A Nurse in Recovery
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 2,064
The employee assistance folks told me that nurses ARE held to a higher standard than others.
Even doctors can go back to practice after going to rehab and are allowed to resume. I know they have stipulations. I think pharmacist's have it worse than nurses as far as going back to work, they are held out a long time at least 6 months and have to have an advocate plead for them to have the licenses unsuspended.
I miss bedside care. I really loved being a hands on nurse. After I was fired from the hospital I applied for a job in a nursing home as admitting director. I did not get it they managed to talk me into taking a nurse manager position and I thought I would be safe but lo...... call in's forced me to pass meds..... and that was a bad place for me being untreated. I hope you can find something that allows you to resume and enjoy your career but doesn't put you in a place of danger either.
Even doctors can go back to practice after going to rehab and are allowed to resume. I know they have stipulations. I think pharmacist's have it worse than nurses as far as going back to work, they are held out a long time at least 6 months and have to have an advocate plead for them to have the licenses unsuspended.
I miss bedside care. I really loved being a hands on nurse. After I was fired from the hospital I applied for a job in a nursing home as admitting director. I did not get it they managed to talk me into taking a nurse manager position and I thought I would be safe but lo...... call in's forced me to pass meds..... and that was a bad place for me being untreated. I hope you can find something that allows you to resume and enjoy your career but doesn't put you in a place of danger either.
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Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: New York
Posts: 40
Originally Posted by meditation 
The employee assistance folks told me that nurses ARE held to a higher standard than others.
Even doctors can go back to practice after going to rehab and are allowed to resume. I know they have stipulations. I think pharmacist's have it worse than nurses as far as going back to work, they are held out a long time at least 6 months and have to have an advocate plead for them to have the licenses unsuspended.
I miss bedside care. I really loved being a hands on nurse. After I was fired from the hospital I applied for a job in a nursing home as admitting director. I did not get it they managed to talk me into taking a nurse manager position and I thought I would be safe but lo...... call in's forced me to pass meds..... and that was a bad place for me being untreated. I hope you can find something that allows you to resume and enjoy your career but doesn't put you in a place of danger either.
Even doctors can go back to practice after going to rehab and are allowed to resume. I know they have stipulations. I think pharmacist's have it worse than nurses as far as going back to work, they are held out a long time at least 6 months and have to have an advocate plead for them to have the licenses unsuspended.
I miss bedside care. I really loved being a hands on nurse. After I was fired from the hospital I applied for a job in a nursing home as admitting director. I did not get it they managed to talk me into taking a nurse manager position and I thought I would be safe but lo...... call in's forced me to pass meds..... and that was a bad place for me being untreated. I hope you can find something that allows you to resume and enjoy your career but doesn't put you in a place of danger either.
I can understand nurses being held to a higher standard than doctors for a few reasons...perhaps because many are women, the traditional nurse role is focused on nurture and caring, and ethics plays a large role in nursing, to name a few. I am planning to look for something, but right now I am not far enuf in my recovery (only a week) to have any desire for job hunting. Any suggestions?
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 2,064
some places that might be a good for recovery are dialysis clinic, telephonic nursing, a good place to network is the red cross, volunteering can lead to jobs that pay and some of the perks of volunteering are free concerts, football games and events. It's hard to get on a doctor's office as they usually don't hire RN's, they hire medical assistants. After about a year of recovery substance abuse treatment centers open up for nurses. Places that typically aren't high volume in narcotics are good places for us. Not sure what your specialty is, I've seen in my area nurses working for pediatricians. Insurance companies that need nursing claims adjustors is another thought as I have a friend working in Atlanta doing that sort of work. Maybe the local health department. Case management is a good area. It's not easy but it's not impossible either, something will come up. I was interviewed a couple years back to work in a laboratory,and one of the guys in my nurse support group worked at a Blood Bank.
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 432
Yeah, nurses hands get tied much harder than doctor's hands do. After my suspension I will be having to do 5 years of probation of calling in everyday to see if I have to test. I am willing to do it to get my license back. A doctor got caught the same time I did impaired at work and he got a hefty fine and 6 months probation...and he still hasn't admitted he has a problem so I am pretty much thinking nothing good will become of that. So there are resentments but I need to take care of me.
