The California BRN offers the intervention or diversion program to any nurse who has recently been arrested for a DUI and to nurses who are under investigation, being disciplined for medication discrepancies, or are accused of suspicion of diversion. There is a great deal of information regarding the intervention and diversion program on our blog.
Understanding the California BRN’s Intervention and Diversion Program
Thousands of nurses choose the intervention program as an alternative to facing disciplinary action by the board, hoping that once they complete it, their license will remain unscathed. In the past, this process has taken approximately three years of perfect compliance.
While RN Guardian has never been a big proponent of the intervention program (ok, let’s be real- we hate it), occasionally, we have recommended the program as the only viable option to save a nurse’s career. We are now cautioning anyone and everyone against entering into it. Over the last few months, we have received numerous phone calls from nurses who find themselves trapped in the program, 3 to 5 years later, facing a new contract with more rigorous requirements, and setting the nurse up for failure.
Changing Requirements and Stringent Contracts
Nurses who have never missed a test, failed to test, missed a call in, or missed a meeting are now being told by the board that they must find a job distributing narcotics for a period of six months. Nurses who are in the intervention program for chemical dependency issues are being required now to sign additional three-year contracts to deal with a dual diagnosis of mental health issues.
Considerations Before Entering the Intervention or Diversion Program
If you are a nurse considering the intervention or diversion program in California, please give us a call before you enter the program. At this point, we would recommend surrendering the license and petitioning for reinstatement at a later date, rather than advising our clients to trap themselves in a program that never seems to end and sets the nurse up for utter failure. They are losing their license at the end anyway.