car accident in florida with Dr RX

wincha · Feb 11, 2006

Hi! I am a new grad (May 2005) and have been working as an Rn since August 2005. I have recently been in a car accident where I was rear-ended and got whiplash and possible other injuries ( I have an MRI in a week). I took off a few days from work to attempt to recover and was prescribed Lortab, Soma, valium, and Motrin. I have not, and WILL not risk my Nursing job by taking anything on the job. But, I had to go back to work no matter how much pain I was in. It has only been less than 2 weeks and I still get MAJOR pain at the end of a work day and after the Dr. gives me the steroid shots and after the Chiropractor does his adjustments, so I still take my medication off duty ONLY. One night a week ago ( I work nights) the charge nurse and some other nurses were having a discussion about Dr RX drugs, and one nurse thought he could take xanax, IF IT WAS PRESCRIBED, while he was on duty. I am smart enought to have said NO you cannot take anything like that on the job. But, the charge nurse interjected and said you can be fired and have your licence taken away with the RX in your system, because, even if you never appeared impaired, they can't prove if you took the RX on or off the job. I am afraid to even call my board of nursing about this. Does anyone have any experience with anything like this? What do I have to have my lawyer sue if I lose my job, because some girl couldn't pay attention to who was in front of her? This accident has been the BIGGEST NIGHTMARE of my life, and I have never even been in an accident.
Just stressed out!!!
Thanks

if you were tested they could test more closely to see what you levels are and how long you took a med. i know this because my son is drug tested at school and we can see how long ago he took drugs. don't stress out over this follow your prescription and take your meds off duty. don't tell anyone at work about it either. its your biz and you do have a prescription.

NurseHirzRN · Feb 11, 2006

As an EMT and nursing student I'm not sure about the laws in nursing, but DOT regs. for drug screening say that if you test pos. a Dr. calls you and you have to produce the script. I used to work for a third party adminastrator for drug screening.

JentheRN05, RN · Feb 11, 2006

Actually, I have been told that you can take xanax on the job if your anxiety is affecting your performance.

Now, my question is, how can they tell when you took the meds? I mean I only take my pain meds at home, they are prescribed, but if they were to do a drug test anywhere, it won't say what hours I took it. So how would a person know when I took it. I mean if I was tested on the job, when I had went 6 hours prior to taking a pain med before I went to work, and was administed a drug test when I got to work, then one way or another it would show up positive. So how can you prove otherwise?

I'm not in a position I have to be concerned, not by any means. But I'm just curious. Maybe it would put the OP at ease.

sarasota70RN · Feb 11, 2006

Thanks for the reply everyone. I don't feel as if I should be concerned about loosing my licence because some person was not paying attention when they slammed into the back of my car. But, I was told IF I possibly got tested for some reason, then they couldn't prove when it was taken- at home or on the job- even if I am not impaired on the job.

Well, I just thought someone had heard something along these lines or had a RN or LPN friend that something like this has happened to.

Thanks again. :nurse:

harley007 · Apr 3, 2006

I have been trying to find a definite I answer about pre-employment drug screening. I have Fibromyalgia (It is not my real DX but basically I have a weird auto-immune disorder that there is no known name for so for DX purposes I got tagged with this.) I take a night time only compounded version of Hydrocodone that is time released and contains no Advil or Tylenol. I also have a PRN instant release compound for daytime pain. I DO NOT take meds on the job. Even though my neurologist says I have been on them for so long they would in no way affect my performance I just will not risk it. What these meds did for me was to raise me up from a useless bundle of pain into 99% of the physical person I used to be. I have been on the same dose and type of medication for 8 years and have been working in nursing for 31 years but this is my first drug screening. I have been told that as long as I have RX from my MD I should be fine. This is my dream job and I am terrified of being turned down because of this screening. Even though my MD is a pain specialist and I must see him every month with very controlled prescribing parameters – he has some patients on major serious pain meds – I am making myself crazy with worry. Thank you for listening!

LoriAlabamaRN · Apr 3, 2006

I have been trying to find a definite I answer about pre-employment drug screening. I have Fibromyalgia (It is not my real DX but basically I have a weird auto-immune disorder that there is no known name for so for DX purposes I got tagged with this.) I take a night time only compounded version of Hydrocodone that is time released and contains no Advil or Tylenol. I also have a PRN instant release compound for daytime pain. I DO NOT take meds on the job. Even though my neurologist says I have been on them for so long they would in no way affect my performance I just will not risk it. What these meds did for me was to raise me up from a useless bundle of pain into 99% of the physical person I used to be. I have been on the same dose and type of medication for 8 years and have been working in nursing for 31 years but this is my first drug screening. I have been told that as long as I have RX from my MD I should be fine. This is my dream job and I am terrified of being turned down because of this screening. Even though my MD is a pain specialist and I must see him every month with very controlled prescribing parameters – he has some patients on major serious pain meds – I am making myself crazy with worry. Thank you for listening!

I'm not sure if it is the same everywhere, but I work at a facility in soutehrn Alabama. I have fibromyalgia as well as severe spinal problems (broke my back in a car accident 6 years ago, spondylolisthesis, degenerative disc disease, herniation of L3-4, L4-5, L5-S1 and spinal stenosis). I take pain medication when I am not working, and it has never been a problem for me. I have simply had to produce my Rx for my meds, and go on my merry way. I have had someone ask me about it before, but I was honest with her and she actually sympathized with me, thanked me for being so honest- and hired me.

I'm sorry you are in so much pain. I know what it's like not to be able to sleep because of pain. Hang in there- and just be honest with your future employer.

Lori

wonka · Apr 5, 2006

Good to hear of a circumstance in which honesty works out!

sarasota70rn, I hope that things are better now for you.

kids · Apr 6, 2006

There is (I believe) a lot of misinformation out there about working while on medication. The best source of information is to call the BoN directly. In my state the BoN doesn’t care as long as the meds don’t impair function and judgment.

There are millions of chronic pain sufferers, including nurses who are on long term (usually sustained release) pain meds. Sedation, impaired judgment and the other cognitive impacts of pain medications are side effects that (usually) go away with habituation.

harley007 · Apr 6, 2006

Thanks for all of your support and guess what? Great news! I passed the screen and physical with no problems. I had a note from my neurologist/pain MD and that was all it took. Just FYI his pain RX practice requires that all prescriptions go through their computer system and they maintain paperless charts. The prescriptions MUST be signed in a particular blue ink, no prescriptions called in and they must be embossed or they are not valid. He wrote my note as a prescription and it states these requirements right on the paper. It impressed the heck out of the MD examining me. If it wasn’t for the information on this site I wouldn’t have been as informed or prepared.

I told him how I was sweating this situation out before hand and he said all you had to do is exactly what you did and you are all set. Best of all when he asked where I would be working and I said I was an RN he almost did a happy dance. He was so thrilled that I was an experienced RN joining the staff at this major hospital. I am so, so, so happy and relieved. This job means $12.00 and hour raise from my school nurse job, benefits, only one night on call and three 8 hour shifts instead of five 5 hour shifts. There is a nursing God!