Do employers ever drug test on the spot at interviews?

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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.

Do not apply anywhere until at least 6 weeks have passed. Fail to do this and you run the risk of losing your nursing license because if you test positive they will probably report you to the BON. Do not give them the opportunity to have anything to report. No one on this forum can give you an accurate answer to your question, it really doesn't matter what anyone *thinks* the employer will do. Apply sooner than 6 weeks and its a complete crapshoot as to what can happen and your career and employability can hang in the balance. If you think being unemployed is financially iffy, try not being able to work as a nurse at all.

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I am recruiter for traveling nurses and even if you live in a state where marijuana is legal for recreational use you CAN NOT piss hot or test positive for marijuana.

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Just as an FYI, I've heard of some hospitals and travel nurse agencies requiring hair samples in addition to urine samples (not super-common, but it does happen). THC can be detected in your hair for months. May be problematic unless you're planning to get a buzz cut...

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I don't use drugs, but I just had a CBC drawn and out of curiosity asked the lab how long a person will test positive for marijuana. They told me that it depends on how much of the drug is used. The more used, the longer it stays in the system. They said that for heavy use, a patient will test positive for at least a month.

FYI. Straight from the horse's mouth.

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Home health companies that actually drug test (yeah, I've seen many small ones that do not) have always tested me on the spot. One small privately owned hospital offered me a position and tested the same day I filled out the application. One hospital agency tested me immediately after I passed the written tests, another required the test to be done within five days of the offer. Most large hospitals I've worked for test after the offer is accepted and background cleared, which took three weeks.

Honestly, pay for a urine drug screen and make sure it's clean before interviewing. For accuracy, there are places like Any Lab Test Now that you can get the results yourself and they use Quest Diagnostics so you know it'll be accurate. I have seen nurse's careers destroyed for testing positive pre-employment and then get reported to the BON.

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If they do, that's just too bad. Hopefully you'll learn your lesson about doing drugs.

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Yes I have been drug tested on the spot at an interview. It wasn't really part of the interview process, though, it was because they'd decided to offer me the job and they were just keeping things rolling. I filled out all the employment paperwork at that interview too. I don't know how you'd refuse the test without looking guilty of something and losing your chance at that job. If it were me, I'd reschedule that interview just to be sure any test would come back clean.

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I have a hard time understanding why people jump on other peoples post to say rude things. Like get a life. You don't know me or my background, so why dont you take your judgemental rhetoric elsewhere. (in response to Zyprexa)

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All the places I have worked for tested me later - after the interview. One place never does the testing, but they are desperate for staff. I agree with others that refusing the on the spot test might make you look guilty. Most places I work, if you refuse to test, you are terminated. Good luck whatever you decide to do.

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Specializes in 15 years in ICU, 22 years in PACU.
Nursey916 said:
I have a hard time understanding why people jump on other peoples post to say rude things. Like get a life. You don't know me or my background, so why dont you take your judgemental rhetoric elsewhere. (in response to Zyprexa)

Just look in the mirror. You jumped right back at Zyprexa (40 minutes). I would venture you know very little about him/her/them.

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Only time I was tested on the spot for a job was for a home health agency and that's because they offered me the job right after the interview. It's doubtful you would be tested the same day, but also, depending how often you smoked, it's doubtful you'd pass in a week. For regular users the average time between ceasing use and passing a drug test at the standard 50 ng/ml level is 3-6 weeks, and I know this from first hand experience. My ex was a regular MJ user (helped with his anxiety and it's a much better alternative to Benzos imo) but he wanted to enroll in a CNA program so he stopped smoking for a period and it took him 28 days to start testing clean, and he was tall, skinny, and active. MJ is fat soluble and hard to get rid of once it builds up.

It sounds like you're not having a problem getting interviews so why not just wait it out until you start testing clean? You can buy tests at any pharmacy to monitor your progress. I'm a firm believer in changing MJ legislation, but as is, if you test positive you run the risk of screwing up your nursing license and if you refuse the test, I doubt the hospital will want to interview you again at a later point. Might not be too big a deal if you live in a larger urban area but for those of us that live in rural areas, the options are limited and once you get black listed it can be hard to find work

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
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.

A close relative of mine was changing jobs and a drug test was required. It took SIX weeks for her to get a negative test from an OTC test, and when she went in for the official test, she was STILL positive. She got the job anyway because the owner of the business had gone to a great deal of trouble recruiting her from her previous position. About a year later, the entire company was random drug tested, and my relative was once again positive. ("I slipped," she said. "I've learned my lesson now!") This time, it took three months for her to get a negative test result. Three months without income.

I'll spare you the lectures because your attitude indicates you aren't receptive to opinions with which you disagree. But anyone ELSE who is reading this thread should know that you cannot be positive you'll be negative in a week.

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