Horrible Treatment at Drug Testing

[Maria425]

Hey all. Just wanted to share my experience because it was traumatizing and I am really upset. What happened to me today was I got randomly selected for drug testing the second day in a row. Which is no big deal but what happened was I went to do my test and was very dehydrated because I had the stomach flu. So the first time I tried to pee I was 2 ml under the required amount. As soon as I showed the lady she started yelling at me saying this is going to be a failure to test unless you stay here up to 3 hours to provide another specimen. She also said they were going to lock the doors so I couldn't walk out. I needed to go get my children from the babysitter but was unable to leave until I could try again. So finally I try again after crying in the waiting room for an hour and low and behold I am a little short on urine again. Except this time the lady says 'well this will be enough and you can leave now.' Then she takes me to the door and unlocks it so I can leave. I mean I am grateful she used my sample but am still kind of humiliated st the way I was spoke to and treated. Especially locking me in the building was so stressful I didn't think I'd be able to relax enough to go. Then to say my second sample was enough when it was short as well was really confusing. Why do I have to be treated so poorly just because I am being treated for addiction? I don't know. I'm sorry if it sounds like I am whining but I really keep getting tearful over it

Thanks for listening fellow nurses.

[elijahvegas, ASN, RN, EMT-P]

Protip: the drug testing place isn't a jail or a psych ward. You can't physically hold someone against their will. It's illegal and understandably distressing to the completely alert and oriented person who is being held against their will.

well like i said, the locking of the door seemed a bit excessive. But when i read it i didn't take it as "we're locking the doors so you cant leave until you urinate" what i read was "if you choose to stay, we're locking the doors so you cant leave until you're done". Its one thing if she was told straight up she can't leave even if she wanted to, but i wholly doubt that was the case. She wanted to stay, so the doors were locked, which kind of makes sense if someone wasn't monitoring her the entire duration of that holding period. One time, an hour before closing we had someone come in with a shy bladder, missed the mark, and was so upset that we wouldn't just write it off that they stayed the full 3 hours before urinating again just to spite us. It was obnoxious at first, til i realized i could just play on my phone and get 2 hours overtime pay while he played his little waiting game with us lol.

I found it a bit bizarre when they told us the protocol for how to handle drug screening. And it wasn't just for people with addiction problems. We've screened for pre-employment, for school, as well as diversion programs, court-orders, and random work screenings. We treat em all the same. We watch you go, we take your stuff, we dont let you leave our sight. Some people are more casual about the way they handle it, others adhere strictly to it.

So once again i apologize for the horrific experience. i re-read the OP and took into account that you mentioned she was yelling and pushy, and there's no excuse for that level of unprofessionalism.

[Nurse Leigh]

Wouldn't locking the doors while people inside be a HUGE fire safety infraction? I'm no fire marshal, but that just seems dangerous.

[Tenebrae, BSN, RN]

That sounds so dodgy

I've only ever had to have a drug screen as part of a pre employment screen. I couldnt pee enough to get the sample but had the option to come back the next day better hydrated. Had they tried to hold me there you can bet your bottom dollar I would have been on the phone to the cops.

[k10-rn]

Last week I was selected to pee. I go in, pee... but not enough. I've gone to that lab for 2 years and NEVER had a problem. I laughed it off and finally went after about 1.5 hours. I GOT PICKED AGAIN THE NEXT DAY! Go in, and didn't pee enough again... ***** I was there for over two hours because I was hysterical. I'm so close to getting my license back and two days in a row I have trouble... I noticed my urine was dark & cloudy for both of the initial samples. Turns out I have cystitis. I.calmed down by the NEXT DAY. Then I am looking at my uds results and BOTH of those days my test result says POSITIVE CONFIRMED. I thought, it's probably because I am prescribed Adderall. So I look back further... there's another POSITIVE CONFIRMED mid November. I've taken Adderall since August... now I am losing my mind. Then again, if it weren't my Adderall my monitor would've called?! I haven't drank or used in almost 3 years... AT LEAST THE LAB LADIES WERE NICE! My ugly cry sure made them feel bad... I should buy them lunch!!

[Nurse Leigh]

Last week I was selected to pee. I go in, pee... but not enough. I've gone to that lab for 2 years and NEVER had a problem. I laughed it off and finally went after about 1.5 hours. I GOT PICKED AGAIN THE NEXT DAY! Go in, and didn't pee enough again... ***** I was there for over two hours because I was hysterical. I'm so close to getting my license back and two days in a row I have trouble... I noticed my urine was dark & cloudy for both of the initial samples. Turns out I have cystitis. I.calmed down by the NEXT DAY. Then I am looking at my uds results and BOTH of those days my test result says POSITIVE CONFIRMED. I thought, it's probably because I am prescribed Adderall. So I look back further... there's another POSITIVE CONFIRMED mid November. I've taken Adderall since August... now I am losing my mind. Then again, if it weren't my Adderall my monitor would've called?! I haven't drank or used in almost 3 years... AT LEAST THE LAB LADIES WERE NICE! My ugly cry sure made them feel bad... I should buy them lunch!!

(((hugs)))

That sounds awful. Congratulations on doing so well. I hope the system works out for you. And I'm glad the people in the lab were nice and respectful.

[k10-rn]

Thank you! The struggle is real, but we're all worth a second chance!!

[SmilingBluEyes]

False imprisonment?

[NoSleepTil'...]

False imprisonment is a restraint of a person in a bounded area without justification or consent. False imprisonment is a common-law felony and a tort. --Please file a report, this is unacceptable behavior...Maybe this individual is the one who requires a UDS?! They can tell you to stay, but THEY CANNOT LOCK A DOOR...this implies imprisonment.

[jdub6]

Mine wasn't as bad as yours but multiple times I had the lab tech come out and loudly announce "you'll have to wait because you're here for a DRUG TEST and I don't do those" to a full waiting room. Then I get to listen to the lady whispering to her husband about "having to wait behind these drug addicts. " thankfully her hubby must have worked DOT or something because he smiled at me and the other girl there for a drug test and told his wife he recalled showing up at work and having to go provide a sample many times.

Still, it was embarrassing and I believe a HIPAA violation. The only reason I didn't report it was I was in my last few months and just wanted to get done.

At my testing center, if you left before your 2nd try they would keep your chain of custody form...no problem for me as we filled out our own and I had a whole team of them at home! I could easily have filled out a new one and gone elsewhere.

[jdub6]

Actually, they more than likely know why she is there bc the urine will need a chain of custody to be used in legal precedings.

Actually this is false these days, at least in these parts. Most employers (esp retail) give chain of custody forms to their pre hires to take to the lab. I guess they just can't risk a false positive or negative without the legal COC to back them? Now on our forms we have to check reason for test which for us was random, so they may figure it out that way.