I became an RN 10 years ago. I have a variey of great experience including management of an ICU. About 4 years ago, my husband (now ex) reported me to my employer for drug use.  No questions asked, I was fired and reported to the state nursing board.  I initially did not handle any of this well and quit the Impaired Nurse program after not being able to find a job.  I went back to school for a couple of years and now have my license once again (and am clean and sober).  Again, I can not find anyone willing to hire me.  I have been putting out applications and resumes for 3 months and haven't had a single interview.  Does anyone out there have any tips on:

1) The type of employers most likely to hire me despite me not being able to give narcotics.

2) How to best explain my situation to potential employers if I ever do get an interview.

3) How am I supposed to get through my restriction period (1 year) if I can't get a job?

4) Anything else that may help me on my journey.

Thanks so much!

Good Luck, I don't know what I would do in this case.  The market is tough as it is in most places.

Good luck with nursing homes.  My license was repremanded not put on probation, revoked, or suspended on a similar situation.  I obtained a position with a nursing home which I told them of the situation and it was on the web site I started on monday.  By tuesday at nine at night the HR manager called the attorney for the company stated that I was "unacceptable" and was let go after 2 days.  I am still looking for work and the only companies that will hire me will most likely be the ones that will cause more damage to my license than I already have.  I am now looking to another field because as nurses we are supose to be understanding, and compassionate but this does not extend to those who have had problems and restarted their lives.

I currently am counseling a client that was fired for drug abuse, he has found a job as a consultant for a drug company, per phone calls.

I get two nursing state papers though and am just amazed at the number of impaired nurses. Do they go into nursing to get drugs? Nursing never made me take drugs. But recently, at my mothers nursing home 2 nurses were fired for taking drugs. My mom is on scheduled pain meds for a knee that cannot be fixed. I knew that sometimes her pain wasn't in control. It really makes me mad to think these nurses took meds from my mother. On one hand, I do counsel clients, but on the other hand it makes me very angry to have nurses steal drugs from any client.  And I am not sure what is wrong with Missouri, but their nursing newspaper is very alarming.