New grad & I just got a job- I need advice

Nurses General Nursing

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Hey everyone! As I stated in the title, I'm a new grad (YAY!) and I finally was able to get my first clinical nurse job. Its at an extremely prestigious hospital.

I already got the position and start in November byt I am about to go in for my pre-employeement visit where they'll be doing a physical, drug test and what not.

I was filling out some of the paperwork in preperation for the physical and it asked about current medications. I have ADD, anxiety and depression so I listed the medications; by the way I am prescribed for them.

I also take suboxone. I take it for 2 reasons- I have fibromyalgia and it helps with some of the pain without having to take painkillers like Percocet, etc. I also take it because about 6 years ago I used pain meds to self-medicate my fibromyalgia, depression and anxiety; I obviously got off of the pills and started suboxone as a way to come off the pills and manage my pain. Also, It's prescribed.

I do not want to put down that I take suboxone because there's a HUGE stigma that comes with being on suboxone and I don't want to be judged, I'm also scared that they will tell me that I'm not hired anymore...

I understand why there is a stigma, but I don't fit it and I'm scared that they wont see that. Because I already have 3 other medications that are listed, I don't want them to think im incapable of the job...

I personally feel like I shouldn't have to explain myself as long as I have valid prescriptions for my medications and valid reasons for taking them; but they might not see it that way.

should I put include my suboxone on the list? I don't want to lie and feel like it's bad karma to lie to them right off the bat, but I just don't know what to do.

I really need some advice...

Specializes in Geriatrics, In-Home Care, Community Based Nursing.
Good luck! And yes, keep it simple. If it does become an issue at any point, you may even want to seek legal advice to ensure the best outcome. When you're talking about using suboxone to "come off the pills" you were self-medicating with, that sounds like something that the BON would have already required disclosure of when initially applying for a license. Tread with caution.

I definitely didn't use the best choice of words in regards to the "come off pills", I don't usually speak in that manner but I was typing quickly and in a rush (I was working on 2 assignments that are due tonight for my RN-to-BSN courses).

To be honest with you, I don't even like that it's up there in text now lol.

But anyways, thank you for the advice =]

Hi there, congrats on graduating and finding a job!

I went through the same kind of stress with my Xanax. I have anxiety and I have sought treatment. I also know not to use it before coming to work (it makes me sleep and I rarely use it anyway). I was terrified of that physical, I worked through what to say with my practitioners, I was ready to have them provide statements that I was seeking treatment and I was safe to practice, I had my prescriptions lined up, I made sure to put down the Xanax PRN on the med list form and on the history under "psychiatric conditions," I put Anxiety to explain/justify it...... Occupational Med doctor never even asked about it because I was thorough on the forms and I got the green light three days later when I had my PPD read.

If it helps you, talk to your provider about what to say. They know your case and they know what it's like to be licensed and have your life under a microscope. They can help you figure out how to explain not too much and not too little, and ask if they'd be willing to write a statement that they're following your care. The big phrase is "This medication is prescribed by a doctor who is following/monitoring my care."

Specializes in Geriatrics, In-Home Care, Community Based Nursing.
Hi there, congrats on graduating and finding a job!

I went through the same kind of stress with my Xanax. I have anxiety and I have sought treatment. I also know not to use it before coming to work (it makes me sleep and I rarely use it anyway). I was terrified of that physical, I worked through what to say with my practitioners, I was ready to have them provide statements that I was seeking treatment and I was safe to practice, I had my prescriptions lined up, I made sure to put down the Xanax PRN on the med list form and on the history under "psychiatric conditions," I put Anxiety to explain/justify it...... Occupational Med doctor never even asked about it because I was thorough on the forms and I got the green light three days later when I had my PPD read.

If it helps you, talk to your provider about what to say. They know your case and they know what it's like to be licensed and have your life under a microscope. They can help you figure out how to explain not too much and not too little, and ask if they'd be willing to write a statement that they're following your care. The big phrase is "This medication is prescribed by a doctor who is following/monitoring my care."

thank you very much for your advice! :)

Specializes in Home health, Addictions, Detox, Psych and clinics..

Maybe ask your pcp about getting on subutex instead if appropriate, as it doesn't have the naloxone component and is straight bup? Maybe it has less of a stigma?

Specializes in Home Health, Mental/Behavioral Health.

Hey there, I am a little sad I didn't notice this thread earlier. I would just like to say that I know how it feels to be self conscious in disclosing your medications to an employer. I was asked also, I disclosed, took a UDS, provided Rx validation and was hired no problem.

I'm only 28, but I suffer from some gnarly issues mainly in my spine from childhood abuse injuries. So every now and again I cave in and take my prescribed pain meds. Try real hard not to rely on them though. I do other therapeutic things to help like yoga and watching my gluten intake... etc.

Like everyone has already elaborated on, the key when disclosing such sensitive info is to just be basic and honest but not overly friendly with the details.

I would really love to know how it all went and how it's going. Update us soon!

Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.

Did you have to take a drug test for nursing school? How did that one go?

Specializes in Geriatrics, In-Home Care, Community Based Nursing.
Did you have to take a drug test for nursing school? How did that one go?

Yes I did, and it was NO problem!!

Specializes in Geriatrics, In-Home Care, Community Based Nursing.

So I did everything I was supposed to do. I told them about my medications, I showed them my prescriptions. Then when they did my physical the person who did it, told me that she couldn't clear me yet and wanted my doctor to fill a form out- she literally told me that if I did that, I would be cleared. She said I would have to come back with the form and meet with her boss, who would clear me- which I DID! Did exactly what she said and I got the form filled out. I went back yesterday to see the head doctor and he didn't even look at the form and told me that he had to then have a conversation with my doctor before clearing me. So I said OK you can go ahead. He told me that he would call my doctor that same day. So I get a phone call this morning from the HR department and evidently I won't be able to start the date that I was originally supposed to start on because I'm still not cleared yet .... the doctor didn't call my doctor yesterday. I'm literally FREAKING OUT YOU GUYS. I quit my job because I was under the assumption that I had gotten a new job, I paid $300 in licensing fees to work at the hospital, I went out and bought all of my scrubs ( as you know, each hospital has specific colors so I will have spent probably $200 for no reason). And I did EVERY SINGLE THING that they asked me to do. I got proper documentation, I got my doctor to fill out the form, I told him that he can go ahead and call my doctor; and now I'm told that I can't start on Monday because I haven't been cleared yet - yet they were supposed to call my doctor yesterday to take care of that; and yet, they didn't.

I have no idea what to do! I am freaking out. I invested so much in this hospital and have literally paused my life for this- it's not like I was prematurely counting on this either, I was HIRED by them, I signed the paperwork and everything, I had a start date.

This DOES NOT seem right at all! I don't know what to do. I contacted the person that was supposed to call my doctor yesterday yet nobody answered the phone.

Specializes in Geriatrics, In-Home Care, Community Based Nursing.

This cannot be okay! I am SO upset right now

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