Drug Testing At Hospitals

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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.

KellNY said:
Actually, it's not a felony, but that's really beside the point. Nurses smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol. MJ smoked 2 weeks ago on my vacation in Cancun isn't going to effect me hanging an ampicillin now as won't the mojitos I had there. (Lets get really silly and say I went to Amsterdam where it was perfectly legal for me to toke up) But really, this is OT, and I shouldn't have brought it up. Oh well.

Dorimar, I know that you can declair your prescription use before hand, but as I've stated, I don't think it's anyones business that I took a Xanax last week because my father died (made up scenario). There is still a large stigma attached to mental health issues, including anxiety. *YES* (and I'm tired of spelling this out) it is their business if I come in buzzed, or foggy, or groggy, etc. But if I come in, able to do my job, then it's no problem.

ANY employee that comes in unable to perform basic duties or who seems under the influence should be reported and evaluated before being allowed to work-period.

kelly

cigs and alcohol are legal - mj is not in the USA- so regardless where you kmay go where it is legal one should not come back expecting to get away with it. just my opinion.

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L&Dsomeday said:
Please correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that credit checks are only done if you will be working in a position that involves handling money.

T

actually no - they do it often - they say because if a person is inept at handling their personal money affairs they may be not good employee - perhaps thier lack of money is to the fact they dont work good and loose jobs ofetn . not right in my opinion on the credit check ( unless as someone stated here - yo have to be handling money that is differnt.

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mlnrs1 said:
Because it is a gross violation of my right to privacy. There are restrictions on what a potential employer is allowed to ask a previous employer about me, yet, I am required to provide a sample of my bodily fluids for examination?

I don't do drugs. I've been drug tested for just about every job I've ever had (nursing or not) and I think the experience is rather degrading.

I thin k we all need to get used to it - some places - like the last place I worked last went as far as to install a time machine that you had to use your fingerprint to sign in!! this was way beyond my comprehension in a small town of maybe 1500 LOL - glad I'm not there anymore.

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Warpster said:
I can certainly see drug testing for cause like odd behavior changes, absenteeism, and poor job performance. I resent and thankfully have never been subjected to a random drug test as a corporate fishing expedition.

I think the line is quite clear between an appropriate use of testing and an infringement of personal rights.

As for the procedure, a test really doesn't have to be observed and humiliating. A surprise test on an employee can be performed with a standard cup in a stall in a real bathroom. Cheating requires foreknowledge. Urine osmo will tell if water's been scooped out of the bowl to dilute the urine in the cup.

I've worked with two nurses who were tested for cause and several others who were tested when the narc count was off that day. This is entirely appropriate. If they changed the completely humiliating nature of the procedure it would never be that big a deal and would be accepted as part of protecting patients from fallible staff who run into trouble like anybody else.

yor point is accurate that it stops cheating - someone already posted thier brother or a friend? uses a childs urine so they cant tell he gets high - scary to think that if given forewarning how many could do the same an still be working.

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Happy2Beme said:
I don't do any illegal drugs and drink zero alcohol. But I think drug testing is an invasion of privacy and also really stupid, because it doesn't really prove a whole lot.

I would much rather work with nurses who smoke MJ occasionally than alcohol abusers who think it's OK to "party" till they puke, then come in to work with a big hangover.:nono:

Talk about impaired:uhoh21:

And how bout those addicted to nicotine that everytime you turn around, (usually when one of their patient's need them), they're gone to smoke a ciggy:angryfire

I am one of the nurses who is addicted to nicotine and I can tell you you will not find me out smoking anytime the urge hits - nor any of the other nurses I work with - I take my mandatory half hour break ( if I have time - many times I am lucky to get out for 5 mn and have a few puffs ) and never take my first 15 min break they goive in good faith and rarely do I even get the second 15 min break they nicely but dont have to give us.

I agree hung over people shoudl be sent home and if anyone of my staff came in looking like they just got up and quit drinking few hours ago and are still drunk id send em home after of course getting them to either agree or disagree to being tested.

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caroladybelle said:
I personally would rather not work with MJ smoker OR the alcohol abuser, and wonder why it is considered an either/or situation, rather than a not at all situation.

It is also irrelevant because most drug screens that I have had, have screened for alcohol as well as the illegal substances.

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

many places such as the one I work at now do not alow you to smoke on premisses - you have to go off the area to smoke - which is OK as I smoke in my car anyhow - I just move it a few feet to the road LOL. as for the screening many like my last jobh sceened anyone who had their insuranvce cause if they smoked thier part of teh premiums went up - jst a fact of life - smoking is becoming a thorn - heck - many cities in our area have smoking banned in thier cities!! no public place can you smoke - bars in particular are closing down as noone frequents them anymore LOL. glad I am not abusiness owner that has to follow that - poor for thier business. I saw a bumper sticker yesterday - said at least I can still smoke in my car :).

