Disclosing that I am on pain medication?

kk83 · Jul 31, 2010

I take anti anxiety medications and I disclosed it on my medical form w/my other prescription meds for asthma/allergies. I was worried about it because I have anxiety disorder and I felt that I would be judged - but I truly hope my school doesn't discriminate about that! The doctor doing the physicals didn't even blink twice or ask anything about it before signing off so I guess I'm good to go. Good luck to you!

morte, LPN, LVN · Jul 31, 2010

You really need to disclose the use of these drugs. However, there is a down side. Narcotics are a mind altering drug, you cannot take patient's lives into your hands while taking them. I was taking pain meds after I had a tooth removed and while I was on the narcotic i could not take part in clinical. I could only miss 1 day and had to bear through it after that. Even though you have a prescription being under the influence of a narcotic while driving is illegal because it is mind altering and is considered a DUI. You cannot take care of patients while on these drugs. You may have to wait on nursing school until you no longer need these drugs or find another effective way of managing pain. I know it sucks, but if anything bad happens the drugs will be blamed, your school will lose its clinical rights, and someone could get hurt. Even if it doesn't have a negative effect on you, no school or hospital would risk being sued for taking this risk and you probably wouldn't want that risk either.
Good Luck

what you say pertains to the acute use of narcs, not so much to the chronic.....there are chronic pain patients out there who take enough narcs to kill the ordinary person, and are fully competent to do the job and drive...

azhic13 · Jul 31, 2010

Keep in mind you can always disclose stuff later but you can't un-disclose information.

If they ask you to disclose, and you don't, how is that not being dishonest? But, if you don't and they run a UA you're done anyways. :twocents:

Hopeful3 · Jul 31, 2010

what you say pertains to the acute use of narcs, not so much to the chronic.....there are chronic pain patients out there who take enough narcs to kill the ordinary person, and are fully competent to do the job and drive...

Thank you so much!

I find it impossible to get people to understand what it is like living and managing chronic pain on a daily basis, it is just a part of my life every day. I have never missed a single day of work from it, and never would endanger a patient's life.

I don't wish to disclose this but not sure if I have the option to not. I highly doubt I will have a UA and I like what someone else said, I can never take it back if I put it on there. It is always something that can be used as a biasis against me.

There is so much stigma surrounding pain medications anymore - mainly due to the abuse and media. There are people who truly need it, and couldn't lead a quality life without it!

Hopeful3 · Jul 31, 2010

>>You may have to wait on nursing school until you no longer need these drugs or find another effective way of managing pain. >>

Another effective way? There is none. This just confirms to me how much some people don't understand living with pain.

I am going to make an awesome nurse, and I am going onward with my dream and just not going to worry about this anymore.

Guest 360983 · Jul 31, 2010

You want to know why I took my position? Because of opinions like rpred's. I also believe you don't want to give someone in a position of power any information they could use against you.

When I worked as a medic, I saw people on dosages of meds that would kill you or me (or at least make us completely stoned), but they were going about life like normal. These weren't people in the hospital about to be discharged--these were people who were doing their daily job as soldiers. I think people who are unfamiliar with chronic pain don't understand long term effects of narcotics. That's not a knock against them--I certainly can't tell you the first thing about L&D--but if you don't understand long term effects of narcotics, you're likely to think that anyone on them, especially at high doses, is completely stoned, when they're probably functioning on the same level as the general population.

I also hold to my original statement that if my doctor says I am capable of being a nurse without restrictions, my health information is none of my school/employer/etc's concern. I didn't tell my school that I have endometriosis or allergies or that I'm on birth control. None of it is relevant to nursing school.

OpenHeartLPN · Jul 31, 2010

>>You may have to wait on nursing school until you no longer need these drugs or find another effective way of managing pain. >>
Another effective way? There is none. This just confirms to me how much some people don't understand living with pain.
I am going to make an awesome nurse, and I am going onward with my dream and just not going to worry about this anymore.

I truly do wish you the best, I am merely trying to convey to you the legal consequences that may happen to you or those that employ you. If you make an honest mistake that anyone could have made, the medication will be blamed first. Whether the meds were the cause or not they will be blamed and make it that much easier for a lawsuit. I truly understand that you need the meds, and I do hope you can make a good nurse, but everyone that takes a risk employing and training you deserves to know the risk of being sued as you do. Just because you are willing to take the chance of being sued, doesn't mean the people training you will. They deserve the chance to make that choice for themselves, as a student you work under your instructors license. To knowingly force someone to take that chance is dishonest and wrong.

I truly wish you the best and hope that you can find a school and place of employment that will be empathetic with your circumstance.

Good Luck and Best Wishes.

Hopeful3 · Jul 31, 2010

>>They deserve the chance to make that choice for themselves, as a student you work under your instructors license. To knowingly force someone to take that chance is dishonest and wrong.

Do they deserve to know what medications you are or every surgery you have had? What about personal, political or religious issues?

What about people over weight? They are a liability some could say....

Honestly, you don't have a clue. If you met me you would never know I take medications and it is no one's business. I do understand your concern and this is why I would never tell anyone the medications I take because they would never understand.

Thanks for your response.

OpenHeartLPN · Aug 1, 2010

OK, now you have quoted part of a paragraph of mine and pulled it out of its context to make your point.

Pain killers are mind altering and can affect decision making and can slow reaction time. You have honestly made me angry now.

Do you think someone taking medicinal marijuanna or mushrooms should be able to practice nursing while under the influence of them.

Oh but you said you are fine, how bout you let the people who may be responsible for the mistakes you may make be the judge of that. You have no right to risk someone else's hard earned license to obtain yours.

Maybe a blind man should be aloud to drive a taxi-cab because its no one elses business he is blind. Why don't we force telemarketing companies to hire def mutes, because the persons problem is none of their business. These are extreme cases, but it speaks to the fact that personal problems DO MATTER. I am sorry you have a disabling problem I really am, but you have a bigger problem and that is the lack of moral sense to know that not telling your instructors is WRONG.

Chapis · Aug 1, 2010

i would disclose the information. you do not know what could happen in the future and you might get sick or somehting that has to do with your health. right now it's been under control but you do not know when it will spun out of control.

in case you have to miss clinical due to a meltdown or an episode you have documentation backing you up.

not to long ago a poster posted saying that her nursing school dismissed her due to her missing one clinical, she didn't disclose to the school about her anxiety attacks and medicine and the morning of a clinical she felt an axiety attack and called in for clinical. don't shoot yourself in the foot by not letting your school know anything that has to do with you that at a time might come in handy.

a posted above said that any health issues or medications is between he/she and the doctor, i agree, but you'll be disclosing this information to your nursing school. i am sure they'll keep it in your file and will remain private and confidential.

its not like you'll be posting it in your city's newspaper for everyone to know.

if your school is requiring this information from students is to prevent missunderstandings or problems in the future with call ins.

in nursing school they teach us to document document document-because after all is said and done what is on that piece of paper is going to save our butts in the future.

Trauma Columnist · Aug 1, 2010

If the form/application asks directly to list all your meds, you would be lying to not disclose.

For every nursing job I've ever held I've had to obtain a UA drug test as well as a breathalyzer.

Again, for these tests they what meds you are currently taking so that when you come up positive for whatever you are taking, its not a big deal.

This isn't being judgemental at all - just the way employment as a nurse works.

Editorial Team / Admin · Aug 1, 2010

I agree with traumaRUs. If the question(s) is asked on the form, you have to disclose. Honesty is paramount.

Wishing you all kinds of luck in your nursing career goals!!