Hopefully eventually I will find a job I enjoy. I am sure I will.
Hopefully eventually I will find a job I enjoy. I am sure I will.
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 2,064
Yeah that calling in every day ... my mom keeps thinking I live some kind of spontaneous life that I can impulsively just go out of town. I keep telling her, if I do I have to know where a lab is close to where we might be going just in case I'm asked to drop a specimen. It's part of life now to call or check in online everyday. I have had one hair test in the near 3 years I've been in the program and monthly drug screens.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: TX
Posts: 27
meditation- Yes! The calling in daily part is difficult. Especially because I'm accustomed to traveling a lot and maybe going out of town on a whim. That was life up until this point! No more. Last month had a family trip to a relatively remote area and was terrified of being selected. I notified my case manager of my trip, found the closest testing center, had to account for the time change and adjust my call-in routine accordingly... it was an enormous stress and hassle. But now, just a part of my daily life. Keeps me accountable!
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Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: New York
Posts: 40
Originally Posted by meditation
some places that might be a good for recovery are dialysis clinic, telephonic nursing, a good place to network is the red cross, volunteering can lead to jobs that pay and some of the perks of volunteering are free concerts, football games and events. It's hard to get on a doctor's office as they usually don't hire RN's, they hire medical assistants. After about a year of recovery substance abuse treatment centers open up for nurses. Places that typically aren't high volume in narcotics are good places for us. Not sure what your specialty is, I've seen in my area nurses working for pediatricians. Insurance companies that need nursing claims adjustors is another thought as I have a friend working in Atlanta doing that sort of work. Maybe the local health department. Case management is a good area. It's not easy but it's not impossible either, something will come up. I was interviewed a couple years back to work in a laboratory,and one of the guys in my nurse support group worked at a Blood Bank.
And wow-daily check-ins?? Is that part of the treatment process? Is this b/c of getting caught doing something?
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 2,064
I went into my states advocacy program and signed a contract, they are monitoring me for 36 months or until I finish this narcotic restriction part. To be monitored with a state the contract says what you can and can't do, types of jobs you can't work, hours you can work, meds you can and can't take and you promise to call into a system daily for a random drug screen. Anybody can self report, it's not necessarily those people that got into trouble but usually nobody wants restrictions on their life unless they need this program to keep or regain a license. I see this as the stamp of approval and the advocacy calls employers and vouches that we've kept the straight and narrow and we have proof of negative drug screens. It has benefits. Most of the people that are in this program have done some sort of rehab before signing the contract.
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 2,064
Usually the way it works is, the advocacy board is what keeps the limitations off the license. The BON doesn't know anything going on with the license. The advocacy program doesn't report anything to the BON, the BON doesn't know you're in trouble or having issues. If a nurse is not compliant with the contract then the advocacy board may notify the BON. Each case is sort of individualized. Unless you get real lucky and get turned into the BON and in that case they just refer you to the advocacy program.
I did not sign my contract till after 90 days of rehab but I was in touch with my advocacy program before I went and I was given a choice of a couple of rehab centers to choose from in my region. It had to be a center that treated impaired professionals.
By law at least in my state the rehab center is required to inform the BON or inform the advocacy program if a nurse enters rehab, I guess this is the one instance your Hippa rights can be violated. They don't want any nurses returning to practice without being monitored.
Hope that helps a bit for information. You can look up Florida's program it's supposed to be very good to get an idea of what an advocacy program looks like, usually they have links to FAQ's.
I did not sign my contract till after 90 days of rehab but I was in touch with my advocacy program before I went and I was given a choice of a couple of rehab centers to choose from in my region. It had to be a center that treated impaired professionals.
By law at least in my state the rehab center is required to inform the BON or inform the advocacy program if a nurse enters rehab, I guess this is the one instance your Hippa rights can be violated. They don't want any nurses returning to practice without being monitored.
Hope that helps a bit for information. You can look up Florida's program it's supposed to be very good to get an idea of what an advocacy program looks like, usually they have links to FAQ's.