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chigap said:
I have had to take many drug tests and have always passed. But maybe that doesn't go far enough. Nurses should be subjected to credit checks, blood tests to determine alcohol use, psychological testing, testing for domestic abuse, assessment of stress levels, blood testing for nicotine, asssessment for sleep disorders, random home visits, fatigue testing and assessment for religious finaticism. All of these things and more can cloud your judgement and impair your ability to care for a patient. I would rather have a nurse who smoked a joint two days ago than one who was up all night fighting with his/her partner or was on their 15th hour of a double shift. I would rather have a nurse who took an Xanax yesterday then one who drank atwo bottles of wine yesterday. I would rather have a nurse who had the worst credit in the world than one who was working at full speed for 10 hours without a break.

I am being extreme here, but I hope it makes a point.

LOLOL id fail miserably then - sleep apnea - alcoholic hubby - TWO emotionally dosabled children one so severe he has to go to a special school for out of control kids - stress?? not much here LOL. not to mention my own health issues declining fast at times hahha. why I honestly assessed myself and work only when I know I am good to go as my marine son would say ( who was 3 of 4 yrs in iraq - did I say I had not much stress ? lolol) I work around my issues so I know that I can take adequate care of my people and also so I dont be detrimental to the family either. I know not everone has that privalege ( one parent homes etc) but I am blessed.

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jessegw1 said:
Eating Poppy seeds are supposed to sometimes give a positive for opium. A hamburger/ roll with poppy seeds might be best avoided, but then trucking companies, etc. with experience with drug testing are usually willing to retest without a problem. I talked to a drug tester, and he said amounts have to be rather large to give a positive so poppy seeds might be just a rumor. Being in a room with smoke from something probably would not be detectable, but inhaling from a joint would. I don't even take tylenol. I am trying to learn more about plants though.

I think refined sugar, high fruictose corn syrup, concentrated fruit juice, aspertame, etc. should be illegal also.

I wsa also told one needs to eat a LOT of poppy to get a positive result - however - as for being in the same room as someone smoking mj - yes - you can pop positive - my huby had a friend loss a job before he even started bcause of it - thought he could save his friend and was with him when he wsa smoking - it goes into theblood stream albeit not as big a quantity but it does and being an ILLEGAL drug - the place had a no tolerance zone so he never even got the job -

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twotrees2 said:
any place I have worked itis policy that they can do drug testing when and if they deem appropriate - generally if someone has an accident or they make a bad error - then yes theyd test - we also had one tested and fired for coming to9 work under the influince and we suspected ita nd had him tested and he came back positive. not just in the medical fiewld - most places are going to9 this. most places even do a drug screen at the initial physical also.

oh questioon on miltary testing - my hubby way back when said of one popped they spot check others and my son ( much more recently like last 4 yrs LOL) said if one popped in unit whole unit was tested ) has anyone heard of that deep of testing being done in nursing - now THAT I might have a problem with - I guess the military ( at least these last few yrs I can understand cause they are all together and the likely hood one pops so will more but outside of work I dont know a whole lot of nurses who hang - ( they may hang with one or two but not the whole crowd LOL) just wondering if anyone experiencing that in depth checks.

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Well, I don't use illegal drugs, don't drink to excess and don't even smoke on the job. I consider those 8 hours a smoke free blessing!

I have beeen close to 3 incidents of a co-worker diverting/using narcotics on the job.

Frankly, ALL of them were obvious in a short while, gave MAJOR clues/warning signs of a problem, and were apprehended within 2 weeks

of suspicion. They all went into diversion programs, and were able to return to thier jobs

The poor guy who did nothing wrong, except balk at being mandated to do something by someone who had NO authority to order it, got fired, and subsequently blacklisted within the community.

Is that fair?

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Specializes in med-surg.

I work at vumc in nashville, tn. everyone knows the hospital, university and the cutting edge healthcare that it provides. however, most people would be shocked to know that the hospital does not drug test new employees! when I was hired I asked where will I be sent to do the test and I was informed that I did not have to. I wonder how many people would be employed at the hospital if this routine test was required. knowing that any employee that has contact with patients may be high is down right scary. I know of several people that were smoking weed on breaks and coming back in to work. also weed was being sold among employees at the hospital:nono:. I informed the university police about what was going on but I do not know if anything was ever done. drug testing should be mandatory in all hospitals. :confused::idea:

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It was Ben Franklin who said: "He who would sacrifice essential liberty for some temporary security deserve neither liberty nor security".

As we are forced to give up more and more of our privacy rights; I fear the day will come when many people will forget that we once had privacy rights!

I think the reason more employers do not do random testing is because it usually is found to be not cost effective. Testing for cause is just as effective as random testing everyone. Also, random testing does promote an atmosphere of mistrust among employees.

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