Most places do drug test when you get hired. Also, if you are injured at work, they will drug test you. Even if you use it outside of work it will show in your system, and you will immediately be terminated. I think if someone wants to do drugs as I am referring to marijuana on their own time but not while working is ok. They can't say when you used the drug found it the drug test, but it is difficult to use that argument. If you are using prescribed medications all you have to do is show them the script. Hope this helped you and I don't understand why anyone would say you shouldn't be a nurse. I can tell you I wouldn't want that nurse to be my nurse if I was in the hospital, they are way to judgmental and apparently don't understand the medical uses of drugs.
In my experience, we are tested if counts are off, wastes aren’t handled correctly or if there is any suspicion of use. I am not sure why you are asking but in my state, THC is not legal and if we are to be positive, we would go in front of the board of nursing and have to defend our license.
Usually at the start/on-boarding part of early employment. What you do in your free time is your decision. Don’t let these judge mental people get to you. As long as you show up sober to work and keep your patients safe, what you do in your off time is your decision.
Well, if you have to ask that nursing isn't for you. This is a tough enough career without having to worry whether your coworkers are on drugs.
Depends on where you work. Most places you do, and if you work through an agency, yes. Some places will test you if there is some indication that there is a problem.
Yes, all the time. If you are on a prescription, you just let them know. Some places even check for antidepressants and other noncontrolled meds. If a law suite should arise I’m sure they’d want to cover themselves. Id be interested to know if they refuse jobs based on prescription drug use., or how that is handled.
Of course nurses get drug tested! You wouldn't want anyone assessing you for treatment, etc, that was high on painkillers or clear thinking compromised. Nursing is a field where it is important to keep on drug testing, as nurses are one of the highest groups that abuse prescription drugs (due to stress of the job added to the stressors of life). I feel it is also important to do mandatory random drug testing where a nurse could find herself being drug tested at anytime. This may motivate a nurse to turn away from an opportunity of using drugs to cope and find other means to cope with the stressors in their life and job.
I’m in NY. Nurses do not get drug tested.
