Originally Posted by
Daisy355
I realize this is an old thread but I just recently joined and hope someone reading will benefit from it. How long has it been since you surrendered your license in MS? I do not know for sure, but I know if your license is suspended or revoked OIG steps in and that is nationwide, which is something for you to look into before you move. OIG did not contact me til a good 8 months after I moved, but my license had been suspended not surrendered.
Now, I will explain to you why my license was suspended and hope you do not have to do deal with this as well.... we are all aware of the types of things we as recovering nurses have done to get us here, but it really all depends on the nursing boards as to what is done to you. I was shocked that not all states have independent Diversion Programs and not all states will work with other states' diversion programs. In other words, they don't want to be responsible for letting a recovering nurse practice under their states license based on the nurse working a program of recovery in another state.
When I discovered this I was already in my new state and expecting happily that everything would transfer. My initial states' program dropped me, they could not monitor me from so far away. They told me to go through my new states recovery program since I would be working there and they would accept compliance reports every 3 months.
I completed all my stuff for the second state turned in all my "New" evals from local docs, therapists, etc in a timely fashion, But because this state Board only had 2 meetings a year (yes that is right, 2 Board meetings a year!) months passed before they got to me. (Their diversion/discipline program was not "separate" from their Board whereas some states contract a separate entity. MOVE TO ONE OF THOSE STATES, LOL) I kept good records and good contact with my first program, and they gave me as much latitude as they could, BUT because so much time had passed they had to close my file and sent it to the BON, which resulted in a suspended license. OIG also suspended my priveleges because of this.
By the time the other state got to me 8 months later... all they saw was that I was suspended in another state, I even explained why, and they said they also had to put me into suspension because I was suspended in my initial state of licensure and "failed" my monitoring program. They said the only thing I could do was clear things up with that state before they could help me. I had no relapses, and was seeing my counselor like I was told and going to meetings. My counselor was drug testing me periodically.
I was stuck and they put me into discipline (but not actual monitoring) for a year. This was the same thing as monitoring with meetings, evals, drug screens,etc. like I was already doing. When this was finished I petitioned the their Board. They could not reinstatement me or let me into their program, BUT, their head of Monitoring phoned my initial state and told them I was completely compliant with them.
This is when they FINALLY let me in to their monitoring program. They took into consideration my time sober and my history of compliance (by this time it was over 2 years later). They monitored me from afar with no issues. While they were monitoring me, though, I discovered the state I was living in would not take their compliance reports. :eek: I had to start their program from scratch when I was done in the first state (now at 3 1/2 years)... I am not making this up.
OIG had revoked my priveleges after suspension in first state, but I am now reinstated there too. Finally, I am able to work in this state with far more restrictions that my previous state, because I am being treated as someone who has relapsed/etc because my licenses were suspended and I didn't go into the diversion program immediately.
:nurse-hang:
Please anyone who is considering moving to work another state, know exactly what the policies are in both states programs, AND GET IT IN WRITING. Document every conversation....
This was a horrendous experience and I shared it so you wouldn't move and cross your fingers. With all this time having passed, I could not work as a nurse, nor anywhere else related to healthcare (without OIG benefits). I was extremely frustrated and gave up on being a nurse for a good deal of time. Then one day I woke up and decided that I am still a nurse whether or not I am practicing. When I stated my very first job another nurse told me that I was a nurse even before I started nursing school, and that is something that I never forgot. It is so true. Whether we knew from childhood, or junior high, or even decided in college, nursing is a calling. It takes a special kind of person to be a nurse in the first place and we are not immune to the mistakes the rest of the world makes, we are just required to be more accountable for them. Don't give up, you persevered through nursing school, even made it INTO nursing school. You have what it takes.
Surrendered license...moving out of state
Re: Surrendered license...moving out of state
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