Are Registered Nurses Drug Tested

Equally a nurse, it may surprise you to learn that drug tests may be a normal part of your new routine.

While these tests are important for keeping patients rubber, they may cause you unnecessary stress. Here is what you need to know nigh drug tests for nurses.

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Do Nurses Become Drug Tested?

Drug testing nurses does not happen frequently. Information technology's common to experience this at least once or twice during your career. Your state may have specific rules relating to drug testing that may eliminate random drug testing or that may allow your employer to constitute more stringent testing policies.

When and Why Might Nurses Exist Drug Tested?

Regular and frequent drug tests are non ordinarily pursued for the majority of nurses working in local hospitals, clinics, surgery centers, or like facilities.

Even so, at that place are certain times when a new drug exam is triggered. Knowing when and why you might be tested will help you lot be prepared and will give you the opportunity to larn more about your legal rights in this area.

What Triggers a Drug Test?

Drug tests can begin fifty-fifty before you first your first shift every bit a nurse and may happen at any indicate throughout your career.

Although a few facilities use random testing to ensure that their patients are as safe equally possible at all times, the majority of drug tests for nurses are triggered by specific activities.

1. New Hires

As a nurse, your first drug test will most likely be part of the hiring process.

In addition, yous may face subsequent drug tests if you take a new position with a new wellness care organization or even a new position in your current organisation.

You lot will usually know ahead of time when these tests will take place.

ii. Patient Complaints

The majority of other drug tests happen when you least expect them and can be triggered past specific activities on your unit.

For instance, a major complaint from a patient that seems to point to working under the influence or a series of similar patient complaints could lead to a random drug test past your employer.

3. Anonymous Reports

Of form, anyone else tin brand a study about your behavior, triggering a drug test.

For example, coworkers, managers and even patient family members could study suspicious beliefs or unsafe actions.

4. Unsafe Incidents

Because patient wellness, wellness, and safety are of paramount importance to any health care organization, whatever incident that appears unsafe could trigger a drug test.

Some examples of triggering behaviors include interim erratically, making a myriad of mistakes during your shift, or a major medical fault that resulted in patient injury.

5. Social Media Posts

Social media plays a huge role in how you are perceived today.

Go on in mind that annihilation you mail on one of your social media accounts should be seen equally public information, even if you endeavour to keep your posts limited to friends merely.

If you post a picture of yourself using drugs, it could easily get back to your employer, triggering a drug test.

Equally I have gotten further into my career, I have significantly express my social media posts to eliminate as much pushback every bit possible.

6. Facility Policy

In some cases, a drug test may not exist triggered past anything that you practise simply simply by your workplaces' policies.

For example, depending on state police, your facility may use a computer program to select a certain number of nurses at random for drug tests every month. You could find yourself completing these tests ofttimes, or you may not have to take one for years.

Drug Testing for Nurses Using Marijuana Recreationally

One of the biggest questions that many nurses have nowadays is whether they tin use marijuana recreationally.

While well over 30 states have now legalized marijuana, that does not mean that your facility will grin on your usage of it. You could all the same observe yourself in legal hot water if marijuana shows up in a drug test.

In fact, some nurses have been fired for this behavior. If this happens to you, you will want to consult with an attorney who tin can assist you navigate these tricky situations.

Pro Tip

As the use of marijuana whether it be medical marijuana or recreational, you need to keep in mind that it's not legal everywhere and in that location are potential consequences for that.

For example, you might apply information technology in a state that it's legal only and then get a drug screen in another state where it's illegal.

Also, just considering the country yous live in allows it doesn't mean the facility you work in is okay with it (this is particularly true for federal employees not to mention a nursing student).

Drug Testing for Military Nurses

If you're a armed forces nurse, you may be faced with more frequent drug testing simply because of the stringent rules in place from the federal regime.

Drug Testing for Student Nurses

For many, drug testing starts long before their first jobs. Most nursing schools at present require a drug test prior to comprisal to a nursing plan.

How is a Drug Test Performed?

I've had very few random drug tests in my career but the style I remember my drug examination being performed is through a urine test.

I went into a restroom where the water has been turned off and the toilet has been dyed a bright color.

I urinated into the cup and then brought the loving cup back to the person administering the test.

The cup was sealed and I remember having to lookout them seal information technology and so signing to prove that no one has tampered with it.

The test was so sent off to an outside lab and I never heard dorsum annihilation from them. I vaguely remember one fourth dimension request them how come I haven't heard anything back.

I knew I wasn't going to test positive but it's honestly kind of a nervus-racking thing to be randomly called in for a drug screening.

They told me I wouldn't normally hear back from them unless I had a positive drug screen.

Why Am I Telling You lot This Story?

I tell you this story to let you know that if you lot get called in for a random drug screen that you'll probably exist nervous. Assuming you haven't actually been doing drugs yous don't really accept much to worry about.

Lastly, fifty-fifty though they should contact you to let you know everything checked out y'all may non actually hear dorsum from your employer if you don't test positive (I think this would be different if it'due south a pre-employment drug testing).

If you lot're looking for more than information about drug tests, random testing, and how drug testing is normally performed especially as information technology pertains to nursing schoolhouse, check out this video beneath.

Why Is Drug Testing Important?

Although drug testing may seem like a huge inconvenience for a nurse, it is washed for 2 major reasons.

The first is patient prophylactic. Drugs tin can significantly reduce your power to care for your patients and think on your feet.

Second, almost nurses have easy access to a broad range of hard-hitting drugs. It is important that the wellness care facility hold nurses accountable for their deportment.

Unfortunately, I take seen get-go-mitt how this temptation became too great for ane individual with whom I worked. Sadly, information technology cost him his job and it might accept cost him his professional person license.

Final Thoughts

Drug testing for nurses may audio scary, but at that place is zero to worry about as long equally you are following country laws and facility-wide policies.

Have yous ever experienced random drug tests at your workplace? Comment below with your stories.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Tin a nurse refuse a drug test?

Yes, you can turn down a drug test merely keep in mind that refusal can lead to termination and being reported to your respective board of nursing. Depending on your state's Nurse Do Human activity the consequences can vary.
Exercise you lot get drug tested in the medical field?

Many medical professionals will get an initial drug screen when they're hired by a facility. Subsequently they may get screened either randomly or because of diverse other factors. Drug screening after rent is not typically common.