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.
If you don't mind, please post the outcome of this so that those who gave you support and positive feedback on this thread might also know how you are doing. Obviously, there may exist legitimate, compelling reasons for privacy, so of course you are free to decide how, when, and how much to divulge.
the testing company came and collected at 8 pm Sunday night. I was told it had to be sent off to be tested other than that I have no clue why it took so long although the therory you said makes me wonder. I was going to go to an off site drug testing facility after I was told the results but thought that even if I did another test Friday somewhere else that was still 5 days after the work urine test was collected which could be argued and would not prove anything about Sunday and that drug test. That is why I'm going to have a hair follicle test done which covers a larger time frame, including the day I was tested at work. I dont know what other options I have
GET A LAWYER NOW! Do not try to handle this all yourself. There are so many potential things that can happen and will if the hospital you worked for tries to defend themselves in wrong-doing. Whoever it was that reported you has something against you. If you haven't already, write down EVERY SINGLE THING YOU CAN THINK OF that happened that day, or on other days while at work that may be related. Your lawyer will want that. Also, it helps you later as these things can drag out for years and you may not remember a detail that could be important. The BRN in my state is very much Under-staffed and budgeted. You need to talk to counsel before you are "investigated" and may want them there with you, or at least a witness to what was asked. In my case, I was asked questions while the investigater wrote what I answered. I have no idea what she wrote or how she interpreted what I said. In fact, I was never given her "report".
Have you never submitted to a drug screen before? The toilet water is always blue.
There was obviously a reason they were suspicious. You submitted and it was positive. There are always three sides to a story. I guess I'm the only one not buying yours.
If you are truly innocent then you should know to immediately get a lawyer, not come on a website. Do you have malpractice insurance?
We cannot offer legal advice. That is what you are in need of. I would not have called the BON or your state monitoring program. Now, you are on the radar. Good luck and hire an attorney.
You don't have to buy her story, but you are making assumptions that are not necessarily correct. "If you are truly innocent.....". I was innocent and didn't know to get a lawyer.
It was BECAUSE I WAS INNOCENT, I didn't think I needed a lawyer. I know that was stupid of me, but I had never gone through anything like it before. I knew, of course, that I hadn't taken anything to impair Myself AND when I had taken drug screens for pre-employment etc...they didn't have blue water, so it is NOT always blue. I'm disappointed that you are a guide on this site.
Bluing tablets are added to prevent the client from scooping water out of the toilet and passing it as their specimen. It in no way alters the test.
If your specimen was sent off you should have been asked to initial the specimen. Someone then should have read a statement stating that the specimen was sealed in your presence and that the seals were signed. Really important - did you sign this statement? You should have been given a copy of it at that time for your record. One goes with the specimen, one goes to the MRO, one goes to the company, one the Occ Med tester (your hospital) is required to keep on site for AT LEAST a year (this may vary per state but here it is one year), and one that should have been given to you. They should never ask what medications you are taking - that's NONE of their business. It's only the MRO who should request your meds when your specimen is sent off. If they collected a split (most specimens sent off are a split) they tested the first bottle and it came back positive. The second bottle was then given to a different tester to be confirmed positive or negative. This is to ensure accuracy.
Something is either up with your story of with theirs - I don't know. Specimens just don't come up positive. I have yet to see a positive specimen of a person who wasn't knowingly guilty.
Yes, specimens do sometimes come up positive. Knowingly guilty? The judgments that come up on this subject blows my mind. NOT EVERYONE IS GUILTY. The paranoia on this topic has people jumping to conclusions, once again. Are we here on this site to help one another or not? If she were guilty, what benefit would she be getting from this? Why would she ask for support? I know Im sometimes naive, but why assume she is guilty? Until and unless I am given information that proves otherwise, I will support those who ask for help or simply just need to talk it out with someone. GEEZE, you guys!
False positives scare me to death! Once they see that positive then blinders go on and you are labeled guilty. No matter what you say or do they don't listen. It's as if you are the first person in the world to have a false positive. From some research I have done and experiences I have had is that Benadryl is one drug that can give you a false positive for methadone. Methadone is not real common in the hospital setting so diversion is not likely. The other one I have commonly seen is Ambien giving a false positive for benzo's. I have a
so heard of other sleeping medications also giving a false positive for benzo's.
The one thing that gets me here is how this is taken so casually by labs. These tests they have been doing have been around for many years without much improvement. False positives are widely discussed yet when they happen people play dumb and jump immediately to the subject of the test is just lying! Really? Everytime? Then that would mean there is no such thing as a false positive right? How can we prevent these? Thes tests that are "routine" are ruining lives and careers. What is a defense for a false positive? How can we prove it? I read it on this site time and time again and there are countless articles online as well. There has got to be a better answer!!!
Kallie my heart goes out to you. I hope a solution emerges from the wreckage without destroying your career. Keep your head up. Don't let the people on here or for that matter anywhere bother you or question your character or honesty. You know the truth and that's what matters. I am sure it's one of the scariest moments in time and having no control makes it 1,000 times worse. Keep your head up and feel all the love and support you have from so many on this site. Please keep us up to date on matter if you don't mind. We all like seeing a good outcome as well as the educational piece we all gain from your unfortunate circumstance.[/
You can claim the Chain Of Custody wasn't followed correctly. They do splits to perform an instant assay test at the lab the specimen is sent to. If there are any positive for the usual 10 panels they test for, they then use the 2nd split to run GC/MS to quantify the specific metabolites caught on the assay. The GC/MS doesn't lie. Being flagged for a positive methadone is pretty damning. It's highly doubtful they let you go based on an instant immunoassay test. People keep suggesting you get a hair test done. That would rule it out if it comes back negative. Is there a reason you aren't doing this? This IS your Ace in the hole. Not having one performed isn't helping your cause.
You can claim the Chain Of Custody wasn't followed correctly. They do splits to perform an instant assay test at the lab the specimen is sent to. If there are any positive for the usual 10 panels they test for, they then use the 2nd split to run GC/MS to quantify the specific metabolites caught on the assay. The GC/MS doesn't lie. Being flagged for a positive methadone is pretty damning. It's highly doubtful they let you go based on an instant immunoassay test. People keep suggesting you get a hair test done. That would rule it out if it comes back negative. Is there a reason you aren't doing this? This IS your Ace in the hole. Not having one performed isn't helping your cause.
OP stated several times that she IS getting the hair test done.
I think most posting here would concur, that would have been the FIRST thing we did after being accused of something we didn't do. Hopefully she will update the thread with the results. Every day that goes by after they gave her the results and she hasn't had some other test done to show her innocence makes her case that much harder to defend.
Kallie3006, ADN
389 Posts
Thank you very much! I haven't scoped out all the options this site offers, hopefully I can figure out the PM though!