Failed pre-employment drug screen

Nurses General Nursing

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I am so freaked out. I was hired, conditionally, for a job I really want. Today I found out that I failed the drug screen because it showed Darvocet. I have prescriptions for Percocet because I recently broke a bone in my foot. Over the weekend prior to the drug test, a family member gave me a couple of their pain killers until I got mine filled. I didn't put it all together until today, but apparently I took the Darvocet without thinking it would cause a problem. I am not sure yet what will happen, but I fear I will lose the job. Even worse, I am afraid of being reported to my nursing board. Any suggestions? I am feeling like a royal loser. I have never had a problem with any other drug screen in prior jobs or nursing school.

I am for real!! If someone handed me a pain pill and said take this, I wouldn't take it, especially if I didn't know what the pill was. I cannot believe how people are posting that they think it is ok to share prescription drugs. I guess this is the drug culture that we live in where people think it is OK to take other people's NARCOTICS. I don't know what medication your son has, but some of those migraine drugs can mess up your heart and alter the vessels in your brain, how is that OK? There is a huge moral issue with taking narcotics from someone else, even in a pinch, would you take a percocet from your patient if you were in pain, even in a pinch?

If you read the ANA morals and ethics you will see where this falls into several categories.

"but i see absolutely nothing (morally) wrong with taking a couple of pills from someone else, in a pinch."

The OP could have taught her family member at the time the medication was offered that taking someone elses medication is morally wrong and risky. What is your child learning about medications if s(he) sees the parent taking their medication? So many morally wrong issues in this thread and to say, are you people for real? Yes, I am 100% for real and cannot believe anyone thinks it is morally ok to share narcotics.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
i gotta ask: are all you people for real??

when it comes to a uds, i know it's wrong.

but in real life? ;)

It's kind of like the real-world vs. the textbook-world of nursing, isn't it? :)

In the real world, I know people--nurses included--swap prescription drugs all the time. Sometimes it's in a pinch; other the times the actions have a less honorable basis. Unfortunately her employer may not buy the "real world" explanation.

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OP I am so sorry that happened to you, pain is a difficult thing to deal with and I agree that in real life its easy to make a silly mistake such as this one... However it IS illegal and if the test was specific for the drug they ethically CANNOT hire you, and may ethically be required to report you to the nursing board depending on their policies and the state you live in. "My aunt gave it to me." is not an excuse, but you should definitely explain the situation regardless.. you have nothing to lose.

On a side-note, last weekend I ran into a girl from my nursing class doing cocaine in the bathroom of a nightclub I go to occasionally... I was SO shocked. She looks like such a goody-two-shoes in class and clinicals. And she will probably be very successful!!

But yet YOU got caught, with the most innocous intentions. That's life. As others have said, learn from it-- Don't do drugs that arn't perscribed to you ever again. You can have all the caffeine you want though!!

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.
i gotta ask: are all you people for real??

when it comes to a uds, i know it's wrong.

but in real life? ;)

yes, i have my husband take one of my son's migraine pills for when he has a migraine ha.

if hubby got another migraine, i'd have him get his own script.

but i see absolutely nothing (morally) wrong with taking a couple of pills from someone else, in a pinch.

op, yes, you showed not-great judgment.

if i were you, i'd come clean (heh) and tell the truth what happened.

at this point, you don't have much to lose.

leslie

As real as they come. The only thing "shared" here is Tylenol and Nyquil....

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Just the fact that I know I can be pulled anytime for a random drug test is enough from keeping me from using other people's narcs! But even though a lot of people do swap, you shouldn't b/c you never know what that drug may do to you. I had a cousin who gave his step-daughter a Lortab. She ended up in the hospital. Found out that night she was allergic to it and did some funky things to her heart!

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like you, i'm sitting here with my mouth hung open.

within my family, nope, absolutely no problem sharing.

never said it's habitual, did say "in a pinch".

and yes, i'm aware of side effects.

it comes with nsg skill and experience, but thanks for asking, checker.

i just can't get all excited about doing what you can, to help someone out.

not anyone, mind you...

ftr, my son's medicine is imitrex, not a narc.

as stated, op made bad decision.

but it's not the end of the freaking world what she did.:twocents:

her loss, and only hers.

leslie

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It's kind of like the real-world vs. the textbook-world of nursing, isn't it? :)

In the real world, I know people--nurses included--swap prescription drugs all the time. Sometimes it's in a pinch; other the times the actions have a less honorable basis. Unfortunately her employer may not buy the "real world" explanation.

yep, i hear you, meri.

it's nothing i do frequently or casually.

but hell, i do it and i'll do it again.

op had a fracture and took darvocet.

she will now likely suffer the consequences of her decision.

not understanding all the holier-than-thou posts.

she knows she messed up.

leslie

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I am with Leslie on this.

Before becoming a nurse, we would often have 'leftover' pain meds in the house. When you have NO insurance, single parent, etc....you will often do what you have to do.

As a NEW nurse, I would be terrified of taking a script that didn't have my name on it only because of the random drug screens. I would even avoid taking a narc with my name on the bottle if it wasn't a very recent issue of the med. BUT, if I just fx my foot, had a pending narc script and could take a narc to end the pain now....I may have done what the OP did. Dunno....for real, because I haven't actually done it.

It is a lesson learned for the OP. Big Brother is watching.....we should never forget.

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I know you had no evil intentions by taking the Darvocet, but the fact remains that you did take a controlled substance that was not prescribed to you. Your employer could look at this and wonder if you may make similar "judgement calls" with patients and their medications. Not saying that you would ever do that...but it's not me you have to convince.

First, set your Percocet prescription up for Auto-fill: most pharmacy chains offer this service so you will never get short on your medication and not be tempted to do this again.

Second, if you are asked by them what happened or to produce a Darvocet script, tell the employer the truth: I wouldn't try to lie about it because they specifically got a positive for Darvocet, and lying would just worsen their opinion for you. After that, all you can do is wait and hope for the best...which honestly doesn't look good for you.

Last, take this lesson away with you for the future.

Percocet is oxycodone/APAP.

It's CII, there is no auto refill and this wasn't a situation of running out of a med.

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i gotta ask: are all you people for real??

when it comes to a uds, i know it's wrong.

but in real life? ;)

yes, i have my husband take one of my son's migraine pills for when he has a migraine ha.

if hubby got another migraine, i'd have him get his own script.

but i see absolutely nothing (morally) wrong with taking a couple of pills from someone else, in a pinch.

op, yes, you showed not-great judgment.

if i were you, i'd come clean (heh) and tell the truth what happened.

at this point, you don't have much to lose.

leslie

Subbing the *exact* same med, in a pinch while a valid script is being filled is one thing.

Giving someone a completely different drug or one that isn't prescribed for them is completely different.

Not only is it morally wrong it's illegal. I like my unencumbered license, no one is worth jeopardizing it. Giving someone a prescription drug they don't have a valid prescription for is prescribing and is way outside my 'scope of practice' as a nurse and as a wife/mother/friend.

Knowing the side effects before handing out meds to whoever is all well and good until there is an unanticipated adverse response and you have to disclose to the ER doc what you gave the person. Don't think they won't file a police report or report you to the BoN if they know you're a nurse.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
Percocet is oxycodone/APAP.

It's CII, there is no auto refill and this wasn't a situation of running out of a med.

D'oh! Thought it was schedule III--my bad.

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I agree with you kids!

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