Do employers ever drug test on the spot at interviews?

Lisacar130 · Aug 15, 2017

Please be more cautious about this. Even in a week, are you 100% sure you will be negative? I wouldn't chance it. If you are positive, they will report you to the board even if you never end up working there. You could end up with a permanent mark on your license and end up in a program for addicts which included expensive random drug screens for years.

If I were you, I would wait at least a month if not longer. Even if you test yourself and buy a drug test online, that could have a different cut off for what is considered positive.

Not really a lecture but also be careful about the marijuana use. In the future, let's say you smoke it on your day off. You could be tested at any time at work if you have to go to employee health for any reason, like if you end up in a nonrelated accident. So just keep that in mind.

Nursey916 · Aug 15, 2017

Lisacar130 said:
Please be more cautious about this. Even in a week, are you 100% sure you will be negative? I wouldn't chance it. If you are positive, they will report you to the board even if you never end up working there. You could end up with a permanent mark on your license and end up in a program for addicts which included expensive random drug screens for years.
If I were you, I would wait at least a month if not longer. Even if you test yourself and buy a drug test online, that could have a different cut off for what is considered positive.
Not really a lecture but also be careful about the marijuana use. In the future, let's say you smoke it on your day off. You could be tested at any time at work if you have to go to employee health for any reason, like if you end up in a nonrelated accident. So just keep that in mind.

Well actually a relative of mine is a parole officer and is gonna give me one of his drug tests that he uses to test his parolees. I'd assume they're just as good as the lab ones as being on parole and having to submit to random drug tests are no laughing matter. You kind of failed to answer my initial question though in regards to whether or not they test AT the interview and if they do if I have the right to refuse a drug test until i accept a formal offer?? I'm not worried about anything else BUT that, if I'm given an offer I will delay orientation or simply decline the offer before I EVER fail a pre-employment drug test. I'm not that stupid. Once I start working again I won't be smoking at all either.

Lisacar130 · Aug 15, 2017

OK sounds good. I would think you can refuse a drug test for any reason as long as you aren't an employee. I haven't heard of anyone getting in trouble in any way for not submitting a preemployment drug screen. (I have heard of positive preemployment drug screens being reported though). I wouldn't know if they would want you to test that very day or not. They could say that they don't give formal offers until they have a drug test done...but just tell them you want to think about the "preliminary" offer a little more, which is reasonable. You could have some more interviews lined up or whatnot. You should be fine.

dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN · Aug 15, 2017

It might look kinda sketch if you refuse to drop that day, though.

Lisacar130 · Aug 15, 2017

Honestly they would sound desperate to proceed with drug testing the same day of the interview, I haven't heard of it happening that fast but it's possible.

It could look suspicious and could result in not getting the offer but the OP shouldn't have problems with the board.

Nursey916 · Aug 15, 2017

I don't care if i look sketchy or if they withdraw their offer because of it as long as i dont get in trouble with the BON (replying to dirtyhippiegirl)

Lhalty · Aug 15, 2017

Let say they don't drug test you on the interview and then you get hired. You will end up by getting drug tested and if your test came back pos you gonna get screwed. If it s me I will wait few days till i am clean then go for the interviews. It's your license on the play here, some risks are not worth taking. You decide

jeckrn, BSN, RN · Aug 15, 2017

Since pot is fat soluble it will take appox 30 days to get out of your system were other drugs around 72-96 hours

kbrn2002, ADN, RN · Aug 15, 2017

It's not typical to require the pre-employment drug test until an offer is formally extended. Those tests aren't free and employers aren't going to do one on every applicant. Even if you are offered a job on the spot the drug test, background check and other employment paperwork are usually scheduled for a later date. Be careful with your timeline though, pot can detectable on a drug screen for longer than you might think. Give it at least a month, 6 weeks is better. Doing a pre-test yourself to be sure is a good idea.

bathrobemom, LPN · Aug 15, 2017

For my last job, they had me take a drug test at the end of the interview. This was for a nursing home, they were probably desperate to hire and did the drug test right away to speed things up.

allnurses Guide · Aug 15, 2017

Nursey916 said:
So I haven't practiced in the last few months, I took some time off to travel and relax. I spent a lot of my time with my sister who lives in Portland though where marijuana is recreationally legal and I smoked quite a bit while I was there. I set up 5 interviews this week starting tomorrow as I'm needing to get back to work. I'm a bit paranoid to go to them though because I've read and heard that sometimes they will drug test u on the spot. Has anyone had this happen or heard of it happening? If they do can I tell them I'm not submitting to any drug test until I've formally accepted an offer? I figured I would go to the interview and if they offered me the job I would tell them I can't orientate for another week (I know ill test negative by then and plan on taking a store bought drug test before I go to make sure). Any advice would be helpful and anyone who wants to reply with the annoying lectures about how nurses shouldn't smoke pot, please spare me. I know to never smoke marijuana while I'm practicing and take my license very seriously.

I have never had a prospective employer test my urine and I have been in the work force for over 30 years (17 of those as an RN). They really can't make you as you are not an employee and therefore they have no direct control or right to ask. That being said The laws regarding this may vary from State to state.

If we are only talking about a week why not wait? Take your test and confirm you are negative. Then no worries. I will not lecture you about the dangers of recreational use of MJ (if what you say is true you are a recreational user and can take it or leave it) but I will offer you a cautionary tale. I was under under BON supervision from 2002 to 2007 due to a problem with alcohol. While I firmly believe this action saved my life it was still Draconian in it's stipulations and total abstinence policies. I had surgery and the BON only suspended my testing for five days even though I had no history of opiate abuse. The whole thing ended up costing me around $35,000.00. So beware you do not want the BON breathing down your neck for three to five years.

Hppy