Resignation in lieu of drug test? Is random testing the answer?

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Feel free to give up your personal freedom.. for any reason you chose. That's what makes them personal freedoms. As for me, my freedom, my choice. RDS.. never.

Building codes?

[hawaiicarl, BSN, RN]

Agree with RDT 100%, keep the addicts out of the profession. Bad enough our scores in being the most trusted health care profession dropped after those Studer retards make us sound like Mcdonald's workers with their scripting, but sketchers too?

Say no to drugs.

Cheers

[Ellie G]

I have no problem with random drug testing at all, but it should be for cause. Is he/she slurring words, not able to concentrate, having erratic behavior etc? If this becomes a pattern, then I think drug testing is appropriate. Why worry about it if you're clean? It's just pee

[nlitened]

I have no problem with random drug screenings. If one doesn't do drugs then it isn't an issue.

[Pat_Pat RN]

People become addicted to drugs /alcohol for 2 reasons, emotional or physical pain. The threat of RDS will not deter.You are not your brother's keeper. Do not give up your personal freedoms to protect anyone.

Again , let the powers that be.. do their thing.

WRONG!

We most certainly are our brother's and sister's keepers.

[dishes, BSN, RN]

What makes you think the BON wasn't notified? A drug screen isn't a be all and end all, the employer likely had enough evidence to support an accusation of diversion before they requested the nurse do a drug screen.

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

I have no problem with random drug testing at all, but it should be for cause. Is he/she slurring words, not able to concentrate, having erratic behavior etc? If this becomes a pattern, then I think drug testing is appropriate. Why worry about it if you're clean? It's just are pee

If someone is tested because they are showing symptoms of impairment, that's not a random drug test.

[dishes, BSN, RN]

emergent, I don't think you can assume the employer did not report to the BON, the employer's actions are confidential at this point. Look up your BON's mandatory reporting guide for employers. It may state that employers have a legal obligation to report if there is a concern that a nurse is not practising safely. Employers may accept a resignation in lieu of termination, but they continue to have a legal obligation to report to the BON. The employer must give the reasons they were intending to terminate if the nurse resigned before they could take action.

[KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN]

My thought is that, wouldn't having random drug testing hanging over ones head deter nurses from even starting a habit? People don't start out addicted. They have to cross that line for the first time. Then the use gradually escalates into physical addiction.

I detest random drug testing as much as anyone. But, it's like a vaccine. We KNOW, statistically, that a certain percentage of nurses are prone to addiction if exposed to certain substances. We have to PREVENT the person from catching this disease that not everyone will be susceptible to. I found out after my surgery last year that I'm not prone to opiate addiction. But some people are, and it''s probably a genetic predisposition.

I would submit to random testing in order to prevent my colleagues from being exposed to substances that could trigger this disease in them.

The problem is, random test is essentially a screening. All screenings generate false positives in large amount, that's the law of statistics. Therefore, mass random screens will generate a whole lot of false positives (and there are thousands of totally legal substances which can produce one), plus everybody who takes the drugs for legitimate medical reason, plus everybody whose tests will be flagged as "suspicious" (taking a multivitamin B complex, or eating stewed prunes, or drinking a lot of coffee can change characterics of urine the way that the test would be deemed "intentionally changed" with the purpose of concealing drugs in urine). All these people will had to dealt with, with the d*** lot of problems following.

Positive predictive value of urinary drug screens is very low and number need to test is in hundreds in general population for nailing just one true abuser (ER patients is not "general population"). Random testing of staff having direct access to drugs will lead to mass waste of money and all sorts of consequences, from emotional to purely legal ones, with following burning of more money. And no, it will not discourage abusers. If anything, it will discourage good workers who have to pop a Norco after moving about yet another 600 lbs. patient.

I work in a place which specifies that it can randomly do screen if needed. In fact, it is so time consuming, expensive and humiliating for everyone that it is done only if there is a good suspicion of diversion on hands.

[Emergent, RN]

Lots of great discussion and good points being made here.

I can see the difficulty with random screenings. If someone had a poppy seed muffin, they might turn up positive.

I'm just trying to problem solve the drug/diverting problem in our profession. There are so many variables.

Do you all think we are being too soft on people? Too strict? The United States as a whole is incredibly dependent on mind altering drugs. I hate the thought of colleagues diverting for their own use.

[Jensmom7, BSN, RN]

What is the solution? Don't drug test nurses are under suspicion of being under the influence and allow them to continue to be under the influence at work?

Drug testing when there's a suspicion of diverting or working under the influence isn't random.

Pulling 10 names out of a hat and sending them to the lab to pee in a cup. THAT'S random.

It's an invasion of privacy, and has been shown to not work very effectively to flush out addicts.

[NotAllWhoWandeRN, ASN, RN]

You are not your brother's keeper. Do not give up your personal freedoms to protect anyone.

We are not our brother's keeper, but we are the patient's keeper. We are obligated to not show up under the influence at work.

I have no problem peeing in a cup or losing a few mLs of blood any time at work.