Returning to Work & Drug Screens

[Guest guest]

I had a question for those members that have shared that they are returning

to work. Since almost every job requires drug screens prior to hire, how are

you handling this? I know that there is an opportunity to list the medication

that will likely show up on the screen and support those with a proof of

prescription. However, will jobs allow you to work knowingly on narcotics?

Karyn E. , RN

Executive Director, PAI

Indianapolis, Indiana

[Guest guest]

,

I understand your dilemma re: being prescribed narcotics more now. My

prayers are with you.

Karyn E. , RN

Executive Director, PAI

Indianapolis, Indiana

[Guest guest]

KarynWms@... wrote:

good question karen.i've often wondered this myself.though i've not worked

outside the home in years, with the kids getting older,it's still something i've

been thinking about for a while.i know at my husbands work they also do random

drug testing and when it's his turn to go,he has so much trouble peeing " on

demand " ,it usually takes a few trips to get anything from him! by the way, my

ERCP is on sept.20th at norton audubon hospital in louisville.i'm still really

nervous but i had a dream last night that i was dragged in there ,kicking and

screaming,then everything turned out o.k. and everyone laughed at me for acting

like a fool! maybe thats a sign that everything will be alright!!!hope your

having a good day

cindy

[Guest guest]

However, will jobs allow you to work knowingly on narcotics?

>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Not in nursing Karyn. That is the main reason why I was so adament

about not going back on the dilaudid. However, my doc assured me this

would be temporary as he feels the adhesions and scar tissue will

soften up with time. Or get worse. Either way its still only

temporary as far as I am concerend. I have thought about taking

Nuerotin as that is not considered a narcotic but the somelence would

be difficult to deal with.

Thanks for putting my Vits and Mins list on the site. I wish I had

saved the research articles that I had seen them on; but I cant save

everything and at the time I did not think I would loose my access to

MUSC's computers.

Hope you are doing well.

[Guest guest]

I had just taken a couple of percocet 4 days before I had my drug test

and was worried that it would show, but it didn't...now if they had

taken hair samples, I would have had to say something.

I believe they can't hold it against one if that person has a

prescription. I would just state that I had surgery not too long ago,

but had been left with some nerve pain that was only hurting on

occasion.

But I didn't mention anything and the question of my health over the

past 5 years didn't come up..

Regards,

[Guest guest]

Karyn,

What a ponderous question! I have neither heard of nor thought of

this as becoming a problem. However, I think that I can conjecture

properly on this.

It would seem to me that, were you to list all of your medications

prior to a drug screen and could also support that they are

prescribed due to a health condition, this would fall under the

Americans with Disabilities Act. Therefore, it should not be a

problem at all.

Anyse

[Guest guest]

I am lucky. My job doesn't require drug screens, however if they did I think

that with a diagnosis and docs statement of how my meds affect me and that I

can't function without them that they would be understanding. Pain meds don't

affect me as much because of the tolerance I have built up to them. Of course,

we all have. So it is harder for me to work off of narcotics than on them. My

employer would have to pay disability if they fired me for taking my

prescriptions so that would make them think twice! However, I do think if

someone is

taking recreational drugs that is another matter entirely.

Angie in SC

" The happiest of people don't necessarily have the

best of everything; they just make the best of everything that comes along

their way. "

[Guest guest]

I am a hospital staff RN who provides direct patient care. There is

no

way I would work while on narcotics. Right now I have repeat attacks

of

pancreatitis with either no pain, or very mild pain in between

attacks.

I worry constantly about this illness and what would happen if this

were to become a chronic illness with chronic pain and if I would no

longer be able to work as a nurse. Ethically its not a choice for me

as

well as legally, the Nurse Practice Act of land prohibits " the

habitual use of narcotics " Now there's a real gray area! Nursing has

become so much of who I am I couldn't imagine not practicing. I would

be completely devastated. To me nursing is was a calling, and it is a

very large part of who I am. That's not to take away from other

professions. I am sure there of many of you who feel the same way. In

ANY line of work, you have a choice, it can be just a job or it can

be

a career. I work the night shift, there is very little supervision

other than a charge nurse, in which more nights than not I am the

charge nurse. We also have a nursing supervisor that is in charge of

the entire hospital. We are a teaching hospital and have interns on

call, but these guys are brand new, while they have tremendous amount

of knowledge, they are fresh out of med school, and have very little

clinical experience. Frequently they are asking you for guidance. A

nurses mind needs to be sharp and alert. you need to be able to spot

trends and changes in a pt's conditions quickly. I don't think I

could

do that under the influence of a narcotic. I have a co worker who for

years has been suspected working while under the influence of

narcotics. She takes percocet for knee pain, and she frequently is

found nodding off while charting, or during down times. I could NEVER

do that.

That being said......

I haven't taken narcotics long enough to have any kind of tolerance

to

them. 10mg of oxycodone has me nodding off in front of the computer.

I

have known people who take long acting narcotics, and have taken them

for years and drive and work, etc... And have done so safely for a

very

long time. Angie states that for her she works better on narcotics

than

off of them. Pain itself is a major distractor and I am sure it

hampers

job performance. I guess nothing's as black and white as it seems.

Toni

[Guest guest]

Toni,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and the MD Nurse's Act philosophy

on working on narcotics. I remember the first time I ever took

Oxycontin 20mg. I could not think straight.

Today, I am amazed that I can actually stand up straight and

say, " Narcotics don't affect me at all. " And, I am embarrassed to

say that I have said that on more than one occasion. It is like

someone who is intoxicated saying, " Alcohol doesn't affect me at

all. " I think we get accustomed to how we feel on narcotics. Where

they may not make us feel 'high' or mentally altered, per se, I

don't think there is anyway that they do not impair our thinking,

judgment, or ability to respond appropriately in critical

situations.

I learned this a couple of years ago when I was able to go off

narcotics completely. I was shocked at just how clear my mind was. I

had no idea how confused I had been for so many years. The other way

I realize how affected narcotics make me is to go out in public. It

seems that when I am home alone, I do not feel the impact of

narcotics on my thinking, but if I go out and talk to others, I

begin to see the difference quite quickly.

Karyn , RN

Executive Director, PAI

Indianapolis, Indiana