? about FirstLab or drug testing...

Nurses Recovery

Published

Just wanted to know how often you get selected for testing. I am really short on money and need to budget an amount for these random drug screens.

Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Specializes in ICU.

I know the feeling. Hang in there Sl33y. It really does get better. Sometimes they will call you twice close together just to test you. Hang in there!! They probably won't even call you again till next month. Don't stress too much, because--- you've got to get through this no matter what, right? Even if you gotta go pawn your dvd player for gas money. Hey, I pawned a lot of stuff just to get to work when I was in TPAPN. Email me anytime if you want to talk.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thanks for the kind words!

I am really thinking a lot about going back to school (for IT, my other true love). I am still active in my recovery and am going to stay that way- with PA's VRP or not!

I will give the drug testing until January and if it is still going to be 3-4 times per month then I think I will surrender my license for the 3 years or whatever it is.

Besides, I am a new nurse (graduated in April) and am going to have a VERY hard time finding work here in the small town I live in.

Plus, I don't have much to pawn:) lol

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU.
Thanks for the kind words!

Plus, I don't have much to pawn:) lol

lol well, I didn't either. My poor kids, I remember one time we had to pawn their xbox for gas money,,, they understood because they knew I was a lot 'better' and not sick anymore, and they knew I would get it right back out as soon as I got paid. And I did. Thank god all that is over now for me and I can concentrate on staying well and enjoying life... you're getting there too! It just takes some time, and some hard work.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Does anyone know of any First Lab testing sites in Missouri?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU.

You can google "firstlab" and I'm sure it will come up.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

What is this all about? i am just in nursing school, but have never heard that there is an additional $150 to $300 month cost in addition to the student loans i will be paying back for testing twice a month!! Im in California. Just wondering if this is something all states do to all nurses? That is an extreme expense!!!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU.

wow, i just realized I already answered this question lol

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in diabetic education, dialysis.

Hi erica....are you in recovery too? I wonder if you didn't realize which forum you were reading this in? New nurses, not in recovery, are not randomly drug tested.

Or maybe I am misinterpreting your question? That's how I read it. :)

You know what? Wait, let me fix this...YOUR EMPLOYER may randomly drug test you, but this FirstLab stuff we're talking about is for nurses in an impaired nurse monitoring program for nurses with addictions.

Better?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, psych, corrections.

I don't pay anything for the facility to collect, as long as it's a LabCorp. If I go anywhere else, I pay around $15-30 collection fee. The tests themselves are $50 each and I am tested once a month. There has been one month I was testing twice and that was my 3rd month in the program. So in my state, it's $50/month.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.
Thanks for all the replies!

I guess I'm looking at $100 - $150 per month. That sucks. I can't believe it costs almost as much to collect the specimen as it does for the lab to run it!

I worked in lab settings for ~7 years and all they do for IA tests is drop urine on a card, for pete's sake.....

ok, I am in Texas and I test per my board or nursing (TxBON) reinstatement order ... I am almost thru with my 3 yrs., and for the past two years have been on the "quarterly" system... meaning every three months ~47.00 test....... here Labcorp is contracted with first lab and there is no collection fee at the time of collection.... I guess it really is in that 47.something somewhere.....

I'm counting, I have only 3 more times to test !!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.
Does anyone know of any First Lab testing sites in Missouri?

if there is labcorp they should there will be........ do you know you can get any site an approved testing site, if there are no others in the area.......when I moved to a rual area, and there was only the little county hospital, I had it made approved, by contacting CM, they sent collection kits to the hosp. even for the collections. I had to pay 10.00 for the collection, but it beat a two hour round trip drive.... to get to a "city site"

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I use First Lab in NC and I test about twice a month and the cost is $50 plus the testing fee at the lab.

Also to longhornfan1,it had been almost a month since I had been selected to test and I got worried so I called First Lab and sure enough there was a computer "glitch" and I had been kicked out of the system. You might want to check on this,

My tests were on a quarterly basis so I only tested four times a year but three different times I had to call on the very last day or they would have forgotten to call me. it's YOUR responsibility to make sure they don't forget. If I hadn't called I would have been in deep trouble.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment