Be careful in monitoring with urine and blood tests like peth!

Nurses Recovery

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I have a friend who is in a 5 year monitoring program with 3 Urine etg per month and probably around 2-3 peth a year.  She's in a very tough state with a strict monitoring program.  She's already past her 2 year mark I believe.  

Anyway, she apparently drank 6-7 drinks on a long weekend, and then had a random peth right on the Monday.  She already had a peth just recently.  The peth came back very low positive, at 24.  Below 20 is reported abstinence.  

Now, they are making her go to a 96 hour evaluation to determine the next steps.  She is saying she ate beef burgundy as to why she has a positive peth.  But I think she knows also that the 96 hour evaluation is just a "show" and that they will recommend rehab again.  If that happens, she would need to put her job on hold, or more likely lose her current job.  

Don't try to mess around here folks!  Because if your program has random peth tests, you can't beat that.

Specializes in Psych, BH, LTC, Rehab, Detox.
Nursing20244 said:

Every state is different keep that in mind. 

I know... that's what I started to comment above. Somewhere. LOL. 

Just wanted to add in to the comments about 5 year monitoring - they are trying to make it standardized for nurses is what I've heard.  See, physicians, dentists, optometrists, pharmacists and PAs all have 5 year monitoring contracts.  Sometimes they can get 3 years, but it's rare.  

And thats based off a study that studied physicians who were in monitoring for 5 years had an extremely high success rate and never got in trouble again.  So basically, even if a doctor doesn't deserve 5 years of monitoring, they just do it anyway because of that study.  

Nursing monitoring programs have been more fragmented and not as standardized as physicians.  So there's a push to change that to align more with physicians, dentists, PAs, etc.  After all, nurses have direct access to medications and deal with patient care even more than physicians, so people out there are asking why nursing monitoring is "easier" than physicians, dentists, PAs, all that jazz.  

Don't be surprised if all states move to 5 year monitoring programs for nursing, and no matter how "little" your offense or situation is.

Specializes in Psych.
Healer555 said:

Agree. I think the person thought they could enjoy alcohol as they weren't expecting to test for awhile. I know my state adds extra tests the last month of the program but assume they could add more or different tests at any time so I'm following their rules to finish on time. I couldn't and wouldn't do an extra 5 years.  

I agree because It is totally random I believe. Peth goes back at least a month and even a etg can go back 4-5 days. 

She deserves to have her license suspended. This isn't a game of "how to beat the test." Some people take recovery seriously.  It's a slap in the face for those of us that tale recovery seriously, but get into trouble by a true innocent mistake or technicality. What she did isn't a true mistake or technicality in a "tough monitoring state." She is openly drinking alcohol. At the substance abuse evaluation, they will hair test her and probably nail test hair. 

Steven Thompson said:

She deserves to have her license suspended. This isn't a game of "how to beat the test." Some people take recovery seriously.  It's a slap in the face for those of us that tale recovery seriously, but get into trouble by a true innocent mistake or technicality. What she did isn't a true mistake or technicality in a "tough monitoring state." She is openly drinking alcohol. At the substance abuse evaluation, they will hair test her and probably nail test hair. 

I think you need to understand that some of us don't have a SUD but have to jump through the same hoops and put up with the same rules as those of you that do. Suspended license is really harsh.  

Healer555 said:

I think you need to understand that some of us don't have a SUD but have to jump through the same hoops and put up with the same rules as those of you that do. Suspended license is really harsh.  

I understand it clearly regardless of whether you have an SUD or not, you are HERE. For the person that is in a program like this that openly just drinks alcohol (regardless of whether they have an SUD or not) that is IGNORANCE. She deserves to have her license suspended and here's the thing, for the people on here with SUD and take recovery serious, we know that for every 2 people on here that say they don't have SUD (1 in 2 are in denial and have SUD). If the person who drank and got her license suspended did Not have SUD, then she should have had zero problems abstaining from alcohol. For the fact that she got wasted drunk tells me 1 of 2 things.....SUD or just plain ignorant. 

Steven Thompson said:

I understand it clearly regardless of whether you have an SUD or not, you are HERE. For the person that is in a program like this that openly just drinks alcohol (regardless of whether they have an SUD or not) that is IGNORANCE. She deserves to have her license suspended and here's the thing, for the people on here with SUD and take recovery serious, we know that for every 2 people on here that say they don't have SUD (1 in 2 are in denial and have SUD). If the person who drank and got her license suspended did Not have SUD, then she should have had zero problems abstaining from alcohol. For the fact that she got wasted drunk tells me 1 of 2 things.....SUD or just plain ignorant. 

That's your opinion not fact. We are adults being treated like children.  I think it's easier for those of you with a SUD to accept the requirements.  If she doesn't have a SUD there's no recovery to take seriously. 

Specializes in Psych.
Healer555 said:

That's your opinion not fact. We are adults being treated like children.  I think it's easier for those of you with a SUD to accept the requirements.  If she doesn't have a SUD there's no recovery to take seriously. 

I agree with the treated like children I can't even treat myself for a cold or sinus infection.. I can't even have surgery because of pain medication they would need to give me and I have never taken anything other than Tylenol In my entire life ! 

Nursing20244 said:

I agree with the treated like children I can't even treat myself for a cold or sinus infection.. I can't even have surgery because of pain medication they would need to give me and I have never taken anything other than Tylenol In my entire life ! 

We are allowed to take short term pain medication if it's approved but I'm going to wait on a needed surgery until this is over. 

Specializes in Psych, BH, LTC, Rehab, Detox.
Nursing20244 said:

I agree with the treated like children I can't even treat myself for a cold or sinus infection.. I can't even have surgery because of pain medication they would need to give me and I have never taken anything other than Tylenol In my entire life ! 

Hm. Well I only have to report if I'm taking the sinus things for example. Benadryl, Sudafed and cough syrup with dextro in it or Mucinex. I just have to tell my case manager I'm taking it. And if I had to have surgery then whatever meds they give you is covered by doctors orders and you show the after visit summary to the case manager. 
I guess the programs are all different. Cause I can take anything with a script. And report the rest. That's crazy if your program says that. 

Healer555 said:

We are allowed to take short term pain medication if it's approved but I'm going to wait on a needed surgery until this is over. 

Same. I can do that too. As long as it's a doctors order it's fine. 

Specializes in Psych.
PsychRNXXX said:

Hm. Well I only have to report if I'm taking the sinus things for example. Benadryl, Sudafed and cough syrup with dextro in it or Mucinex. I just have to tell my case manager I'm taking it. And if I had to have surgery then whatever meds they give you is covered by doctors orders and you show the after visit summary to the case manager. 
I guess the programs are all different. Cause I can take anything with a script. And report the rest. That's crazy if your program says that. 

Same. I can do that too. As long as it's a doctors order it's fine. 

Yes every state is different 

What was the outcome of this?

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