Violation of privacy

Asystole RN · Oct 21, 2010

Is this a violation of my rights to privacy?

You have no rights to privacy, you sign those away when obtaining your license since having a license is a privilege, not a right. You voluntarily have the tech watch you.

If it is so very important for the lab to be certain of specimen processing than why not take blood? Can I fight here, have my constitutional rights being violated?

Could be cost or something, not sure why not do blood. Since this is a voluntary action your Constitutional rights are not violated...you do not have to pee.

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Oct 21, 2010

Thank you for answering and the sight. My other concern with the tech watching, it will cost an extra $26.00. Twenty-six dollars is a whole lot of watchfullness. I pray to never again find myself in this position. I am not a druggie nor substance abuser and lott of hair could have proven my case. If I have to pay for testing I should have a say in what type of testing. Why won't the boards use hair? Doesn't hair date back longer periods and tell the history of abusive behaviors?

I could be wrong, but the last time I checked fees, blood tests were substantially more expensive. And testing hair is really more expensive to analyze.

And the turnaround time is also prohibitive. Urine can be rapidly and easily checked - blood takes a little bit longer but requires more equipment. Hair takes a long time to get results and fewer places have the equipment.

The ther issue is that the new policy is probably in reference to some cases of "cheating". So the people that deserve your anger is not the BON that is doing its job with due diligence but those that tried to cheat.

Fight the real enemy - those that make these policies necessary by their actions.

waldo_1984 · Oct 21, 2010

do you realize there is no such thing as protecting patients? are you so serious? is your nursing experience so narrow that you do not realized the atrocities imposed by healthcare on the human life? do you believe the tuskegee experiment were druggies? are kidding me? please do your homework darling. wrong limbs cut off from clients. how many received the wrong blood? the clients who were given the wrong heart? anyway, i am a correctional nurse. the inmates have better rights than any freed american. they have the right to sue nurses, correctional officials at the expense of freed american. if mlk did not help fight for my rights i would not have rights as a freed/half way free person. not everyone is here because they are drug addicts. not every inmate in jail is guilty. it has been proven over and over and perhaps my situation makes me mad and indifferent enough to feel wrongly imprisoned, wrongly accused, wrongly sentenced.

i never said you were guilty. regardless of why you are being monitored, the fact remains that you are. somewhere you made a choice that resulted in this as the consequence, be it diverting or whatever...and maybe you were wrongly "sentenced" by the bon, i don't know. however, their decision can't be changed...does it suck, hell yeah!

but it could always be worse. they could have taken away our licenses (or not given it in the first place, which is the situation i'm in) like they used to rather than give us the opportunity to continue to practice. they provide the opportunity, we choose to accept their terms and conditions.

in responce to your comment regarding patient safety; i'm well aware of the appalling history of the medical field, i am also aware of the revolutionary advancements made in this field that provide the suffering hope. is patient safety a "gimme," no, are mistakes made? probably more than we care to know. but why are they made? does it come down to carelessness? a doctor or nurse trying to take a shortcut to save a few minutes of their valuable time to return to their desk or cell phone to check facebook? i've worked with nurses and doctors alike who have rushed out a patient room to do just that, instead of taking the time to go through proper protocol to try and provide a safe enviornment for our patients. my career is essentially just beginning but i have had the pleasure of working in some wonderfully challenging and educational areas of medicine; namely the progressive care unit (specializing in radical head and neck surgeries and renal transplants), womens surgical, as well as home care and have seen both the good and bad.

but i will still pee in a cup and let someone watch if that is what it takes to do my job, where i might have to draw the line is when they require us to let them hold it! can you imagine the mark up on that drop??

sissykim · Oct 22, 2010

Thanks to the angels of mercy for engaging with me in a thoughtful dialogue. I appreciate my career, my profession and my fellow nurses. You all let me know how much passion we hold as a group and compassion we share. I will do as told by the boards. I came here looking for Firstlab with a #50.00 random fee, I leave with a $76.00 random fee. I love the American enterprise, the rich get richer and the poor die trying.

Code55 · Oct 22, 2010

Let me jump into the mix. My state changed the monitoring agency which has reflected tighter monitoring requirements, including observed urines. After 3 years or more non observed urines, I had my first observed donation the other day and I got to tell you it took for me forever to relax my sphincter enough to pee and I don't have a prostate problem! Yes, I'm a guy. I felt embarrassed and frustrated that I could not provide 60cc for over an hour. It was my own anxiety that cause the problem, not the system or the tech observing me. He told me most people have this problem the first couple of times. It's simply something I need to get used to! So, how does it feel to be the patient?

