurses Recovery

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I agreed to resign after an investigation into my charting showed a number of narcotic related concerns. I would pull early to save time and sometimes admin without scanning, then back time. A couple times I gave without scanning with the intent to go back and I forgot. It looks like I just pulled from the Omni and never did anything with the meds. Fast forward to today I had gotten an attorney and secured another bedside position. Currently the BON is “investigating”. My lawyer says can take 6 months or more. When the decision is made she believes the best I can hope for is probation. In Massachusetts it’s 1 year. She hopes I will have proven myself a valuable and safe employee by then and my current employer will keep me.

Has anyone had to go to their nurse manager and tell them your license in on probation? And been able to keep their job?

I believe in second chances but I can’t think of any reason a nurse manager would be willing or able, by her bosses anyhow to keep a nurse with probation.

Try applying to somewhere you would prefer to work, also from what I’ve read if you have a position that’s non pt care like case management or no narcs like dialysis management is more likely to keep you if your on probation. Just keep your job now and apply if you get an offer then put in your 2 weeks. What type of nursing are you doing now if you don’t mind me asking?

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Specializes in Hematology Oncology.

I was bedside doing chemo in a major teaching and now I’m bedside again in medicine at a community hospital, the staffing and practices are horrible. The goal was to establish myself and get a glowing 6 month or annual review but I don’t think I can make it 6 months. It’s so bad I’m thinking of quitting the bedside all together.

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Well if you have the chance to work somewhere you would prefer to be, I’d say apply asap because if you can get and keep your job once you have to notify management you are probation and they are willing to continue to allow to work you’ll be happier and not have to try to find employment with that mark on your license

I wish you the best.

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Specializes in Critical Care.
On 2/29/2020 at 2:03 PM, C25D said:

My attorney advised me get a hair follicle test immediately (negative) but no they did Not ask me to submit. Currently I have only responded to the complaint. I imagine now the board is investigating the EMR. I have not heard but my attorney feels like the best I can hope for is probation. I am also checking in daily for random urine screens.

I wish this had been put on the general nursing area as a warning to all the nurses out there, especially new grads. Narcotics are serious business. Both nurses and doctors are under scrutiny re to narcotics.

When you give a narcotic, you must scan it in the MAR as soon after you take it from the PIXIS. Make sure you always get a witness for the waste before you give it! Make sure to document your patients response in a timely matter.

I'm glad your hair follicle test was negative, implies you weren't diverting for yourself. But that doesn't mean you won't be reprimanded. You could have been selling them for all they know! I don't think you were, but you did this to yourself by lax treatment and documentation of narcotics.

So I think your situation would best be used as a warning to the other nurses out there not to cut corners. Because you don't want to end up in the BON cross hairs. You could find yourself in an expensive diversion treatment program for up to 5 years and they may even stop you from working as a nurse until they feel you have proved yourself and then will be placed with restrictions on your license making it even harder to find a job.

Just don't do it! Don't take any chances. Don't take any unprescribed narcotics or controlled scripts ever. You could be randomly drug screened at any time if there was a suspicion or a PIXIS came up short. You could be an innocent bystander but if you have taken something unprescribed you will be found guilty. Also some places do hair testing which can show for months. The stakes are too high to take this lightly!

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Peace Love & Light!

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Hope things work out for you.

But I am curious, and not to judge/be mean, but how did you have such a serious lapse in judgement? Not sure of your experience, but how did you imagine that what you were doing was OK at any point?

Again pure curiosity and to start the conversation; if you’re open to describing your mindset at the time.

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I'm curious about any updates??

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