I am an RN for 2 yrs now and recently had a nurse claim narcs were missing when she was given meds. It was fine when we counted them after my shift, but she claims the count must have been wrong.
I do not do drugs and would not. I worked ten years for my education while being a single parent to three kids, no way would I risk it.
They asked me and the nurse prior to my shift to do a drug test. She got hers back yesterday - I am still waiting on mine.
I gave them a list of all the supplements I take (vitamins, fish oils etc) and mentioned that I drink some herbal teas. Out of sheer anxiousness I started looking on the net for what could cause false positives on tests. Imagine my surprise that a tea I drink might show a positive test for cocaine!!! OMG!!!
The tea I drink is made by Teavana - a chain of premium tea stores. It is called "My Morning Mate" and is touted to have as much caffeine as coffee but with less jitteriness.
No offense (and I truly mean that), but my thought after reading the OP was... "she sounds like she knows it will come up positive and is looking for a reason to explain it away"...
Maybe because I'm not a nurse yet? Maybe because I have not been under the pressure of the evil healthcare managers that care nothing for nurses and all about their paychecks? Mostly it's probably because I'm just naive..... Dunno but.....
Pretty asinine for you to even say this. I was drug tested on the spot after a nurse "accused" me of taking narcs when it was actually her who miscounted. I've never been so ticked off and humiliated in my ENTIRE life. I have never touched drugs in my life so of course, it was NEGATIVE but the fact of the matter is...it never should have gotten to that point. Absurd! I hope you never are put in this situation...if you are, you might just change your tune.
Specializes in Addiction, Psych, Geri, Hospice, MedSurg.
No offense (and I truly mean that), but my thought after reading the OP was... "she sounds like she knows it will come up positive and is looking for a reason to explain it away"...
Maybe because I'm not a nurse yet? Maybe because I have not been under the pressure of the evil healthcare managers that care nothing for nurses and all about their paychecks? Mostly it's probably because I'm just naive..... Dunno but.....
As a nurse that works in an addiction clinic... you are right... It *IS* because you are not a nurse yet and because you are naive (your words, not mine).
There are MANY MANY MANY drugs, food, teas and a host of other things that can cross react. I once had a patient that the metabolites of benadryl in HIS BODY showed positive as METHADONE. We urine screened him 5 times over 2 days. Finally sent him for a blood test and it was negative.
It can and does happen.
I also worked with a nurse who was fired because she was "drunk at work." Guess what... she wasn't drunk. She had diabetes, and her sugar was high and she was expelling keytones. She was (rightly) reinstated, but only after she got an attorney involved.
I am sure while in nursing school, you'll learn more about these phenomenons and all the things that can cause false positives. For instance: A vicks inhaler can make you pop for amphetamines.
If you read this, you will see that yerba mate is a holly tree that contains caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline, and various other plant chemicals.
Nowhere does it list that it contains benzoylecognine, which is the the diagnostic metabolite of cocaine.
Coca de mate is made from the leaves of the coca plant that cocaine is made from. Now coca de mate is legal in the US, however coca de mate is "de-cocained", but still contains a trace amount of cocaine that can still cause one to test positive in a UDS.
The only thing yerba mate and coca de mate have in common is the word "mate", which means gourd, and derives from the utensil that was used to drink the beverage out of.
Specializes in Addiction, Psych, Geri, Hospice, MedSurg.
Delaminated,
Do you know of any good lists of all the different items that may cause issues on drug tests? I think I want to make sure I don't use any of them!
Thanks!
OMG!! If I give you a list, you won't be taking anything!!! LOL
The majority is any cold remedy!! But, let me check my resources. I have a good link, but I think it is on my work computer. Here is one that is pretty good (the one I have you type in the drug and will tell you of possible cross reaction, so it is much better).
Pretty asinine for you to even say this. I was drug tested on the spot after a nurse "accused" me of taking narcs when it was actually her who miscounted. I've never been so ticked off and humiliated in my ENTIRE life. I have never touched drugs in my life so of course, it was NEGATIVE but the fact of the matter is...it never should have gotten to that point. Absurd! I hope you never are put in this situation...if you are, you might just change your tune.
