I am a Canadian RN and I have to say I have been shocked reading here over the past few weeks of a lot of the things that are done as standard practice in the US! Drug tests on everyone at hire, physical examinations, disclosing your medical conditions/mental illness and prescribed meds on hire or licensure, etc! I personally feel this is a violation of human rights and wonder how these processes are viewed in the US?
(Obviously if a nurse is not functioning properly or appears impaired these avenues need to be explored, but I don't feel it is right to do as a default. If you are taking a medication that does not impair you whatsoever, it's no one's business in my opinion)
So what do you guys think about this? Anyone who actually agrees with it, or is it just something that is put up with because they all do it?
*Edit* Also very shocking to me to read of nurses fired after workplace injuries! I am so very grateful and thankful this is illegal here after suffering a severe workplace injury myself (you can read my thread about that here : https://allnurses.com/nurses-with-disabilities/severe-workplace-injuries-1021876.html if interested. Thanks :) )
Mainly drug testing is done because taking drugs is illegal. You provide a list of meds so that when they test you they don't result your test as positive because you gave them a heads up. At least in my health care system the company does not know what I take, they only know I passed the drug test.
Also pre-existing conditions protect the company from liability should you become injured or ill while employed by them.
Why would you not want to take a medication that will help you heal? The body cannot heal if it is in a state of constant crisis. Cortisol levels rise and healing is impaired. There is nothing at all wrong with taking prescribed medications to help the body heal. you make it sound like taking a narcotic is something shameful.
I grew up learning that drugs are bad and despite what I've learned throughout my education as a nurse, the teachings of my childhood cannot be undone.
I had an elementary school counselor who really drilled it into us that drugs are bad.. mmkay?
Specializes in UR/PA, Hematology/Oncology, Med Surg, Psych.
I'm adding my 2-cents. I do not feel that my professional nursing license is a privilege, no way. I worked very hard to get my RN, sacrificed much, paid alot of money, and passed the NCLEX. And I continue to work very hard everyday to provide the best professional nursing care I can to my patients. I have earned my license and continue to earn it daily.
I grew up learning that drugs are bad and despite what I've learned throughout my education as a nurse, the teachings of my childhood cannot be undone.
I had an elementary school counselor who really drilled it into us that drugs are bad.. mmkay?
I hope you are being facetious. Otherwise, how would you not feel like a hypocrite when medicating your patients or teaching them to take medications/narcotics as ordered by their provider? If you truly feel all medication is unhealthy, how can you medicate patients in good conscience?
I am a Canadian RN and I have to say I have been shocked reading here over the past few weeks of a lot of the things that are done as standard practice in the US! Drug tests on everyone at hire, physical examinations, disclosing your medical conditions/mental illness and prescribed meds on hire or licensure, etc! I personally feel this is a violation of human rights and wonder how these processes are viewed in the US?
(Obviously if a nurse is not functioning properly or appears impaired these avenues need to be explored, but I don't feel it is right to do as a default. If you are taking a medication that does not impair you whatsoever, it's no one's business in my opinion)
So what do you guys think about this? Anyone who actually agrees with it, or is it just something that is put up with because they all do it?
*Edit* Also very shocking to me to read of nurses fired after workplace injuries! I am so very grateful and thankful this is illegal here after suffering a severe workplace injury myself (you can read my thread about that here : https://allnurses.com/nurses-with-disabilities/severe-workplace-injuries-1021876.html if interested. Thanks :) )
I'm sure others feel differently, but I do feel that the pendulum has swung too far in the other direction in this country when it comes to personal civil liberties vs. the rights of the public. I understand, as you say, that we cannot allow someone who represents a danger to the community act irresponsibly; however, we have sacrificed a great deal of the personal freedoms this country was founded for in the name of "public welfare" and "social justice". I also think that we have allowed the public to abdicate personal responsibility, and have become reliant upon entitlements rather than industriousness. These thoughts do impact nursing, and medicine in general, but are actually more political in nature, and I certainly don't expect others to agree. Just thought you might be interested in a little different point of view.
I don't mind the drug testing or even disclosing legally prescribed drugs that could impair you, but for my current job we had to fill out paperwork about our health, very detailed, including questions about changes in bowel habits, etc. NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, hospital. But I did the paperwork because I needed the job. I debated disclosing my previous shoulder and tibia injuries, and then decided to be upfront about it. They made me delay my starting so I could get a full physical by THEIR doctor (my own orthopedic doc's note that my injuries were cleared for work was apparently not good enough). It was ridiculous. I did not give them any information about my bowel habits though. I still think that the whole thing was a glaring breach of my privacy.
I grew up learning that drugs are bad and despite what I've learned throughout my education as a nurse, the teachings of my childhood cannot be undone.
I had an elementary school counselor who really drilled it into us that drugs are bad.. mmkay?
I imagine you'd change your tune if you developed type 1 diabetes or some other condition where it's take the damn med or die.
Shoot, if I just swallowed whole everything I was taught when I was a child, I'd never drink a glass of my beloved Cabernet, never dance, and only have sex to procreate.
THELIVINGWORST, ASN, RN
1,381 Posts
Mainly drug testing is done because taking drugs is illegal. You provide a list of meds so that when they test you they don't result your test as positive because you gave them a heads up. At least in my health care system the company does not know what I take, they only know I passed the drug test.
Also pre-existing conditions protect the company from liability should you become injured or ill while employed by them.