Random drug tests in nursing school?!

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Just out of pure curiosity how many of you have underwent a random drug test during your program? Do these happen a lot? Or only when a student is being suspicious? I'm aware of the annual drug screening but not the random ones. Any insight please!!

Yep, all the time. When they drug test, they test the entire medical company of five platoons, each made of 4-5 squads with 9 or 10 people in them.

So roughly 225 people all stuck the basement of a barracks, hopping around and crossing our legs and guzzling coffee so we can go pee in front of a stranger. You'd be amazed how many people still come up hot, despite knowing that random drug screens are the standard.

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Our school would schedule our drug test. We would later think that this was our drug test, then they would spring another one on us. I believe I got 4 or 5 all through nursing school. Be good. It won't be hard :)

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I would prefer to see a functional/cognitive/behavioral examination upon probable cause of impairment rather than a random drug test. But I suppose that's just silly libertarianism.

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I would prefer to see a functional/cognitive/behavioral examination upon probable cause of impairment rather than a random drug test. But I suppose that's just silly libertarianism.

I'll tell you why this doesn't happen.

People that have drug problems never start out showing up to work impaired. They start out by using recreationally and then when it gets out of hand, then they start showing up impaired.

Illegal drugs are just that...illegal. Illegal by the fact you are not supposed to have them by law or the script isn't for you.

There is never a reason to take illegal drugs...ever. I have went the last 20 years of my life without wondering about it, because all of my jobs have drug tested.

There is no need to wait until someone shows up impaired, harms someone on the way to work or even worse, to a patient, before action is taken.

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Specializes in hospice.
I would prefer to see a functional/cognitive/behavioral examination upon probable cause of impairment rather than a random drug test. But I suppose that's just silly libertarianism.

Or rationalization from a drug user....

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I'll tell you why this doesn't happen.

People that have drug problems never start out showing up to work impaired. They start out by using recreationally and then when it gets out of hand, then they start showing up impaired.

Illegal drugs are just that...illegal. Illegal by the fact you are not supposed to have them by law or the script isn't for you.

There is never a reason to take illegal drugs...ever. I have went the last 20 years of my life without wondering about it, because all of my jobs have drug tested.

There is no need to wait until someone shows up impaired, harms someone on the way to work or even worse, to a patient, before action is taken.

It's the same reason I don't like taking my shoes off and having to choose between irradiation and molestation at the airport, or the NSA logging this very post along with my emails and phone calls. I still have Fourth Amendment rights, even as a nurse (avoiding the side topic of federal law vs private sector which gets a bit snarly when you consider conditional federal funding).

As for signs of drug abuse/impaired nursing, I have worked with nurses busted for diverting/abusing and in retrospect their behavior warranted investigation. And I can say that a big problem is the other staff being unwilling to report suspected impairment. Now that I know more what to look for, I will be better able to report suspected impairment.

The whole "if you have nothing to hide" mentality just does NOT sit well with me.

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I would prefer to see a functional/cognitive/behavioral examination upon probable cause of impairment rather than a random drug test. But I suppose that's just silly libertarianism.

Why? So you can miss the drug use by foregoing a simple screen and let the person pass off their behavior as idiopathic psych issues?

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The whole "if you have nothing to hide" mentality just does NOT sit well with me.

That says about all you need to say.

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That says about all you need to say.

Perhaps for me, but not for you. What are you trying to say?

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We don't have drug stats for the RN program I'm in. The LPN one had one to get in.

I work as a LPN at 2 different places , one had a drug test one didn't.

I say bring it, I have nothing to hide.

I would like to think if I had a problem someone would offer help.

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Perhaps for me, but not for you. What are you trying to say?

I'm not really trying to "say" anything. Merely highlighting the obvious inconsistency in your post.

If you're not doing anything wrong, there's no reason to worry. Anything else suggests there is in fact something to hide.

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Specializes in Emergency, ICU.

I'll tell you why this doesn't happen.

People that have drug problems never start out showing up to work impaired. They start out by using recreationally and then when it gets out of hand, then they start showing up impaired.

Illegal drugs are just that...illegal. Illegal by the fact you are not supposed to have them by law or the script isn't for you.

There is never a reason to take illegal drugs...ever. I have went the last 20 years of my life without wondering about it, because all of my jobs have drug tested.

There is no need to wait until someone shows up impaired, harms someone on the way to work or even worse, to a patient, before action is taken.

People who take drugs recreationally do not all become addicts! Where did you hear that?

Random drug screens are a complete violation of privacy and in principle, I am opposed to them.

I agree an employee or student should be tested if they are impaired on-site, but otherwise, stay out of people's private life.

The biggest problem I see with drug screens is that they don't catch the ones who use cocaine or ecstasy over the weekend or even hours before for some drugs because of the quick clearance out of the body. The ones who get caught are the ones who smoked a joint 3 weeks ago. That's not drug addiction.

To the OP: if you agree to attend a school that random tests, you will have to not use while in school. If marihuana is your drug, get acquainted with drug clearance times and stay away from it unless you're sure you'll have 3-4 weeks before you'll be on-campus.

If you can't do this, then you may have a drug problem that you need to address before you start nursing school. Nursing school stress will put you over the edge and that won't be healthy. Good luck!

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

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