Will NE Board put me on probation if I'm recently enrolled in Affinity Monitoring Program in another state?

Published

Specializes in PACU/ED.

Hi All,

So I failed a pre-employment drug screen last April in 2021. My plan was to move out of my home (compact state), do a travel assignment in NV and then go to NE where I'd already bought a fixer upper in a small town. My agency reported me and told me to self report to the BON (positive for THC and a different benzo that wasn't prescribed to me), but they wouldn't tell me which Board to self-report to. Needless to say, my contract in NV was cancelled and I didn't know which board to report to. I assumed I'd be reported to my home state, but it turned out I got reported to the NV board.  I hold a lot of shame and regret for my stupid actions, and it's been nothing but stress, a lot of change and money.  Before I learned I was reported to NV, I was about to hit the road to head to NE, where I had planned on settling down, establishing roots and decrease my stress level. I consulted with several nurse attorney's for my home state until I found out I should have been consulting with attorney's in NV. After 9 months of torture, shame and not knowing how badly I ruined my career, my attorney called and told me NV Board agreed to 2 year monitoring program with Affinity.  But now I established residency in NE and have yet to apply for my NE license because after speaking with a nurse attorney for NE, I was told NE considers an alternative to discipline program, still discipline and they would more than likely give me a probationary license (which kind of defeats the whole ATD program with NV---it wouldn't be public.  Does anyone know if this is the case, that NE will give me a public, probationary license because I'm newly enrolled with NV's monitoring program??? I'm allowed to reside in NE and complete my 2 year program via Affinity, but I moved to a very rural area where testing sites are not close at all. Apparently if I don't respond with the details of being under investigation to the NE board, they will shred my application and refund me. But I just moved here and contemplating on whether or not I should MOVE AGAIN to Nevada to complete the 2 year program to avoid a public probationary license. Just unsure what to do next and wondering if it's worth staying in NE only to be issued a probationary license (which might even restrict my ability to practice in ER/PACU if NE Board puts my license on probation?) Moving again for two years to complete the program is added stress, but also don't want to be placed on probation in one state when I've been through the ringer already with Nevada, a state I've never lived or practiced in.  My pre-employment positive drug screen was in between contracts, I've never been under any influence while on the job and never would intentionally put a patient at risk. The shame and guilt of it all has been so stressful, I haven't worked as a nurse while all this has been going on and I need to start working as a nurse again ASAP.  Unsure of what to do and if NE putting me on probation, is truly the case.

Any information or suggestions is greatly appreciated in advance! 

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