In 2004 I lost my wife of 28years to breast cancer. It was a devastating life changing expierence. I definitely suffered from very ineffective grieving. Anniversary year 2 was my worse time. I turned to alcohol which we all know was the wrong thing to do. One day I showed up for work and was still intoxicated. I was tested and terminated and reported to Nursing board. It has taken the board almost 2 years to complete their investigation and final determination. In that time I sought my own help to beat the depression I was in. Through extensive counseling, taking antidepressants, regaining my faith in God and asking my children for their help I was able to turn the corner and have been free of alcohol for 17 months now. During a settlement conference I requested that the board be more understanding of of my circumstances and give me credit for my efforts.  Their response was uncaring and I questioned their nursing beliefs since ineffective grieving is a nursing dx. They definitely have lost their compassion and bedside manor. I was not asking to be exonerated but recognized for the road to recovery that I was successfully doing. I was employed as a CM in Hospice and because my employer didn't want to work with me regarding the nursing board monitoring they terminated me. I've been attempting to get a new position but my license is labeled probation and I'm getting resistance from prospective employers. I did utilize a lawyer but she wasn't much help. I've been in healthcare for 37 years, 20 as a paramedic and 17 as an RN, with a highly recognized reputation of quality cares and supurb service. I'm heart broken!! I really feel that the board is too powerful and vindictive and have probably crossed the line when it comes to rights issues. I don't know what to do. I'm being re-evaluated by another substance abuse Phd, at my expense, in attempt to show before and after. I live in the greater Phoenix,AZ area and asking for help. I would like to find a more aggressive lawyer and challenge the board but I'm not aware of any good or qualified defense people. Anybody with any similar expierence or can suggest a lawyer PLEASE write back. I just can't believe one blemish in a very successful career can be sooo painful!!  Thanks, Gregk  P.S. I know the board took offense to me challenging them and I'm sure that was a factor in their final determination. 

Hi, Greg K:

     I simply had to reply after reading about your challenges. I applied for my AZ RN license, and was told they do an automatic

ckeck in other states. Since I did not list a location on the application mistakeningly, I contacted Sue Smith, the investigator at the AZ BON,

and asked to correct it. She stated NO, YOU MAY NOT, YOU HAD YOUR CHANCE TO FILL IT OUR CORRECTLY THE FIRST TIME. I knew they

would probably attempt to victimize me, they have that reputation I was told.  

     What happened next was like a nightmare; I took a position as an Independent Contractor for Indian Health Services Public Health

Services in NM. That position did not work out even though I had had many other successful positions as an independent contractor with

them as an RN, so I applied for a Behavioral Health position in Gallup, NM at another facility. 911 came, and they found a Taliban MD and

his group living there, and the FBI had traced him from Shiprock, NM, to the 911 incident, although did not have enough proof to convict

him. We had anthrax threats at the facilites too. One third are Native Americans, one third Mid-Eastern, and one third other in Gallup, NM,

with the highest rate of millionaires per capita there.

     I started an EEOC CASE on another RN for sexually harassing adolescent girls on the unit where I was working in Behavioral

Health. It was my second; I had won a case of sexual harassment of patients and staff on a supervisor at UCLA Neuropsychiatric

Research Department where I was on staff, in Camarillo, CA, in 1992. Of course, the facility hired their own attorney, and attempted

to have all the Nursing Boards collaborate with him, to counter our suit on them. He managed to succeed with the AZ BON as far as

my license.

     I won the second case also on the sexual harassment of the adolescent girls who were patients at the time. It took three years for

it to be investigated by EEOC, and they gave me the right to file a law suit, of which my attorney and I did in 2005. It was the second

time this facility had been caught enablig sexual harassment of the adolescents; the first was a male RN., the second a female RN. 

