Where do I start

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I have so many questions & hope I can get some advise on this wonderful forum. I have been lurking for some time & finally made some decisions.

I surrendered my license in 2001 (ICU RN). I wasnt ready to get clean & live sober at the time.

My 2 year birthday is January 18 & I think I am ready to get back to Nursing. I know what a tough road this will be but I feel I am stronger now than I would of been 8 years ago.

Where do I start?

Do I first write to the board? Do I start with the PEER program?

Will I be able to get re-instated or will I need to take the boards over again?

Is the PEER program very costly? SInce I surrendered, I have run a small business with my husband & we have minimal health insurance (hospitalization).

Can you work while in the PEER program so I can get insurance.

Should I have my sponsor go to the board with me?

I know, one day at a time. I just have thought about this for qwuite awhile & finally doing it.

Thanks!!!!!!

:heartbeat

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Specializes in ICU.

First of all, congrats on your recovery!! :wink2:

Since you go to aa, or na, and you have a sponsor, do you have logs that prove you have been going all this time? If so, that will be very good to show the board. Also, it would be good to have several clean urine drug tests to show them. You should also be seeing a LCDC, a chemical dependency drug counselor. Usually those visits don't cost very much, I think I paid something like $30 a visit. She can tell you how to go about getting the drug tests. Most of those LCDCs work in drug programs and they have urine drug tests there. If you can show the board all of this,, and prove that you've been in good recovery for two years, maybe they will be more sympathetic to you getting your license back.

As far as getting your license back, make sure you are doing what I typed above, and then go online to your board's website and see where you should write to reinstate your license...

Good luck!

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Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.

Congratulations, I wish I did not have the extensive experience with your BON as I have had, but today it is alright .....21yr/c/s.

Anyway TxBNE, requires you to submit formal application, call them faster than Email, You complete the application, they usually req. supporting documentation. That usually comes from your support areas. Or if you were as fortunate as I was ( well eventually anyway) Doctors, Pastors, Pharmacist, Business folks that may attest to your character.

They further may ask for clinical psycologist or counselor opinion if you are safe to practice nursing.

Then they had me do a refresher course, (PHES) in Houston is great place. and I had to do some clinical preceptor hours.

Then there is a monitoring period, that is determined with your application or petition to the board for re-instatement. They actually called me for an informal board hearing, where the terms of re-instatement could be agreed upon.... Now I seriously mean terms the BON could agree upon, as the petitioner.... I felt any terms they came up with would be fine with me :redbeathe. It was a process, I just followed directions, and continued to do what I was suppose to do.....

I only have some 14 months left on my monitoring period, and now all I have to do is quarterly random urine drug screens, of which I call a 1-800# or check in online to see if it is my day to test, get a written eval from my supv. RN, (quarterly) to the Board, along with a log from 12 step meetings, of which I am to do 2 per week at least.

The process was worth it. SallyRNRRT

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Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.

PS: when the time is right, in the process, after BON grants re-instatement conditions... and appropriate refresher courses etc..... done, I had a little problem, finding suitable sites for clinical preceptorship. In that I was at the time living in the Woodville area, and unless I commuted to Houston, sites were far and few between. If that occurs for you, I may be able to direct you.

good luck, work your program and you will be fine ...

Oh I forgot to ans. one of your questions, with "our Board" I was not ask to retest, just the refresher course etc..... thank goodness, I passed my boards in 1972!!!:chuckle

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Specializes in Behavioral Health.

Isabella,

You've received great advice here, so I will not comment on the steps you need to take in order to be reinstated (good thing, I know little about this)

I too wish to congratulate you on your recovery, though as you know you would not be at this point in sobriety if it were not for a great deal of support of the fellowship.

I want to offer you a guarantee: Providing you continue to stay sober one day at a time, continue to utilize the tools of sobriety and the support of your fellow recovering addicts/alcoholics YOU WILL make it back into this profession. You will not be penalized for the rest of your life for having been ill.

Recovery does not only happen in 'the rooms.' We extend ourselves beyond the meetings with our sobriety and new found principles and become, in many cases, standout citizens and professionals. Your making it back into nursing would be far from dramatic comparatively speaking (meant to be reassuring) ... I am thinking now about a certain sober prison warden in TX (where I am not from) who was once a prisoner in that very same penitentiary he presides over.

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I just wanted to say thanks from my heart for all the wonderful replys. It really gives me encouragement. I miss practicing as a nurse. I alwasy loved my job. Even in the not so good situations.

I plan on going to the state boards office in person, right after the holidays. I must admit I am a little nervous. I have worked hard & forgiven myself but as you all know, nurses are cut throat. But after working my program, I feel I can be a better nurse than ever. What great tools I have learned. To use in my sobriety & everyday life. Everyone needs a program!:yeah:

I live in Colorado & I am not sure how the board works here but I'll find out pretty soon.

Thanks again & Happy Holidays to all!

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

Good luck to you!

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Well I just heard from the board & I have some very real concerns. Before I can even apply to get my license reinstated, I need to be in the PEER program for a full year. I dont mind doing al this but I'm worried about the cost. After I complete the program for a year, I have to take boards over again. Its been 20 years since I took boards. How do you pay for all things required when you cant get a provisional license. How did others do it? I dont live in a big city so to find a job that is going to pay bills & pay for everything required is a big hurdle. Of course I will continue my 12 step FREE program but at this point I'm thinking of another field. Just a bit discouraged today.

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Specializes in ICU.

That is very discouraging. The only way that some people can pay for it is because they've already lost most of the things they had, of which they were still paying for. (like their car, cable tv, their house, credit cards defaulting, etc.) I barely was able to afford it, and was able to go back to work after 6 months. But I never had to take the boards again.

Good luck on whatever you decide to do, and congratulations on your sobriety. :)

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