Does St Lukes Kansas City check for cotinine levels in their pre-employment blood test

U.S.A. Missouri

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Does anyone know if St. Lukes Health System in Kansas City is now checking prospective employees for nicotine/cotinine levels in their pre-employment blood test? My daughter has been offered a position contingent on her pre-employment physical and drug screening which I do know is a blood screening and she is worried that they are now checking for cotinine levels in their blood test. I have worked there for ages and no one seems to know for certain. Those of us who have worked there for years just had to sign a form stating we were not smokers. Anyone know for certain? And if they do is there any way she is going to be able to pass this test within two weeks if she quits now?

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

Moved to Missouri Nursing forum for best chance of advice regarding this facilities hiring practices.

St. Luke Health Systems website clearly states "Equal Opportunity Employer. We Hire Only Non-Tobacco Users."

I've no experience with testing--Nicotine / Cotinine: The Test - Lab Tests Online offers info.

...When someone stops using tobacco and nicotine products, it can take more than two weeks for the blood level of cotinine to drop to the level that a non-tobacco user would have and several weeks more for the urine level to decrease to a very low concentration. ...
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I currently work for Saint Lukes and they take their no smoking policy very seriously and I have been told that they do in fact test your blood when they do your titers for your immunizations. Luckily I dont smoke so I dont have an issues with it.

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It's been quite awhile since this thread was started but wondered how it turned out? I understood the tests to be cheek swabs....

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