How often do you get drug tested?

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How often are you drug tested in your program?

There was another post about this around the board somewhere else so I don't think its fair to assume someone is asking just to try and get around them. They might be asking because their program doesn't have testing and they might find it weird or might think it's excessive. In the other people there were a number of people who thought some programs excessively did it (8 times in a 2 year program ect)

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
How often are you drug tested in your program?
My former classmates and I were drug-tested via urinalysis approximately 1 week before school started. That was the first and last drug test during my time in school. I have since graduated.
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Specializes in Infusion.

I'm also one of those people who would like to know the motivation behind a question. If the motivation isn't listed, I make my own assumption. I don't know the motive behind this question but will say that if a future nurse is a recreational user or weekend user, they might want to choose a different career or chose legal forms of imbibing. Nursing is a stressful profession and having healthy coping mechanisms should be your goal.

Our NS requires a drug screen a week prior to clinicals. They will also test any time there is a suspicion.

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Specializes in NeuroICU/SICU/MICU.

My BSN program had no routine or random drug testing requirements. However, they did reserve the right to test if a student appeared to be impaired while in class or clinical. As far as I know, it never happened to anyone in my class.

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My school doesn't test but the clinical sites do. As they should...

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My Uni doesn't test, ever... but we have been warned that some hospitals will do random screens on the staff, and if you happen to be there, then your staff so you get screened. I've been screened once and it was a huge one, they took urine, blood and hair...

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Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.
I guess your response kind of rubbed me the wrong way because I felt you jumped to assume they were asking the question because they used drugs.

There is no way to know the OP's motivation for asking the question (and I don't feel it is necessary to provide it) but there are so many possibilities (including the chance they are indeed a drug user). Perhaps the OP has trouble urinating under pressure and does not look forward to drug screenings for this reason (this actually happened to a friend of mine). Or, maybe, the OP takes a prescription medication that shows up in there urine upon drug testing and doesn't want to go through the hassle of getting it cleared through their MD. Maybe they don't want to pay the extra fees for the screen?

The perhaps the OP should ask for tips on taking a urine screen, if they have a bashful bladder.

If they take a prescription med, they may is well get the MD clearance now, because the vast majority of employers these days drug test their prospective employees. This is just common sense. Or they could just ask the program whether they need to go ahead and get clearance.

And as far as paying for the screen, then they need to ask the school upfront, "Hey, I need to budget for these screens - about much will it run me for my required "X" number of semesters"?

For that matter - the OP logically should be asking the program this question, instead of us on the BB....because virtually every nursing program is different, and this policy varies greatly from place to place.

Some posters are going to presume that the OP coming here and asking this question, rather than logically going to the program and asking, is staying on the down low for some purpose. Thus my question, "Why do you need to know"?

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Following your logic then no one here would come and ask any questions. How many questions do people ask in general about nursing schools and what and gpa etc. when it varies from program to program. Does every person get told that they shouldn't be asking here and should just contact the school? No, people that have been in the programs try to help. I have wondered the same thing as the OP because I fall into one of the legal categories discussed in this thread (I am not a drug user), but have never posted for fear of judgement or people jumping to conclusions as some have here. I post question on forums giving as little personal information as possible because I like my privacy, not because I am hiding something bad. I am not required to nor owe it to anyone here to give the details of why a question have asked. If I am asked more detailed information, I will give it as long it is something that I am not embarassed about, or something personal as things relating to drug testing can be.

I would not ask my Nursing program first for fear that they would want to know specifics before answering the question or being so closeminded as some have been here to jump to the conclusion that I have issues with illegal drugs. When the time comes and if they need more info on the subject I would submit medical documentation if applicable. I would not just give out the info to the secretary that is giving me general info.

Many times people post questions here probably with some alterior motive. I am just not going to jump all over them for something for an judgement I am making without all the facts.

Sorry for the rant, it just bugs that everytime a thread comes up like this the answer are basically like...I am not going to help you or answer the question b/c if you are not doing anything illegal then it shouldn't matter. People still have to answer to and submit proof for some LEGAL drugs don't they? :uhoh3:

Me :nurse:

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My program doesn't drug test, but certain clinical sites do. The hospital I was at last semester didn't drug test, but the one I'm at next semester does.

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Specializes in Family Medicine.
The perhaps the OP should ask for tips on taking a urine screen, if they have a bashful bladder.

If they take a prescription med, they may is well get the MD clearance now, because the vast majority of employers these days drug test their prospective employees. This is just common sense. Or they could just ask the program whether they need to go ahead and get clearance.

And as far as paying for the screen, then they need to ask the school upfront, "Hey, I need to budget for these screens - about much will it run me for my required "X" number of semesters"?

For that matter - the OP logically should be asking the program this question, instead of us on the BB....because virtually every nursing program is different, and this policy varies greatly from place to place.

Some posters are going to presume that the OP coming here and asking this question, rather than logically going to the program and asking, is staying on the down low for some purpose. Thus my question, "Why do you need to know"?

Just want to clear up one thing:

If you are taking a prescription medication that shows up on a drug test you CANNOT get clearance ahead of time. Here is how it goes down:

1. You take the drug test

2. A doctor calls you notifying you that you failed and asks if you take any prescription medications

3. You say, "yes, I take..."

4. The doctor then asks for the name of the pharmacy that you last filled your prescription and also for your doctors phone number

5. If the drug that shows up in your urine matches the pharmacy and your doctor verifies then you are clear

This can be a humiliating experience for the drug tester because in many cases the doctor calling about the drug test results is kind of rude and assumes you are taking elicit drugs.

I just want to point this out because it is possible that the OP may be asking for this reason. If so, I bet they do not want to tell everyone what prescription medications they are taking. Its also possible that they do not want to ask their program because they might fear the program could discriminate against them if they mentioned a disability they had (even though the program cannot).

K, that's my last response to this thread. :)

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Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.

Actually with some drug tests that I have taken - I was a traveler for 7 years, they do indeed ask upfront about what meds that you are on, and on occasion have asked for a copy of the prescription or to look at the bottle so that they can research it. More and more places do "on the spot" checks.

And I do not recall, jumping on, upbraiding, or being rude regarding the OPs question. I explained merely why we might need to know the reason that the OP poses the question. Because, bluntly this is a question that should indeed be posted to their program, to get accurate data.

And, bluntly if they ask the program, it saves them from all sorts responses here that may be inaccurate, useless in their situation, and might be such discussion such as is currently going on. If you post on here, you have to expect that someone may suspect the worst, when accurate information is much more easily available from the source.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

During school, I was never drug tested though they had the right to do so at random. They wouldn't have found anything anyway :)

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