Drug urine test after 12 hour shift

Nurses Recovery

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After the completion of my shift I was escorted by the house supervisor to another floor where a woman, hospital security, and house soup for the next shift waiting for me. I was told on the way there that several reports was made about me "acting more nervous than normal" and "uncontrolled twitching", so I was asked to give a urine sample. The testing company lady asked what medications I took and wrote those on her paper, added a substance to the toilet water and accompanied me in the bathroom for me to give my specimen. I was contacted by my superior stating I was suspended until the results came back. I called HR the 2nd full day after and inquired about the tests and was informed there was not anything under my name at that time. I emailed my superior again and was told HR would be the ones contacting me when the test came back. I also emailed HR just trying to find out what the time frame was for this, and if I needed to be doing something in the meantime, I was finally told by HR the test results can take anywhere from 3-5 days. I was called at almost 5 one afternoon with a message left to call back and nothing else. The next day I received an email and phone call that they wanted to meet with me. I was escorted to another office where my superior and another in a management position told me my test results came back positive. I was told my test showed methadone and benzo. I asked if the test could be reran, take another test, hair follicle test and/or polygraph and was told no. I was given information on TPAPN, a copy of the signed termination papers, and handed over my badge. I told them that I have never taken any of those drugs and told that "that's not what the test shows." I was informed I would be reported to the board and my best bet was to self enroll in TPAP. They stated they was going through my charting as well and my medication charting was "sloppy", which I'm not quiet sure how to take. I have since emailed and requested a copy of the reported drug test results and have not heard anything back yet. The MRO never contacted me during this process (after much googling I'm not 100% on the process) I take benadryl, nexium, sleep aid, tylenol, ibuprofen, and or tylenol. I'm not sure on my course of action at this point. On the way home I bought an at home test from CVS and took that test in front of my husband (I know this will not help my case at all at this point but I needed to know) that test was negative. I plan on getting my own hair follicle test on Tuesday at a DOT facility, I'm sending another email for a request in writing for another test to be ran on my sample I gave. I did sign the hospital consent and the paper from the testing company although I did not initial or sign anything after the sticker was placed on top of the specimen cup. I'm so furious at the whole process of this and feel like a dog chasing it's tail because I don't know what else to do. Has this happened to anyone else? I'm going through this tunnel just trying to locate the light at the end.

Here is a list of medications and how they can effect drug testing.

substances_that_cause_false_positives [Wiki Drug Testing]

Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.

Sorry, I was going to reply, but with no paragraph breaks, I I got dizzy

Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
Thank you! I contacted TPAPN when I retured home to see if they could point me in the right direction and they told me to call the Board. Called them, they checked my license and told me there wasn't anything filed against it ( i could have told them that much since the time lapse was maybe 2 hour) and all they said was if they do turn it in to them it would be looked at to determine if further investigation needed to be done and if so I would be notified in writing. I didnt even think to ask them for a direction with legal counsel, I will be doing that Tues. If there is a level above anxiety Im pretty sure that's about where Im at right now

Regardless of what you may have been told the BRN and TPAPN are not your friends. Yes I owe my life to a monitoring program and will be forever grateful for my current state of sobriety. But these people are not interested in your sobriety - their mandate is to protect the public from the impaired nurse. You need to hire a lawyer to guide you - Don't just go to any doctor for a UDS, and certainly don't do one at home. Without proper chain of custody the results are useless and inadmissible in a court of law or administrative law hearing. You mentioned you take a sleep aid - depending on what it is it may be the cause of the positive Benzo screen. In the meantime go to your primary care physician and get an official copy of your prescriptions and the reason you are taking each and every one including OTC and birth control. In the meantime don't talk about this on the internet or with people you have worked with. Stop calling your employer. They are not legally bound to provide you with a copy of your UDS - but your attorney can request it along with the chain of custody documentation to show that that urine went directly from your bladder to the testing lab. By the way did they take a split sample - that is two small bottles of urine so that it can be retested if the first test comes up positive.

Lastly - If you do have substance abuse issues (and I am not saying you do) use this as a wake-up call to get yourself sorted out and on the path to sobriety.

Peace and Namaste

Hppy

Sobriety Date 10/22/2004

Specializes in Surgical, Home Infusions, HVU, PCU, Neuro.

She added something to the water that turned it blue, Im pretty sure its to make sure that the urine is not altered, synthetic ect, from what I understand its common for testing agencys around here to add this to the toilet water. Im going to try to get a consultation with a lawyer Tuesday since its a 3 day weekend. I was going to get another facility to test me after I found out what this test showed but timeframe wise it could be argued that the second test (the one I would be taking on my own accord) would neither prove or disprove the results they are claiming from the test Sunday at the hospital after my shift. I am going instead to have a hair follicle test completed which would cover a broader time, including the Sunday test. Ive been trying to find what else I can do.

Specializes in Surgical, Home Infusions, HVU, PCU, Neuro.

We had to wait for the drug test results at the pre-employment screening as well, they sent us to an outside facility to have that done. Im not quiet for sure what the "whole one side of the story anecdote fits" means. I have emails I sent to my director during the waiting period when I was trying to find out what was going on. Sunday after my shift, and Friday when I was brought in to discuss all of this, the only thing I was told was I was reported to the House Soup for "acting more nervous than usual", and "uncontrollable twitching," On both occasions that was all that was told to me.

I'm so sorry this is happening to you. I infact do take benzodiazepines for anxiety and I have to go to a lab for drug tests every time I go to a new hospital (I'm a travel RN so this is frequently). Not ONCE has a test shown positive!!!!!! But when seen in an ER they ran a drug screen (not sure why?) and they could tell specifically what med I took from the same family! I would mark every date and time you have tried to contact HR, because they are the worst humans on the planet. (I'm pretty sure you have to fail a personality test and psych evaluation to qualify for an HR position). GET THE HAIR TEST! Expensive but will hold up in court!

Specializes in Surgical, Home Infusions, HVU, PCU, Neuro.

I not only had to wait 5 days for results, they was given to me verbally. I have not seen the result paperwork from the lab although I did send an email requesting it when I got home

Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

This sounds super suspicious. I'm thinking they wanted you out & this is how they got you out. Definitely contact your if you have it & get a lawyer ASAP! Good luck.

Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.

Get a lawyer and contact your .

There is something that doesn't add up in the story and I hope your lawyer will be able to fill those gaps for you.

It sounds like the wait was due to a positive EIA urine test being sent our for a GC/MS confirmation. The OTC-med false positives on GC/MS are very low.

Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.

Methylene blue, colorimetric....additive, for dilution attemps

Fyi the stuff they put in the toilet is literally just a dye, usually blue, so people can't use toilet water for their sample or dilute their sample. It seems dumb but having collected drug screens for years people have still done it even with the bluing! The person urinated in a cup so it doesn't contaminate it or come in contact with it.

Specializes in Unit Nurse.
I did read a article online that on some urine testing a blue dye is added to toilet water to prevent a urine sample from being diluted with water.

That is true. Several places I have tested does that

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