Drug Testing

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

Do any of your facilities do drug testing before hire or randomly throughout the year? What do you typically test for and is the presence of any drug enough to exclude someone? I'd hate to miss out on a good nurse because he smoked marijuana once or twice.

[CrazierThanYou]

Most places test for the usual street drugs as well as prescription drugs that the person doesnt' have a prescription for. Also, many places are doing the 5 year hair test. So, everything you've done in the past five years shows up.

Personally, I think this is a good thing. I don't want any dopers or pill heads taking care of me...

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

You probably work with them now and don't even know....and just think of all the alcoholics out there.

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

Everyone in NYS must be tested prior to hire. I think that under certain circumstances testing is done but I am not certain.

Personally, I am sick and tired of the nanny state mentality. I count Ativan as stringently as morphine. Something is wrong with this picture.

[CrazierThanYou]

You probably work with them now and don't even know....and just think of all the alcoholics out there.

Oh, I'm sure. Usually I do know. But what can you do? Drug testing is a start anyway...

[caliotter3]

I've read in employee handbooks that employees will also be tested after workplace accidents or incidents.

[Lovely_RN, MSN]

I was drug tested upon hire and can be drug tested randomly if there is an accident or suspicion of diversion. My current position is in methadone maintanence so if you are suspected of diverting you will definitely be randomly tested.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I'm in Texas, and several of my previous workplaces routinely hire employees without conducting drug testing.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

I interviewed a nurse once...she had lots of energy, good ideas, and great references. She also had, unfortunately, flunked her pre employment drug test. When I told her, she said very casually, "Oh,yeah, I did a line of cocaine at a party last weekend"...about as casually as I would say "Oh yeah, I had some onion dip at a party yesterday." I couldn't hire her because of company policy but she got a job with a local nursing agency. She ended up doing a few shifts in my building...she was a good nurse. I am certainly not advocating that we hire people who come to work impaired or who use drugs so often that their judgment and mental status is permanently impaired, but to not hire an occasional user who got caught because of bad timing?

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

I'm with you, but we are probably a very small minority. But then, I believe that they should be legal, anyway.

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

But, CCM, I would really question the judgment of anyone who is interviewing and using anyway. That says to me that they are more than a casual indulger who can take it or leave it.

[sissiesmama, ASN, RN]

I live in Louisiana and all the hospitals where dh and I have worked usually follow the same testing policies, I think.

Pre employment

Any type of on the job injury

For cause, suspected of diversion, working on a shift or unit where meds are missing (all employees)

Random - a computer selects some employee numbers and they give a specimen

Anne, RNC