Invasive Pre-Employment Physical??

Nurses General Nursing

Published

hi to all!! i just wanted to take a few minutes and ask around. i went today for my pre-employment physical. i know that obviously drug testing and titers are drawn. however, when i'm about to be taken to the lab, i am told that i will also have a cbc done. i felt that was really invasive in regards to my health privacy. i think my health, as long as its not a communicable disease issue where my patients are at risk or i am at risk of catching it from my patients, is exactly that...my health.

at that point, i really had no choice. its the job of my dreams and what am i going to say...no and there goes my employment. however, i did feel slightly violated. what if there is something? what if even though i am young and healthy, they find something very wrong and either a) they decide that someone sick is not someone they want to invest in and i lose the job i didn't even get to start and/or b) now the hospital is aware of my health issues?

maybe i'm wrong but i just feel that it was unnecessary. what do you all think?

ThisNurseIs

19 Posts

Make sure you get a copy of all reports including background check and if possible, find out why they ordered the CBC and what they are looking for/plan to do with it.

Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

I believe they should have a policy stating they must explain what tests will be requested and why. I wonder if the "CBC" was really a drug screen.

OttawaRPN

451 Posts

Specializes in acute care med/surg, LTC, orthopedics.

What a crock. It's amazing what powers employers wield over the lowly working class. Other than medical clearance from the md stating you are fit to work, no employer has EVER asked me for anything more, I've never even heard of a drug screen until coming on this forum. It's a complete abomination.

:down:

caliotter3

38,333 Posts

Most preemployment physicals (but not for all employers) require a CBC. If they don't like the results you certainly will find out why.

OCNRN63, RN

5,978 Posts

Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
What a crock. It's amazing what powers employers wield over the lowly working class. Other than medical clearance from the md stating you are fit to work, no employer has EVER asked me for anything more, I've never even heard of a drug screen until coming on this forum. It's a complete abomination.

:down:

Can I come work in Canada? Not only do you have better employment rights, your beer is better too!

littley

23 Posts

They can screen me from top to bottom and obviously if I was a drug user then they need to know. I just worry that if (God forbid) something comes back abnormal (like low plates, low WBC, or anything else that requires much further workup), that I will lose the opportunity because I'm not a "healthy" employee. I'm a new grad and the opportunity I was offered comes around once in a lifetime. As far as i know and feel, I'm healthy...but still, being in the medical field you know that you can easily be surprised sometimes. I just have to wait but still, it rattles my nerves a bit cause you never really know.

luvche

102 Posts

Specializes in Med/Surg/Ortho, Oncology, PACU.

I believe it is illegal to say they are testing for one thing and really do a whole different test (i.e: tell you they are drawing a CBC when it is really a drug test)

But, my first job was on an oncology floor, so we were required to do a CBC before hire as a baseline, then yearly after that. This is because of exposure or possible exposure to chemo therapies and cancer drugs. Certain floors with exposure to certain meds like this had the same requirement.

Also, I've never ever had a BLOOD drug test done for pre-employment. It has always been a urine. I don't see them spending the extra money it takes when they can use urine at a lower cost.

Altra, BSN, RN

6,255 Posts

Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

Agree - a serum drug screen would be cost-prohibitive for the employer.

I've had a CBC drawn as part of a pre-employment physical for 2 of the hospitals where I've worked.

And the most comprehensive physical exam I have ever been subjected to, ever, was a pre-employment physical in my corporate life before nursing. That corporation required an extensive exam, including several measures of cardiovascular fitness, use of some respiratory test I can't remember the name of right now (it was exhaling - like the reverse of an incentive spirometer) ... and all employees at supervisor level and above were required to continue to have physical exams every other year, including a colonoscopy at age 40 and over.

Talk about invasive ...

OttawaRPN

451 Posts

Specializes in acute care med/surg, LTC, orthopedics.
Can I come work in Canada? Not only do you have better employment rights, your beer is better too!

and... in some areas we actually DO have a nursing shortage!

Speaking of beer, hubby is in the process of becoming one with the home brewing business. Not sure how it's all going to pan out considering most men will drink horse p!ss out of a bottle if it had a beer label on it.

Specializes in ER, Trauma.
and... in some areas we actually DO have a nursing shortage!

Speaking of beer, hubby is in the process of becoming one with the home brewing business. Not sure how it's all going to pan out considering most men will drink horse p!ss out of a bottle if it had a beer label on it.

Great, I'm sitting here 3 miles from the Mexican border and you've got me craving LaBatt's or even Schooner. I'd head back to Mane, but "ya caint git thar from heeya, aahl have to go back and staat ova."

:D

Specializes in ED, Pedi Vasc access, Paramedic serving 6 towns.

You feel violated that a CBC was drawn, seriously? Is this a joke?

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