    WHAT THE PUBLIC MUST KNOW ABOUT THE AZ BOARD OF NURSING AND AZ HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION, WHO ARE FORMER EX-NUNS,

IS THAT THERE HAS BEEN A LARGE SUIT ON THEM APPARENTLY,  OR AT LEAST THEIR PARTNERS WHO APPARENTLY DEFRAUD THE

PATIENTS AND NURSES IN AZ; THEY GET A CUT OF AHA, WHO SET THE SALARIES OF THE NURSES IN AZ,  AND THEN COLLECT

THOUSANDS FROM HOSPITALS SAYING THEY ARE OVERSEEING THEM.  AHA IS NOT A CREDIBLE ORGANIZATION LIKE THE JOINT

COMMISSION OF HOSPITALS ASSOCIATION WHICH DOES THELIGITIMATE INSPECTIONS OF HOSPITALS. THEY ARE KNOWN AS THE

MAFIA OF ARIZONA, AND ARE IN BUSINESS WITH THE AZ BOARD OF NURSING. BOTH THE AZ BOARD OF NURSING AND AZ HOSPITAL

ASSOCIATION APPARENTLY PUT THE LIVES OF THE PATIENTS AT RISK BY INDIRECTLY CREATING DEPLORABLE CONDITIONS FOR AZ

NURSES, CREATING A DANGEROUS PATIENT TO STAFF RATIO. I KNOW OF ADMINISRATION IN AZ WHICH HAVE SEEN THE CHECKS CUT

TO THEM.

      I am fortunately retired as an RN, and live comfortably now, being also an online degree architecture student in a bachelors degree

program, at an A GPA. I will research an attorney for you in that area. Why not counter sue the AZ Board of Nursing? These boards must be

exposed for helping to create one of the worst shortages of nursing in the nation's history. Because what they do is automatically halt the

license and practice in another state when they investigate and drag their feet for years creating hardship for nurses and patients, even

though there are no grounds many times for doing so. .AZ has one of the highest shortages of nurses in the US; it was on C-Span of a

formal review panel.

     Thank you for being open, pray this helped, and I will get back with you on attorneys.

                                                                                                                                                                         M Coulon

I am a RN of 10+ years, 4 in ICU. I am currently under investigation for failing to report criminal history on renewal license applications. I've had to go to the State Board office twice to speak with investigators. From what I could tell, the investigator had her own biases prior to even receiving the responses from questionairre or prior to the interview.

The initial complaint was from a physician who complained that I was entering orders without his authorization. In their research, the investigator discovered that a West Phoenix hospital, I had fallen asleep at the desk while charting (maybe 2 minutes) and the charge nurse reported me to the manager. I resigned in lieu of termination from this facility. This information was discovered by the investigator after she started checking back with my previous employers for last 5 years.

Also, the investigator ran my MVD driving record and treated my x7 traffic arrests as 'convictions' though I had convicted of only 2 DUIs. I was never offered the CANDO program. I was given the option of surrendering my nursing license or having the investigator submit an emergency suspension and recommend to the Nursing Board a permanent revocation of nursing license.

The voluntary surrender would allow me to have time to 'treat' my alcohol problem, receive psychiatric evaluations, attend AA meetings, attend a nurse refresher course and take specialized 'clinical skills' courses to prove to the Board of Nursing that I am safe to practice in the state of Arizona. I have to pay for all these things out of pocket. So, in about 2-5 years, I could reapply to the State Board for my license.

When I finish counseling and pscyh evals and courses and everything the Board would like to see completed before I reapply, I hope they do reinstate my license... even if it is a probationary one. At least, I will get the chance to prove the BOARD and to myself-- that they were presumptionsly incorrect.

I consulted with Schneider & Onofry, P.C voa the phone but they told me the STATE BOARD was too determined to see my have my license suspended and they wouldn't be able to help except to maybe extend the challenge hearings. They informed that even if a Judge at the Challenge hearing decides to keep my license in a probationary status, the BOARD of Nursing has the final ruling/word.

My advice to you, fill out your nursing license application as accurate as possible, because if not, the BOARD will penalize you severely-- and they won't take pity on you.

And never ever forget the boards of nursing is made up MOSTLY by fellow nurses.  Be afraid... be very afraid.

Those who can...... do

Those who can't.... teach

Those who can't teach.... teach nursing

Those who can't teach nursing.. get appointed to BON's.