Drug testing students

[Wishinonastar, BSN]

I had a weird experience the other day and I was wondering if anyone else feels uncomfortable about testing students for drug use. We had a couple of students who were supposedly smoking marijuana in their car per report of another student. I was told to screen them for impairment. I had been to training provided by the police so I went and did a brief screening exam. It was negative. My administrator said she wants to have it so that we can drug test students. I felt kind of weird about the whole thing. If I wanted to be a police officer I would have gone to school for that. I don't want to see kids lives destroyed over drug testing, but I do want to deter drug use. I am just not sure where the nurse's role of trust fits in the whole picture. How do others feel? Do you do drug testing of students? Do you think it changes your role to one of the enemy?

[morte, LPN, LVN]

apparently many schools do drug test, in this case i think the reporter should be watched for potential problems...

[Wishinonastar, BSN]

Do you mean that the student who "saw" them was just trying to hurt them? I sort of suspected that. I don't really know if heresay is enough cause to even screen them. The whole thing was blown out of proportion. No odor, no red eyes, etc. Weird.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

Do you mean that the student who "saw" them was just trying to hurt them? I sort of suspected that. I don't really know if heresay is enough cause to even screen them. The whole thing was blown out of proportion. No odor, no red eyes, etc. Weird.

yup.....

[luvschoolnursing, LPN]

If you do drug testing, what do you do with the results? Do you search the student? Notify police? Notify parents? Suspend the student? What criteria would you need to conduct a test? Would you need parental permission? We do not do drug testing but These are questions I would ask if we did.

[bergren]

The National Association of School Nurses has a position statement on drug testing students. http://www.nasn.org/Default.aspx?tabid=60

What is your school policy? In the school's policy, what is the criteria needed to be met to warrant the testing? Were the parents notified?

[luvschoolnursing, LPN]

Unfortunately, many school boards could care less what the NASN's position is on things. I have tried to use position statements in the past.

[LACA, BSN, LPN, RN]

I do all the drug testing for the middle school and high school athletes, even though I'm the elementary school nurse. I do 3 rounds of random testing for each "season" of sports. (In all, I do 9 rounds of testing a year). If a student refuses to urinate, or they fail the test, they are suspended from their sport until they pass 6 weekly tests (that the parents have to pay $60 a week for!).

I've never had to do a general population student test before (a student that isn't an athlete but is suspected.) As far as I know, our policy on that is, if you have reasonable suspicion that they are using drugs, you have the right to test them. If they refuse or fail, they are suspended or expelled depending on circumstance.

[bergren]

So in your school they drug test athletes only, not band kids or debating team?

Here is the amicus brief that the National School Boards Association wrote for Supreme Court case: http://www.nsba.org/MainMenu/SchoolLaw/AmicusBriefs/MorsevFrederickUSSupCtdup.aspx

You can search the NSBA database for more:

http://www.nsba.org/MainMenu/SchoolHealth/SearchSchoolHealth.aspx?fptid=1

Scroll to the bottom of this link: some court cases: http://www.abanet.org/publiced/lawday/schools/lessons/hs_drugs.html

[LACA, BSN, LPN, RN]

They only test athletes as of now, not band or any other organization....we can do "suspect" drug tests on any other student, but we have to have proof.