Tired of being scared!

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Jan 22, 2012

Your rights are loosely defined by hospital policy. Your manager will manipulate it to either protect you or get rid of you

Can you share what it is that made someone think you were impaired? Were you required to take a alcohol/drug test?

Does your facility allow you to file a grievance? That is the forum to face your accusers. Do you feel you are the victim of lateral violence?

If your facility is not going to allow you to prove your innocence.. it's time to lawyer up!

caliotter3 · Jan 22, 2012

Hope you are not using your real name as your screen name. You really need the services of an attorney. Recommend the referral service of TAANA: www.taana.org

PaulaSchaefer · Jan 23, 2012

I am an RN being falsely accused of being impaired on the job. What are my rights and how do I prove my inosence? What can I do about my false accusers?[/quote']I do not know what behavior anyone saw that made them believe I was impaired, and when I asked, all my manager said was your coworkers are concerned about you, and I asked several times why, and never got an answer. Well I got were concerned about your patient care, I asked, such as... with no answer! I have a knot the size of Texas in my stomach, and this cant happen this is insane!

princess papooli · Jan 24, 2012

Same thing happen to me.

I have a medical condition for which I took pain relief without incident off & on for a number of years, as needed, at home, after work, & stayed at home once I took my med (just because I know that is the right thing to do, not that the med made me loopy or unsafe). The following day I was in terrible pain from a developing (new) medical incident. I was reported as impaired, had to do a UA which revealed the previous night's med. A ER doctor evaluated my new condition & could not believe that I remained at work for an 8 hour shift considering the shape I was in, but my UA was positive and "that was all she wrote." No one would even consider that the reason for my guarded movement was due to the new DX.

Was told to report to BRN within 48 hours or they would do it for me (which would make things worse for me). Discussion with the BON was hostile, midevil, and traumatic. I felt as if I was gutted with a dull knife. They gave me the option of diversion or meet with the state district attorney for more severe sanctions against me & my license.

Spoke to an attorney who told me that since I was not an addict (never had the obsession for the drug or the compulsion to use), that the not using would be the easy part, meaning that I would not have concerns of testing positive regarding the state mandated UA',. but everything else would be absolute hell, which it has been. Loss of the dream job, lost everything, BON losing my paperwork which I send in on time; I swear that they must attend a private seminar to find new ways and anything under the sun to make your life a nightmare. I wish I had more than 48 hours to explore EVERY OPTION available to me before I self-referred to something such as this torture. Not only is the loss of income and job, but what it does to your sense of esteem and confidence.

RUN, don't walk to an attorney. The link above is good=TAANA. Don't let anyone harm you.

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Jan 24, 2012

Your manager is REQUIRED to give you a full answer.What type/ size is this facility?

Again... can you file a grievance. This would be preferable over the expense of an attorney.

I DO smell lateral violence, consider this as a reason for the accusations.

Queakous · Jan 30, 2012

Was accused of this last year needlessly and a month later accused of diversion and fired even though every drug test,etc. I had was negative. Now am in investigation and after several post job random DT negative am STILL at the mercy of my state and ridiculous accusation. GET A LAWYER! I did and was best thing i did. EVEREYONE should have RN Insurabce. I will beat this because I am innocent but I cannot begin to tell you the damage the false accusation has had.