Wait or go

It depends on wether you want probation or diversion. Either way you will not escape the BON. Diversion keeps your license clean but you will not be able to work for about a year as a nurse. You can get disability though. Probationers are able to work once their job is approved. However, you will always have a mark on your license. The BON doesn't care if it was only once or that you got help. Their job is to protect the public. The investigation process can take years so it's up to you. If you start Diversion it will be over before you know it. While it's lots of work it is doable. I actually enjoyed my support group. Best of luck.

Helen jaure said:

Hi not sure if anyone will see this, but if so did everyone wait for the investigation to be completed before entering the diversion program? I mad a huge mistake at work. I admitted it. I also just got off subnoxone less than a month ago, should I enter the program voluntarily or wait for the board hearing/investigation to be done and take drug tests on my own. As I said it was a one time mistake I took the subnoxone after because I felt like I needed something to help me, I did online therapy as well while doing that. I'm not sure it would matter to the boards but just curious what others think thank you ? I'm here in CA and I'm a lvn. 

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IMMEDIATELY get into the program.  Get into California's monitoring program and start your daily check in's and random testing NOW.  Why?  Because you are going to get 5 years of required monitoring/drug testing from the Board when this is done, and that timeframe starts from when you enter the States Monitoring Program in California.  It is not based on when the event for diverting happened or when the Board makes a decision after the investigation.  The clock (the 5 year clock) starts when the you enter the program.

People are ignorant for waiting.  They think...."my issue happened in 2023 of June, so I will let the Board investigate and do nothing different, and by December of 2024 when the Board makes a decision, I will only have about 3.5 years of monitoring to do because my event happened in June of 2023."  It doesn't work that.  If the Board makes their decision in December of 2024 for you to be in monitoring for 5 years, it starts from the day that you entered monitoring, whether that was back in June of 2023, or it will start in December of 2024 if you haven't entered monitoring yet.  

Here's is what will happen.  You are going to be in a program that requires you to do 5 years of drug monitoring/daily check in's/random drug testing.  The sooner you get into a monitoring program, the quicker the 5 years are over with.  And know, the Board doesn't allow you to "monitor yourself" LOL.  The Board will only count you being in the California Nurse Monitoring Program (whatever the official name is I don't know, but every state has one).

As for Subutex and you "slipping one time."  For starters, you were given access to Subutex for a reason.  You just don't magically awaken one day and have Subutex by your side and then you having to make the decision of whether or not you need to take one.  You were prescribed it BECAUSE you already had a problem, so don't go there.  You aren't fooling anyone.

I know that I can not work for however long they decide as a nurse or in healthcare, but are there rules against working and doing the diversion program, I mean like working at a grocery store or warehouse. 

Helen jaure said:

I know that I can not work for however long they decide as a nurse or in healthcare, but are there rules against working and doing the diversion program, I mean like working at a grocery store or warehouse. 

No there isn't.  You are absolutely not under any work restrictions UNTIL the Board says you are.  If you are being investigated by a nurse board and the evidence looks overwhelming to the point that the Board can not wait the average 12 to 18 months before the investigation and punishment is decided, they will do an quick injunction forbidding the nurse from practice until the investigation is over.  A nurse will know quickly if they get an order from the Board to stop working.  If you haven't received an order to stop working from the Board, and only a notice that you are under investigation, you can continue to work while in the Diversion Program.  The program is VOLUNTARY until.....the nurse board finishes the investigation and decides you have a problem.  It become INVOLUNTARY after that.  Either way....the 5 year clock has started once you enter the program and are being monitored/drug tested.  IF....again....IF you wait until the investigation is over and 1.5 years have gone by, and you then Enter into the diversion monitoring program, your 5 year clock does not start until that date.  You have basically just lost 1.5 years do to ignorance.