marijuana and nursing.

[middleagednurse]

I was just wondering, in states where pot is legal, does that mean health care workers don't get drug tested? Are health care workers allowed to test positive for pot? Thanks for the information.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

Depends on hospital policy. Tobacco use is legal throughout the US, but some facilities, such as the Cleveland Clinic, do not allow their employees to even test positive for that. And certainly no employer would allow you to be impaired on the job, so it would depend on what type of test it was, a blood test that shows recent use, or a hair test that could show any use ages ago.

[chare]

I was just wondering, in states where pot is legal, does that mean health care workers don't get drug tested? Are health care workers allowed to test positive for pot? Thanks for the information.

No. An employer can test for any substance that they desire, whether a legal substance or not. Positive results in a preemployment screening can result in an offer of employment being rescinded. Likewise, if an employee is positive on a random screen, these results can be used as the basis of terminating their employment.

[2011RN]

Although marijuana may be legal in some states it is still illegal on the federal level. Until that is changed I think that employers may have problems with an employee testing positive even with a prescription.

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

Although marijuana may be legal in some states it is still illegal on the federal level. Until that is changed I think that employers may have problems with an employee testing positive even with a prescription.

^^^ THIS ^^^

[chare]

Although marijuana may be legal in some states it is still illegal on the federal level. Until that is changed I think that employers may have problems with an employee testing positive even with a prescription.

Even if marijuana were legalized at the federal level, an employer can opt either to not extend an offer or terminate a current employee for use. Blondy2061h provided an excellent excellent example. Nicotine is currently legal, however a growing number of employers are opting to became nicotine free.

[middleagednurse]

By the way, Im against drug use, I was just curious.

[Mavrick, BSN, RN]

On another thread a poster said she was coming up positive a month after she quit using. She was putting off applying for a job because she was afraid to fail the pre-employment screening.

[JustBeachyNurse, LPN]

Alcohol is legal for those over 21. Test positive at work and risk termination and a report to the BoN. Positive for tobacco won't equal a BoN report but pot and even Rx painkillers might and a referral for an addiction assessment. Having an Rx is not a get out of jail free card

[Mavrick, BSN, RN]

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/pre-employment-drug-984802.html

Here is that thread.

I get the vague impression to NEVER, Never, never, ever ev-er tell an employer.

[WookieeRN, BSN, MSN, RN]

Even if pot is legalized on the federal level, I forsee many hospitals still terminating you (or rescinding offers) for a positive test. It will be treated just like nicotine.

[resqbug]

The problem with marijuana testing is that there isn't a quantifiable amount where a person can be considered safe since it is stored in fat. Unlike alcohol, where you can get plowed on the weekends and it is out of your system by Monday.