How soon you will be drug tested after admission?

JROregon, ASN, BSN, RN · Oct 30, 2011

We did our pee test about 2 weeks before clinicals began.

As for feeding ducks, you know you are giving them proteins that they can't digest and in doing so, they are just making excessive poop and polluting the body of water and land they are living in/on. Anyway, I agree, the OP was just asking a simple question. Not sure you can admonish him/her about illegal drug use. Per the facility that we do clinicals in, we can be tested at any time.

SnMrsSmiley · Oct 30, 2011

lmao. ok good deal.

Clovery · Oct 30, 2011

As for feeding ducks, you know you are giving them proteins that they can't digest and in doing so, they are just making excessive poop and polluting the body of water and land they are living in/on.

lol i'm not feeding them tacos... just birdseed

xtxrn, ASN, RN · Oct 30, 2011

Thank you so much. I have no beef with being drug free whatsoever. People do not know me, no reason to jump to any conclusions.

You are right. :)

I think the reason for folks getting uptight (or whatever phrase/word was used) is that this comes up fairly often. It's not about you personally, as we don't know you :up:

If you're concerned about a prescription medication, you should be fine, even if you have to take it and you get tested; just have the prescription ready to bring in if you get asked about it- that type of thing happens all the time. If you knew about the date, and DIDN'T take a prescribed medication, it could cause you harm depending on the med. So, there is more than one reason for not telling you :) The most common is to catch people. But not the only one .... hang in there. :up:

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Oct 30, 2011

When do they test? It depends on the school's policy. Almost all schools have a random drug test policy so that could be anytime...or you may get through school without having to fill the cup even once. Clinical sites may have their own testing requirements as well.

Your safest bet is, while in nursing school, not to do anything that might make you have cause for concern on a drug test.

If you're currently on a prescription med that you think may trip a positive test result, you can let them know about the medication before you test (and trust me, let them know beforehand if you can--it's a lot easier to do that than to try to clear up a false positive after the fact. Ask me how I know). As long as you have a valid prescription for it you should be fine.

Best of luck in nursing school!

chevyv, BSN, RN · Oct 30, 2011

Really? Why?

Clovery · Oct 30, 2011

in my experience with drug testing for school, you go to lab corp and do the test which is part of a package with the background check company. i came prepared with my prescription but they didn't even want to see it. the "nurse" or i should probably say "person in scrubs" told me "as long as you're not taking over the prescribed amount, it won't show up on the test" when i asked about my prescription affecting the results. :uhoh3:

i ended up in a big fiasco, because the testing company wanted me to get the pharmacy to fax them my record but the pharmacy wouldn't do it, even with my permission because of privacy laws. i eventually cleared it up but it was a pita.

Lifeofanurse · Oct 30, 2011

This needs to be added to the "if I see one more XXX post..."

If your worried about when your going to be drug tested I would say there are other issues that need addressed before you even consider attending nursing school. Not judging...just saying...this oppty may only come around once..don't blow it by being high. Clean up...get your life in order...plan....and then apply...and if you've already done all the but clean up part and are just waiting...quit now. Pray a lot....and don't screw up again. If you think you were stressed before...and your drug of choice helped you relax...well your going to be in for it...I would invest in some yoga or mediation classes or something..your going to need it. Good luck though! I hope it works out for you.

The ER Biker · Oct 30, 2011

Thank you sincerely. I will be just awesome! :) Great post.

kgh31386, BSN, MSN, RN · Oct 30, 2011

Drug problems? Worried about drug testing in school? You being an RN around narcotics may not be a good combination... :twocents:

xtxrn, ASN, RN · Oct 30, 2011

Drug problems? Worried about drug testing in school? You being an RN around narcotics may not be a good combination...

This is in general:

It could also be a prescription medication that shows up (or could), and the OP is getting pummeled with "addict' and 'drug problem' labels that aren't true (per the OP- and she's all we have to go by). There can be benign reasons for asking.

In looking at this, I know a heads' up would help me, since I don't pee on demand, and some extra fluids would be nice to get in, so I didn't have to wait there all day :)

Any chance folks could just answer the question and not label someone they don't know (and are possibly not qualified to diagnose an addict? Any addictionologists out there? Dr. Drew- are ya reading this? :)

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Oct 30, 2011

A lot of ridiculous things that don't harm anyone are illegal. Who knows, who cares. I'd take a nurse who occasionally smokes pot over one that is a stuck up witch any day. The OP hasn't even started school yet.

I hate to break it to you, but there plenty of stuck up witches that toke up on a regular basis. Those categories are hardly mutually exclusive.

I, for one, prefer a nurse that neither tokes, nor Is a drunken sot, nor a stuck witch. And there are plenty of them, even on this thread.