As a nurse that works in an addiction clinic... you are right... It *IS* because you are not a nurse yet and because you are naive (your words, not mine).
There are MANY MANY MANY drugs, food, teas and a host of other things that can cross react. I once had a patient that the metabolites of benadryl in HIS BODY showed positive as METHADONE. We urine screened him 5 times over 2 days. Finally sent him for a blood test and it was negative.
It can and does happen.
I also worked with a nurse who was fired because she was "drunk at work." Guess what... she wasn't drunk. She had diabetes, and her sugar was high and she was expelling keytones. She was (rightly) reinstated, but only after she got an attorney involved.
I am sure while in nursing school, you'll learn more about these phenomenons and all the things that can cause false positives. For instance: A vicks inhaler can make you pop for amphetamines.
Thank you! The exact kind of response I was looking for. Thank you for being so well informed and able to see through my "I've been up since 3am so even though this isn't coming out right, I'm going to post it anyway" attitude.
Edit: let me just throw it out there also that while I am still very green and uninformed, I am not completely so. If I REALLY wanted to be ****** about it, I would of brought up the old standby of whether she actually knew the tea contained cocaine and just didn't care.... But again, I meant no offense in the first place and don't know why people just love to come on this site and get their panties in a wad over nothing.
Wow...again...I guess that is the response I expected to get from someone who thinks like you do. Good luck...you're going to need it with an attitude like that.
Edit: let me just throw it out there also that while I am still very green and uninformed, I am not completely so. If I REALLY wanted to be ****** about it, I would of brought up the old standby of whether she actually knew the tea contained cocaine and just didn't care.... But again, I meant no offense in the first place and don't know why people just love to come on this site and get their panties in a wad over nothing.
"she sounds like she knows it will come up positive and is looking for a reason to explain it away"...
Why shouldn't someone get their "panties in a wad" when you make a statement like you previously did? What gives YOU the right to make any statement like that without knowing the facts? Again, I hope you never have to go through something so humiliating.
I am happy to say my drug test came back clean as a whistle! I am back to work tonight (better get some sleep). Thank you all for supporting me through my little anxiety attack
May God Bless you all. On a side note, my boss asked me about the interviews for the promotion. I told her I have one last interview. One of my nurse friends told me she has already started asking other nurses who wants my shift LOL Geez, the body ain't even cold yet!
For those of you who responded who are not nurses yet, You will love it! Check your ego at the door, be a teachable person, smile and greet everyone with a sincere hello, Keep your sense of humor and think of your patients like your own mother.father,brother, sister. Treat your CNA's with respect and let them know what you need from them - they cannot read your mind. Reward them well, they work as hard - if not harder than you do. That is what I have learned over the last two years, and it has served me well.
I'd be more ticked about being suspended.. Whats this do for your reputation on the floor? Talk about guilty until proven innocent! This sounds harsh but from a military view--the fact that you were "suspended pending the results of a UDS" makes you a druggie in alot of peoples eyes.
I was suspended with pay as long as test came back neg.-which it did. It was a very NICE long weekend for me and I got quite a bit done.
This is a policy. When narc count is off, all involved are given a UDS and suspended. If refused - automatic termination. Suspension is with pay unless comes up positive.
My night shift staff are a great bunch and know me pretty well. I don't know what were the rumors flying around while I was gone, but most of them called me to find out if I was alright.
nursemichelle80, BSN, RN
96 Posts
Pretty asinine for you to even say this. I was drug tested on the spot after a nurse "accused" me of taking narcs when it was actually her who miscounted. I've never been so ticked off and humiliated in my ENTIRE life. I have never touched drugs in my life so of course, it was NEGATIVE but the fact of the matter is...it never should have gotten to that point. Absurd! I hope you never are put in this situation...if you are, you might just change your tune.