Drug Testing At Hospitals

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi, I was just wondering if nurses have to take random drug tests for illegal drugs? Don't worry, I'm not a druggie nursing student I was just wondering. We had to do them all the time in the Navy. Thanks.

The facility I work at now did not do a drug test pre-employment or random drug tests. This is the first hospital I have ever worked that does not do a pre-employment drug screen or random drug screens. I have worked Home Health in the past. They did drug screens at the drop of a hat.

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Because the tests only detect certain drugs (and certain drugs have a longer halflife) and a positive result doesn't necessarily mean you are an addict. Snort coke in the bathroom of a bar a month before the test and you're clear. But if you smoke a joint over the weekend you're obviously a dangerous drug addict.

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There has also been talk of smokefree workplaces screening for nicotine, but I have never been tested for that. Not that it would matter.

I would have issues with that. For one thing, my workplace is smoke-free, but my home is not ;) Besides, what about nicotine replacement therapy? It's one thing to test for illicit substances, another to test for substances that might cause a nurse to become impaired (ETOH), but nicotine? At some point, this does become an invasion of privacy.

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smurfgwen said:
at some point, this does become an invasion of privacy.

it's an invasion of privacy at the first step. if someone is smart and dedicated enough to get into med/nursing school they probably aren't using drugs at a level that would harm anyone else. if they are, you would be able to tell by their behavior. yet you could have (and do have!) people who abuse alcohol and a daily basis and they get a pass b/c it's "legal," which I might remind you is a completely irrational and not moral distinction.

that's just my opinion. I am strongly anti-drug testing.

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SmurfGwen said:
There has also been talk of smokefree workplaces screening for nicotine, but I have never been tested for that. Not that it would matter.

I would have issues with that. For one thing, my workplace is smoke-free, but my home is not ;) Besides, what about nicotine replacement therapy? It's one thing to test for illicit substances, another to test for substances that might cause a nurse to become impaired (ETOH), but nicotine? At some point, this does become an invasion of privacy.

my understanding is that it is because smokers will have to pay more and companies with no smokers get discounts on total premiums due to the fact that they smoke. just as life ins policies check to see if you smoke. dont know if that is fair or not- but its often the excuse.

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Infusion, peds, informatics.
hulahulagirl said:
it's an invasion of privacy at the first step. if someone is smart and dedicated enough to get into med/nursing school they probably aren't using drugs at a level that would harm anyone else. if they are, you would be able to tell by their behavior. yet you could have (and do have!) people who abuse alcohol and a daily basis and they get a pass b/c it's "legal," which I might remind you is a completely irrational and not moral distinction.

that's just my opinion. I am strongly anti-drug testing.

oh, I really have to disagree here.

there are many, many, many "functional" addicts out there.

some are alcoholics, some are using cocaine, some are diverting narcs.....

I've worked with some, went to school with one.

were there signs? in retrospect, yes there were. at the time, those signs were attributed to other things going on in their lives' at the time.

a couple of the places where I've worked have been "impaired nurse" magnets because of the liberal narcotic use -- for the patients ;) -- and it is frequently a shocker as to who got caught diverting.

there have been times when I have seen the signs and susptected (and taken the appropriate steps), but I would have to say that it is usually at least a surprise, if not a total shock. I've more than once uttered the phrase "but he [she] didn't seem impaired!"

as for routine drug tests, I really don't think I'd object too hard. sure, I'd moan and groan and gripe about the incovenience when it came time to pee in the cup.

however, I've seen some pretty major errors committed by impaired nurses, so ethically, I think it would be a step in the right direction as far as protecting our patients.

but I don't think routine testing of established employees will ever become wide-spread. first, it is too expensive. second, I really don't think our employers want to know. if you test positive, they have to do something about it. and that "something" will probably also be expensive -- like training a new nurse to take your place. if you've never given them a reason to test you (erratic behaviour, etc) why would they want to do that?

keeping the patients safe isn't a good enough reason -- the prevelence of crappy staffing tells us that.

