Do we need to take drugs.. in order to do our job?

cdsga · Mar 7, 2012

Now they do drug testing on all employees and you have to list what meds you are prescribed to take. I've done that as a travel nurse and hospital employee for years. I have done education and believe me drugs play a big role in the workplace. When someone goes off their meds for whatever reason, managers need to know. Chronic pain meds, antipsychotics, sleep meds etc. It is kept confidential at best, but still erratic behavior, sleepiness, anxiety, headaches, seizures are all safety issues. I think people with certain disorders can function on medications, but if dosages change the consequences can be witnessed in the workplace. Knowing what meds the employee is on can save them from being fired and can also lead to some HR assistance in job placement for the future.

Guest372004 · Mar 7, 2012

Not that I take much meds, but I still would not give that info out other than tylenol for a headache. They are not going to do drug testing for blood pressure meds or I don't even know if there is a test for anti-depressants. If they drug test it is for benzo and opioids. I do not trust management in this "economy".

netglow, ASN, RN · Mar 7, 2012

Off topic BUT I read a recent article that colleges and some employers are INSISTING that you, during your interview either "friend" them or log in to your facebook account while they are with you so they can look things over. If you don't, it's NEXT interviewee, please. Sooooooo glad that is one thing I don't have to worry about.

cdsga · Mar 7, 2012

I have worked with people with severe disorders, but they were valued employees at one time and instead of firing them, they move them to less stressful places, or let them take medical leave from time to time. It is stressful to others when this happens and you do have just one more thing to keep in the back of your mind when you work with these folks. But given the stats, you probably are working with someone with some kind of stress disorder everyday. The effects of testing and background checks are becoming more invasive everyday-I don't know where it will go next.

CompleteUnknown · Mar 7, 2012

Off topic BUT I read a recent article that colleges and some employers are INSISTING that you, during your interview either "friend" them or log in to your facebook account while they are with you so they can look things over. If you don't, it's NEXT interviewee, please. Sooooooo glad that is one thing I don't have to worry about.

Straying off topic with you........

This is really disturbing to me. To be 'coerced' into allowing a prospective employer to view your facebook page because otherwise you stand no chance of getting the job is so wrong I don't even know where to start.

I do have a facebook account and if an employer or manager happened to come across it (a friend of a friend sitting with said friend at friend's own computer for example), there's nothing there that I wouldn't say in public and nothing that would make an employer wonder if I was 'suitable'. Even so, I would refuse. What next? The interviewer will come to my home and observe the way I interact with my family or check what photos I have on display and what books I have on my bookshelf ?? After all, the interviewer has to make sure my values align with those of the employer. :rolleyes:

cdsga · Mar 7, 2012

I have a problem with employers digging into your personal life, but we have the right to choose employers who have such intrusive mandates for hire. There are many things people do in their personal life that have negative effects on their work, but the employer can counsel that person and work with them once hired. An employer is not a charity. It does expect their employees to show up and perform adequately and within the job requirements of their particular job. I think that's all you can ask. I'm sure some of our employers have some interesting habits in their personal lives, but I wouldn't judge them on their life outside the workplace. That's their business. I would hope that my job performance is all they care about.

Guest372004 · Mar 7, 2012

Remember.........never "friend" a manager or a boss. I truly do not believe that an employer can ask to see the account. But who knows in this non-personal world.

Chiggysmom · Mar 7, 2012

Here's a novel idea! Since nurses work for an institution that is "supposed" to be committed to the health and well being of human beings, maybe just maybe the medical establishment should be looking at how to ameliorate our stress a little! But what was I thinking, we are just slaves for the medical establishment with very little real value other than the hard labor that they can get out of us. If you think I'm disappointed in nursing as a career, you would be correct! I would NEVER recommend nursing as a career for anyone. I'm 52 years old and consider myself too old to go back to school and get a degree in something else. Approximately 8 more years left for me, I'll just have to grin and bear it, but it gets more and more difficult almost weekly. There is more and more responsibility (along with the accompanying STRESS!) being placed on us when most of the time we can't even keep up with the current responsibilties! Just when you think you can't possibly cope with one more responsibility or stressor they give you more without any regard to what they're doing to us.

Chiggysmom · Mar 7, 2012

I take pysch drugs. I take a mood stablizer, non typical antipsychotic, and have a benzo, SSRI, and a couple of other medications available to me. I have type 1 bipolar disorder and have been involuntarily committed twice. What's even better is that I'm not on diability (I've been told numerous times that I need to apply). I still hold a job that I work 40+ hours weekly.
This is not your typical low stress job. I'm a veterinary technician. I have to work with not just the animals (patients) but the owners (clients). I don't have to tell you which enitity is more difficult to work with either. This job has a lot of stress including euthanasia. End of life euthanasias aren't so bad. What hurts are euthanasias that involve healthy pets due to life circumstances, like euthanizing the really sweet, loving and well loved three year old kitty because the family is moving and cannot find pet friendly housing. The shelter refused to take the cat because it had too many in residence. Yes it's things like these that rip your heart out.
I can tell you that medication will help take the edge off of that emotional roller coaster. What helps me are coping skills that I learned from talk therapy.
I have had to learn to balance my life. This has taken both medication and therapy. Without that balance, I can lose my job, my home, my freedom, and/or my life.
I feel that people need to do what works best for them. They are not me. I am not them. I cannot judge the original poster for her decisions or her feelings.
Fuzzy

I feel for you, oh my gosh, I had never really thought about people getting their pets put to sleep just because the animal is an inconvenience for them. That would be so difficult. I love animals (have 2 Italian Greyhounds, a Golden Retriever, 2 cats-one was rescue with only one eye and a Blue/Gold Macaw and an Ecclectus) so I don't even think I could do your job (put a perfectly healthy, lovely pet down for no other reason than someone doesn't want it). I guess as bad as my job is, I would rather do mine, than yours. Helps to put things in perspective.

Blue_Elder · Mar 7, 2012

Ok...lets think about this. Medication is used to treat diseases and disorders. I don't think they should be used to treat jobs. This is just my opinion but if I get to the point I need meds to face my job I will change careers.

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Mar 7, 2012

"instead of placing blame on nurses that resort to this kind of coping, what about the system of nursing needs to change to support nurses in coping? "

this begs the question that nursing is sooo special that only nurses have this sort of pressure, and only nursing has to change to support them.* i do not believe that the massive pharmacological bonanza that has been the last decade or so can be accounted for only by nety or other stresses particular only to nursing. it's an attractive argument for a lot of people, clearly, but there's no evidence to support its underlying assumption.

*"begging the question" is a form of logical fallacy in which a statement or claim is assumed to be true without evidence other than the statement or claim itself. when one begs the question, the initial assumption of a statement is treated as already proven without any logic to show why the statement is true in the first place. beg the question // get it right.

cdsga · Mar 7, 2012

There is a trend now to look you up and see what you frequent and what you say and there have been cases where people were disciplined due to that very social networking content, especially if negative or confidential things were revealed.