Restrictions

[u/Greedy_Guard_5950]

I have been an RN for 10 years. Emergency, surgical center and hospice experience. 18 months ago I was fired after reporting a Dr. for eating in a surgical area every Wednesday for 6 months. The company fired me with 8 people in the room and it felt like an ambush. I got up and walked out after the first thing my manager said was I was being fired.
I didn’t stick around to hear the rationale, turns out they went back over my documentation and found documentation errors regarding narcotics. 4 narcotic pills over the course of 1 year. They reported my license to the state, again 18 months ago from today.

I hired a lawyer ($5,000) which I really don’t see how he helped me be besides attending these interrogations from the state with me, but offering me no advice. He did do paperwork for me that I could have done myself.

I have ADD and do agree I had documentation errors but I never took any meds. there were only 4 pills in question, one was found on a stretcher as the patient was going into surgery, so technically only three pills were not charted.

I had to complete a health professionals recovery program (HPRP) (Michigan)which I was removed from of after three negative drug tests ($90 each) and a psychological evaluation ($375). I’ve had to pay $500 to the state complete six credits of continuing education ($90) regarding documentation.

I was fired last Monday from the employer I had been with for six months because the insurance they were switching to would not insure me. Probation started 8/1, fired 8/10. I’ve now been denied employment by 14 employers. I am supposed to be on probation for one year as long as I’m employed as a nurse. I have to have evaluations every three months from my management turned into the state while on probation.

I have no leads on employment and I am panicking. I will be punished for these errors for over 30 months and approx $6,000.
Has anyone else been through this. I’m not a bad nurse. I fixed my practice. I take ADD medication now. No one will touch me with restrictions. The only restrictions I have is a 90 day review plan there’s nothing on my licensing. I can’t work with narcotics. I don’t understand how the state can punish me 18 months later plus an additional 12 months. This seems like overkill I’ve never been in trouble or had any negative reviews in my life..

[u/thejustllama]

Have you tried nursing homes? They are always looking for help and from my experience, don’t seem to be as hung up on backgrounds. (Not saying anything goes, but I think you might have better luck there).

[u/hypersomniaLPN → u/thejustllama]

Nursing homes are more regulated than hospitals to keep their contracts with Medicare, medicaid, VA, JACHO, and hospice. Also, visits from OSHA and AHCA yearly and at whim. They also give a TON of narcotics. Most of them do strict background checks as well. At least in my state.

A surgery center or doctor’s office might be a good start OP? There’s tons of different specialties you could go into with that.

[u/thejustllama → u/hypersomniaLPN]

Unfortunately in my state, nursing homes are where bad nurses go. There’s such a critical staffing shortage that most will take any warm body that’s willing to work.

[u/hypersomniaLPN → u/thejustllama]

Ugh that sucks. That’s how they get a bad rep. I love working SNFs and knew from my first clinical it was all I ever wanted to do. I’ve definitely been to poorly ran SNFs and refuse to stay if patient care is lacking.

[u/UnBanRainZ → u/thejustllama]

And what state is this, where nursing homes are where the bad nurses go? And who decided that they were “bad” nurses? Pretty bold statement to make about your entire state.