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When I was in nursing school, I had to go to do my drug test prior to doing clinicals. Just so happened, this was when I had an absessed tooth and had just been prescribed percocet. Well, I went to do my drug test with my prescription bottle in hand ready to declare my prescribed med. When I get to the hospital to do the test, they tell me that I am not allowed to declare any med because of the new Hippa regulations. Well, I start panicking. I then have to go to the director of the program and show her my prescription. Thankfully, she said that she would take care of it. I would never take this med on a day that I did clinicals. I would take Tylenol and then take my percocet for pain when I was at home. The moral of this story is don't be so sure that you will be able to declare what you are taking presciption wise. I was scared to death that I was going to lose everything that I had worked so hard for just because of a legal prescription that I had.

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so as long as you have a prescription then you can't be fired for controlled substances in your urine? marijuana is legal in colorado w/ a prescription so can a nurse be exempt from testing of this substance?

dan

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critterlover said:
some are alcoholics, some are using cocaine, some are diverting narcs..... were there signs? in retrospect, yes there were. at the time, those signs were attributed to other things going on in their lives' at the time.

my point is that until drug tests are used to test for all kinds of impairment (which is basically impossible due to the rate of certain drugs being metabolized faster than others) it's not fair.

would you rather be treated by someone who smoked a joint last weekend or by someone who just went on a 3-day coke binge? big difference! stealing meds from the hospital to get high---quite a different issue, in my opinion.

health professionals should be more logical and cerebral about drug use and how it impacts our society.

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danger said:
so as long as you have a prescription then you can't be fired for controlled substances in your urine? marijuana is legal in colorado w/ a prescription so can a nurse be exempt from testing of this substance?

unfortunately marijuana is still not treated the same as other scheduled drugs because of the federal prohibition. the CA supreme court ruled employees could still be fired for using, even with a Rx. don't know about CO, but I'd say your chances aren't good if CA says no.

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Hello. I am not an RN. I am asking this question in regard to my niece, who is an RN. I found out something by accident while surfing the web. I have known for some time that my niece is a recreational pot user. I do not approve, but she is an adult and has to make her own choices, right or wrong. I found out that she tested positve during a random drug screen at the hospital she is working in. I am heart sick. I feel like slapping her and hugging her at the same time. She is living in another state but would like to come back to her home town some day. She is such a good nurse! I had the oppurtunity to see her work as she flew home during the holidays to give hospice care to a family member. She worked so hard and so long to get where she is! Can some one translate this into laymans terms? She does not know I know so I can't ask her..I had posted in another forum but this topic seems to be more to the point. I am not asking for legal advise..just need an explanation of what this means in terms of future employment?

"It was moved and seconded the Board find the respondent guilty of violating NRS 632.320 (7) unprofessional conduct, and NAC 632.890 (11) positive drug screen as condition of employment. It was moved and seconded the Board reprimand the respondent. It was moved and seconded the Board order the disciplinary action become part of the respondent's permanent record

and be published and reported to all appropriate agencies".

Does this mean she will lose her license or possibly not be able to work once she comes home and needs a license in this state? I fear her days as a nurse may be coming to a close ? Thanks.

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Ok so here's the story...I am about to start clinicals in January, so we had a drug test done last week. I have always wanted/needed to be on something for ADD for a long time but have never done anything about it. My sister told me to try one of her low dosed adderalls to see if it helped me focus. Two days later was the drug test. I started freaking out bc I wasnt prescribed any meds, and I knew that it would show up as amphetamines. So the next day I went to the doc and he actually put me on some ADD med, Concerta. So now I am prescribed concerta, which is not an amphetamine. But my question is...will they look at the prescrition fill date and see I had it filled 2 days after the drug test, and will they give me a bunch of crap for taking the adderall instead of concerta? I know that adderall is a highly abused drug, and I dont want them thinking im one of those that do that.

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