This is not about the BON, nursing, contract requirements or my peers. Its about me and my ability to meet my obligations. I signed up for this club, so I get all the fringe benefits involved and that includes observed urines!

luvche · Oct 22, 2010

Depending on which locations we decide to go to for our testing that day, fee to test can range from 12$ to 30$.

Then, of course, the test fee (that get's deducted from our credit card or checking account monthly) of 44.50$ per urine test.

The locations don't charge us any different to observe or not. UA is 12-30 period. I hope they don't decide that they are able to charge more for the observation just because they can!

sarasidnic · Oct 22, 2010

Don't forget, the chain of custody protects you as well. If I were you i'd let it go. Most bon will tell you that a nursing license is a privledge not a right. It sucks, look on the bright side, at least you have your license.

CAT

sarasidnic · Oct 22, 2010

Hi,

I don't think mercy is the right word. I think support and understanding is nice. I always try to remind myself that we all think and look at things differently. There are people out there that think we let someone remain in pain while we take their drugs. I find it appauling, I could never do that but people don't know me well enough to know that. Try looking at it from their perspective.

lifeistweet · Oct 30, 2010

Hair testing has gotten much cheaper, so I hope they switch soon. Hair can cover 3-4 months so we would only have to be tested 3-4 times a year! I feel it would be cheaper, more convenient and accurate. I think hair testing is down to about $200.

southernbeegirl, BSN, RN · Nov 2, 2010

I too received the dreaded "we're making you pay $76 per test just to be observed" letter yesterday (I am in NC). I can barely afford the $50 they now charge and come Jan 2011 it's going to be $76. I try not to get bummed and discouraged but this is getting crazy with the BON. I figured it up the other day and I have spent $1200 in urine drug tests in 1 year, so by the time I am done with CDDP I will have spent well over $5000 just for drug testing. Right now we just have to live by the BON rules as they control our entire life.

While I was in treatment, part of my first step was actually figuring up the dollar amount that I spent on drugs the last year. I spent over 20,000 on my drugs. So to me...that little 5000 i spent on drug tests while in peer was just the consequences of my actions. I felt and still feel grateful to the BON to allow me to still have a license. I felt and still feel grateful to Peer to monitor me so that I could still have a license. If they wanted 5 people to watch me pee then 5 people it was.

IMO, there is a lot of people that still need to learn gratitude and humility.

You still have a license. It's not the board's fault you lost your car, home or anything else...it is YOUR fault you lost those things. YOU are the drug addict, no?

You want to keep your license...then jump thru the appropriate hoops. You should be on your knees daily thanking God you still have a license.

(This is not completely directed at you recoveringnurse, I just got as far as your post before I had to post)

After almost 7 yrs I still thank God every day for my license. I don't deserve it after what I did while in active addiction and I'd venture to say most in Peer don't.

If they want you to pee standing on your head...do it and be thankful.

catmom1, BSN, RN · Nov 2, 2010

If they want you to pee standing on your head...do it and be thankful.

Just be sure to wear goggles since it will be sure to run into your eyes. :mad:

I don't mind hoops, I have earned them, as you say. But the money that is being made from me as the captive audience is not equitable, in my opinion. Okay, most nurses being disciplined did do wrong, but two wrongs NEVER make a right. :nono:

Catmom :paw:

southernbeegirl, BSN, RN · Nov 3, 2010

Just be sure to wear goggles since it will be sure to run into your eyes.
I don't mind hoops, I have earned them, as you say. But the money that is being made from me as the captive audience is not equitable, in my opinion. Okay, most nurses being disciplined did do wrong, but two wrongs NEVER make a right.
Catmom :paw:

true about the goggles, lol.

as for the other...as I said, these are your consequences. It is what it is. I'd also venture to say that the only people that think there are unfair practices in our Peer programs or the BON will be the ones being sanctioned by the board. Ask your patients what they think. Ask the nurses that have to work with us while we are in active addiction. I bet the only one aagreeing with you will be, you.

Don't want to have to do the consequences? Don't use drugs, don't steal drugs as a nurse. If you do...you have no leg to stand on. You surely sound silly complaining about the consequences.

Sorry but it's true.