Drug testing in nursing school

[OC85]

Sorry if this is covered somewhere else, but I haven't been able to find an answer for this specific question...

So, a friend of mine is about to start nursing school, and she wanted to know whether the school can require a drug test without informing her of this requirement before she starts the program. There was nothing in the application documents she had to sign that mentioned anything about a drug test, although she had to sign several documents stating she was aware of various other policies. I really didn't know what to tell her, as while I had to take a drug test when I started my program, they listed it as part of their admissions requirements. I was always under the impression that school/employers must make you aware of their policy before they can drug test you, but I may be wrong.

I guess my question is, can a nursing school accept you as a student, collect tuition from you, and then require you to take a drug test without previously informing you that it is a possibility?

Also, if all you have to say is something along the lines of "If she's clean, she has nothing to hide", please don't bother responding, as this is not what I'm asking. My question is about whether a school can legally require a drug test without prior notification [usually at the time of admission]. The school is in California, BTW

[hypocaffeinemia, BSN, RN]

My google-fu yields nothing regarding California laws requiring notification before drug testing of anybody. I did read something about needing a compelling interest to perform random tests on employees, but that doesn't apply here.

[tencat]

I would imagine if you were to read the fine print you would find a tiny clause somewhere saying if you sign the paperwork, you've consented to the drug testing. I wouldn't think they could just out of the blue, with no informing of some kind, make you take a drug test without having it been written somewhere. They give the information, and it's up to the signer to be aware of what he/she is signing by reading it thoroughly. Not that I do that........but it's my own fault if something I don't like shows up and I haven't read it carefully before I signed it.

[RNMom2010]

My school does nothing with drug testing, nor do our clinical sites. As it is a community college, I am thinking that the funding is just not there to run screens on all the nursing students. It would not surprise me if at some point soon they started requiring drug screens with the physicals at some point and time, paid by the student.

[DLS_PMHNP, MSN, RN, NP]

My school does nothing with drug testing, nor do our clinical sites. As it is a community college, I am thinking that the funding is just not there to run screens on all the nursing students. It would not surprise me if at some point soon they started requiring drug screens with the physicals at some point and time, paid by the student.

I'm surprised. I thought it was a JAHCO regulation or something that students

are drug tested if they are doing clinical rotation at a hospital.

Best,

Diane

[cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN]

Sometimes people are asking about how far someone can go into your personal business and when. As a citizen of a country that is supposedly based on the freedoms and privacy of the individual, I simply thought this was an interesting question.

.

Patient safety trumps your privacy rights.

It's already a safety issue for hosptials to allow students to care for it's patient's. Making sure they are impaired is the least they can do.

My school does nothing with drug testing, nor do our clinical sites. As it is a community college, I am thinking that the funding is just not there to run screens on all the nursing students. It would not surprise me if at some point soon they started requiring drug screens with the physicals at some point and time, paid by the student.

I had to pay for my own drug screens in nursing school. I had 3 tests. 2 that we knew would happen and 1 completely random. And we were notified in the morning to get the test the same day.

[sbyramRN]

I just graduated from nursing school and never had to take a drug test...at school or at the clinical site.

[cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN]

I forgot to mention that I've been randomly drug tested at work at least 3 times in addition to my initial drug test upon hire.

Many times it was because the pyxis count was off.

So, get used to the testing.

[pharmgirl]

What the nursing instructor told you is incorrect. Having surgery is legally protected as a short-term disability. That is blatant, discrimination. You have the right to be treated and they have to give you reasonable accommodations.

Neither the school nor the facility has the right to tell you that you cannot be treated.

Not all pain pills "impair" you and it was wrong for her to put you in that category.

Actually, when I got really scared about the drug test because I had taken one pill I called my director and the HR Director at the hospital where we do clinicals and they told me the same thing. I spoke to my surgeon also and he was livid...actually to quote "They will allow me to do surgery but won't allow me to prescribe meds, I will go to the board myself with this". Nothing ever came of it because I passed the drug screen, because I didn't want to take the chance. (it was hydrocodone, btw)

Legally protected or not, that was the rules of the hospital and the school so if it had come down to fighting it it definately would have been a major ordeal taking on the hospitals and the school and then how pleasant would my next 2 years of education been?

Not to hijack the thread.....but beware even if you are on a prescription

[RNMom2010]

I'm surprised. I thought it was a JAHCO regulation or something that students

are drug tested if they are doing clinical rotation at a hospital.

Best,

Diane

Not sure about the regulations on the drug screening. I am a year into the program and have been to LTC as well as 4 different floors at the hospital and have yet to be required to take a drug test on any of us. Guess it doesnt really matter, if they pop one on us ever I will pass with flying colors!

[hillarypeace2006]

Here in Los Angeles, I don't think I've seen any documentation at my school or for my clinical requiring a drug screen.... Yes its serious business.. my cousin had action taken on her license for taking something she got on the internet...that she couldn't produce a prescription for.