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Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: New York
Posts: 40
Meditation,
Currently I am in outpatient substance abuse counseling and NA meetings. My work (at this point) knows nothing about it, and I am currently on a leave. Now I am wondering if the BON will be notified of what is going on. Oh what a mess! I have only been clean a short time and am still struggling day to day but determined to be successful so I am hopeful. Do you think the outpatient facility will have to notify the BON?
Currently I am in outpatient substance abuse counseling and NA meetings. My work (at this point) knows nothing about it, and I am currently on a leave. Now I am wondering if the BON will be notified of what is going on. Oh what a mess! I have only been clean a short time and am still struggling day to day but determined to be successful so I am hopeful. Do you think the outpatient facility will have to notify the BON?
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: TX
Posts: 27
donewithpills, I would ask your counselor at the outpatient treatment center. They MIGHT not have to notify the BON. Do they know you are a nurse? Have they mentioned anything about it to you? I am in outpatient rehab as well, but I was sent there by my state's advocacy program (thankfully.) As meditation mentioned, being a part of that program protects our license so that the BON does not become aware of the issue and does not suspend or revoke our license. As long as you are compliant in the program, you continue to work under your same license with restrictions such as no narcotics, calling daily for random drug screens, attending meetings, counseling, etc. All of the requirements are really for the best interest of the nurse AND the public. It is stict and a LOT to do, somewhat overwhelming, but I do feel it is the best way for me to recover. I tried doing it alone at first and failed after 6 months. I like being accountable to someone, because that keeps me aware and alert that my addiction is a constant threat that I need to be ready to fight off! So far so good.
I bet if you just ask your treatment center if they are required to report you, they will be honest with you. I know my counselor told me that she won't even tell any of the details I share in group with my advocacy program unless I am endangering my life or my patients'. She told me she would always tell me before she speaks with my case manager. And I had to sign a release of information between the two agencies before they could even be authorized to speak to one another. So I seriously doubt they would report anything to the BON behind your back!
I bet if you just ask your treatment center if they are required to report you, they will be honest with you. I know my counselor told me that she won't even tell any of the details I share in group with my advocacy program unless I am endangering my life or my patients'. She told me she would always tell me before she speaks with my case manager. And I had to sign a release of information between the two agencies before they could even be authorized to speak to one another. So I seriously doubt they would report anything to the BON behind your back!
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 2,064
Yes RecoverRN has it right, ask your treatment center. I'm not so sure that the treatment center I went to did not use scare tactics by telling us they would notify the BON just to get us to agree to a lengthy stay. They weren't real up front with us and many people thought they were going home to have at the last minute be told that they had to go to soberliving for 60 more days.
It's your recovery mainly, and I had to figure that out after a year that I could not be doing this recovery for the peer assistance people or for the BON or even my family I had to do it for myself and fear should not be a part of recovery. Hugs honey, hang in there.
It's your recovery mainly, and I had to figure that out after a year that I could not be doing this recovery for the peer assistance people or for the BON or even my family I had to do it for myself and fear should not be a part of recovery. Hugs honey, hang in there.
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Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: New York
Posts: 40
Meditation and Recover,
Thanks for the advice. As I stated, I went to counseling on my own. The therapist said today it is considered outpatient substance abuse treatment but I basically view it as counseling because that's all I am doing there. She didn't even mention my work at all or the BON for that matter. I wish I saw these posts BEFORE I went to see her! But either way, it is what it is I suppose. I was just wondering if it was reportable even though I didn't perform any wrongdoings, haven't missed any time at work or had a poor evaluation, etc. I went to counseling on my own will and told them I have a problem.
Thanks for the advice. As I stated, I went to counseling on my own. The therapist said today it is considered outpatient substance abuse treatment but I basically view it as counseling because that's all I am doing there. She didn't even mention my work at all or the BON for that matter. I wish I saw these posts BEFORE I went to see her! But either way, it is what it is I suppose. I was just wondering if it was reportable even though I didn't perform any wrongdoings, haven't missed any time at work or had a poor evaluation, etc. I went to counseling on my own will and told them I have a problem.
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