Hair follicle

Nurses Recovery

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I have a very serious issue I’m currently dealing with and I’m absolutely terrified of the outcome.

My job called me saying I needed to go take a drug test. So I went and they popped a hair follicle test on me. I recently smoked (incredibly stupid yes I know, lesson learned, will never happen again).

I’m just wondering what is going to happen.. will I be fired? What should I say to my employer? Do I need to hire a lawyer? Reported to the BON? Will I have to go through with the rehabilitation program for marijuana? How aggressive is said program? Will I be on restrictions with narcotics? I just need an answer. I am filled with anxiety about this and it feels like the world is crashing down around me. I’m looking into other careers because I feel like this is literally the end. I’m scared for my license. And my livelihood. Any advice, past experiences and all of that is greatly appreciated. I don’t need criticism. I’m beating myself up enough as it is. Thanks so much .

Specializes in ED RN and Case Manager.
21 hours ago, Katherin7 said:

100% if you come up dirty, say you were AROUND people who legally smoke. You didn’t smoke yourself. That’s the best way, and what an HR person told someone to say.

Regardless of the debate, this absolutely would NOT be accepted by the BON.

Per Quest Labs:

Is there a risk that the results of a hair test can be affected by environmental contamination (external THC)?
A: No. Quest Diagnostics utilizes several independent approaches to rule out the possibility of a positive result from external contamination:
—- ALL samples are washed prior to analysis
—- Some confirmatory assays involve analysis of the wash solution and a “wash
correction”
—- Some confirmatory assays require presence of metabolite to be reported positive***

Taken together these procedures are designed to AVOID false positives due to external contamination if the test is positive.
Most hair tests don’t test for THC anyway. They test for THC-COOH. That is a THC metabolite that enters the hair follicles/shaft via the blood. By checking for the metabolite, it eliminates the argument that you were around someone who smoked.

OP needs to get a lawyer (with BON experience). Lying isn’t going to work. It’s only going to dig the OP into an even bigger hole. You’re better off not saying ANYTHING until you speak to an attorney.

2 Votes
On 1/16/2020 at 10:57 AM, BostonFNP said:

Legalization has nothing to do with my comment.

If an individual is willing to lie about smoking pot out of self-preservation, what does that say for their professional integrity. Would they make up vital signs and document them? Would they say they administered a med they didn't? Would they document and assessment they forgot to do? Would they try and cover a med error they made?

Don't be ridiculous. This comment is rather akin to saying if they did not go to the police and report having accidentally ran a stop sign hence lying by omission next thing you know they'll be running red lights, driving 100 MPH in school zones and plowing over pedestrians when opportunity presents. God you are sanctimonious.

6 Votes
Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.
4 hours ago, K9lover said:

Don't be ridiculous. This comment is rather akin to saying if they did not go to the police and report having accidentally ran a stop sign hence lying by omission next thing you know they'll be running red lights, driving 100 MPH in school zones and plowing over pedestrians when opportunity presents. God you are sanctimonious.

If you consider me sanctimonious because I suggest that it is in poor moral integrity to engage in a willful lie to avoid professional backlash from something one admittedly and knowingly did, then perhaps you should evaluate your own professional integrity.

The example you gave is not accurate to the post. The OP didn't "accidentally run a stop sign" she/he knowingly ran the stop sign. So if you knowingly ran the stop sign, were caught on a traffic camera doing it, and got called to testify and you perjure yourself to say it was someone else driving your car, that's the analogy here.

3 Votes
Specializes in LTC.

I started TNPAP in June . Should I expect a hair follicle test this year? So far I’ve only had urine and 1 Peth. I took hydrocodone 5/325 for a couple of days (no script) 2 weeks ago for a hand injury.  If I do get hair tested will it show up? Please no judgement. Just freaking out. 

0 Votes
Specializes in icu.

I think if you get hair tested it will show up, I think hair goes back 3 or 6 months, once you get past that time period you should be OK.  Fingers crossed

0 Votes

I had my first hair follicle test four months into my TNPap contract.  We usually have two of those (or a nail test) per year, four blood draws, and twenty urine drug screens per year if opiates were your DOC.  Nurses in for alcohol get Peth tests thrown in there occasionally.   Have you had any blood tests yet?  If not, pray you don’t get one in the next month.  Didn’t you have another scare recently with alcohol? Fingers crossed you don’t get picked. 
 

No judgement at all because God knows what I would be doing if I didn’t have consequences in place, so this is coming from a place that’s concerned for your wellbeing.  I can’t stress to you enough how important it is to not take anything besides what you’re prescribed.  I've just seen two other TnPap nurses get popped in the last couple of weeks for isolated use of a prohibited substance.  They’re having to go for evaluations again, one has had to go back to inpatient, it’s a nightmare. We’ve been through enough without piling more on ourselves.  It’s such a relief to never worry when my Spectrum app says ‘you’ve been selected’ because it was never that way before. 

1 Votes
Specializes in icu.

Agree with you 100%!!   Just knowing I could be pulled at anytime for hair or nails is enough to keep me from even taking a chance.   I’m not sure how it works in our program about the rotation of selected tests, etc.  So far I’ve only been selected for urine.  I know we are guaranteed 2 pee tests a month, I think the rest is up to the discretion of the board

0 Votes
Specializes in LTC.

I had a Peth test in august. I was negative. All my urines (8) were negative.  I’ve been on naltrexone during my narc restriction.  I never had to go to inpatient. Pretty scared because I know if they hair test me I’ll be positive.  I read up on it and it says it sometimes won’t show infrequent use but I guess I’ll hope for the best. 

1 Votes
Specializes in ER-Tele-dialysis’s.

If you take 1 or 2 hydrocodone, that’s infrequent use, it won’t show up. I tested myself out curiosity.

0 Votes
Specializes in labor/delivery.
On 1/15/2020 at 6:08 PM, Anonlpn4 said:

It was December 28th. Tested 10 days later. And very infrequently before that too. I haven’t heard anything back as of yet. It was last Thursday and it’s been 4 days not including the weekend. I’m scared to death for that phone call.

What happened?

1 Votes
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