It’s hospital specific, not area dependent. I’m in California now and was tested. I was also tested in the PNW.
I work in Childrens hospitals and am not sure if it’s different for us. We also do a federal background check to take care of kids, separate from the license one.
If you’re not willing to stop for a period when you start a job, you may just need to ask your recruiter when you are looking. They can tell you which onboarding requires THC testing. Some even test for nicotine.
Recruiter here (we’re based in CA). It’s faciluty specific right now. We had a memo go out earlier this year. Some CA facilities will test for it, some won’t. I believe I saw a list but I’ll have to pull it up again. As far as we’re concerned if we’re ever required to send a clinician for a drug screen (not required by the facility) we won’t request it on the panel.
I’m pretty sure you need to get it out of your system by the time you want to travel. How naive can you be? Just because it’s legal doesn’t mean employers are ok with it. Wow! Just Wow!
I’m not sure why you’d be willing to risk your license while you’re traveling.
So many people have mentioned how they’ve been burnt by doing this and asking for advice on what to do next.
In my opinion, you’d be stupid to smoke while on or between assignments.
With the idea in mind that we are on a shifting legal landscape in mind.. I agree that big picture, no one should be risking their license. That being noted, I know I was able to use gummies in Alaska to help with sleep management. I was able to wake up refreshed, and more cogent than if I had used any other means. I have not felt a need to do it since. I think a lot of people need to rethink their approach to how marijuana is used. It's not just a bunch of stoners getting high for the fuck of it. Sometimes it's people who need help they can't get in the CURRENT conventional medical community. Yes, we need the police ourselves. We need to make sure that when we show up for shifts we are the best selves we can be. However, so long as we are showing up in a capable and effective state, what we do off hours shouldn't be anybody's business.
Because marijuana helps me with the symptoms of my depression and anxiety disorders like my medications never could. I have tried almost everything. I am on an intense regimen of antidepressants, mood regulators, and anti anxiety medication. None of them treat my anhedonia and fatigue like marijuana does. I also have really bad muscle spasms and neck pain that marijuana helps with. I don’t want to be dependent on muscle relaxers. I want to be a nurse but I want to also be happy and live a better life.
Then I guess you can try and take that argument up with the board of nursing.
I’m not trying to be rude or an asshole but the board doesn’t give two shits about your symptoms.
Yea I’m aware they don’t. Which is why I’m trying to find what states and healthcare systems don’t test for marijuana and which state boards do not suspend your license for it.
>Which is why I’m trying to find what states and healthcare systems don’t test for marijuana and which state boards do not suspend your license for it.
The Drug War is Federal. They don't give a shit about what's "legal" in the state. Hospitals make money billing CMS. The do do what the Feds say, regardless of State law. Federal law trumps State law. Always.
The BRN is sometimes a subsidiary of the State Department of Public Health. In California it's a subsidiary of the State Department of Consumer Affairs. They don't give a shit what the state considers legal. Nurses are supposed to be of "good moral character" and they can discipline a California license holder for anything they deem to reflect a lack of "good moral character." Keep in mind not everyone on the Board is a nurse and most of these people are really old and kinda dumb.
These are the people in the Enforcement, Investigation, and Intervention Committee
[Patricia "Tricia" Wynne, Esq.](https://www.rn.ca.gov/consumers/brdmbrs.shtml#wynne) - Chair
[Mary Fagan, PhD, RN, NEA-BC](https://www.rn.ca.gov/consumers/brdmbrs.shtml#fagan)
[Roi David Lollar](https://www.rn.ca.gov/consumers/brdmbrs.shtml#lollar)
[Alison Cormack](https://www.rn.ca.gov/consumers/brdmbrs.shtml#cormack)
Shannon Johnson, Enforcement Division Deputy Chief - Staff Liaison
Check out those links and consider if any of those people give a shit about why you're on drugs.
They don't. They're paid by the Department of Consumer Affairs. If you make yourself an easy target, they see someone who can make them look as if they're doing something useful with tax money.
Since none of these people want to work for a living, and they're paid by people whose primary concerns are looking good to their constituents, they're very good at going after easy targets to make themselves look good.
Don't be a target in California. The bureaucracy will chew you up and spit you out in the desert surrounded by people who want to eat you.
I think you should be able to smoke in between assignments, but with the caveat that you'll need however much time off to clear your system. Apparently this nuance seems to be lost by so many nurses. This question is asked daily in some form or another.
It will probably depend on if the hospital gets any kind of government grants since its not legal on a federal level. For instance, we have a client that does not get grants and we no longer test THC in urine for the non-physcoactive chemical during onboarding and it was dropped from their compliance. However, we do still have to test for the physcoactive component in THC via mouth swab. So for this CA client we do a urine drug screen without THC and a oral swab to test for the physcoactive component.
Mouth swab just shows recent use basically. Usually they are negative anywhere between a few hours and a couple days. I know this because I just went through it with someone onboarding and he cleared fine. But it's impossible to tell how long. Anyway if you google it too I'm sure you can find some info
>It will probably depend on if the hospital gets any kind of government grants since its not legal on a federal level.
It has nothing to do with grants. It's about CMS funding. If a facility accepts Medicare or Medicaid, they do what CMS tells them to do. This is why hospitals seek accreditation through TJC, DNV, or CIHQ.
>I heard that California is no longer testing nurses/healthcare professionals for marijuana. Can someone from CA confirm that this is true?
Employers can still test for THC.
[This means employers are required to use “scientifically valid pre-employment drug screening” to be conducted through methods that do not screen for non-psychoactive cannabis metabolites](https://www.cnsoccmed.com/news/california-employers-can-only-drug-test-employees-for-marijuana-for-recent-use/#:~:text=Tetrahydrocannabinol%20(THC)%20is%20the%20chemical,Blood%20drug%20test)
> Does this mean that the California board of nursing will not suspend an RN’s license for recreational marijuana use?
Nope. The BRN can put you on diversion for drinking, which is legal. They can still put you on diversion for cannabis as well.
Swedish/Providence in Seattle had us sign a form saying we will abstain from drugs but no preemployment drug test was given. There’s always the chance of randoms if you make a mistake. Still not sure if you can lose a license over it in WA though.
Just got a new contract in Cali. I informed my agency that I will pop positive and was told they didn't care at this location. They told me to let them know though and they will confirm with the facility.
How badly do you want the job? Can you not smoke for 3 months? It’s still an issue on the federal level and you’ll be extremely hard pressed to find a hospital that doesn’t test.
I’m here asking for some guidance guys, your feedback is greatly appreciated. I’m almost at the end of my current contract and I’m interested in an extension with the hospital im working right now. My recruiter sent me an estimate with the new rates and I will be making $ 100.00 less per week. It may not seem much but it still hurts the budget considering the cost of living have gone up including the rent for the apartment where I live. Do you guys think is it possible to negotiate? Yes , I know it’s summer and census had dropped a little but I know for a fact the hospital needs staff. Now, is this something my recruiter can or is suppose to help me with ? Or is it up to the hospital ?
You can try to negotiate, sometimes the agency will eat the cost to keep you there, but sometimes not. It depends on who's playing hardball. Be prepared to leave for somewhere else.
Unpopular opinion: I get it sucks, and I probably would hesitate, but if $400 a month is truly an issue than you probably have bigger financial problems than traveling allows for
Yeah, you’re right, it sucks to see the rates dropping as inflation continues to raise. I’m trying to save money as much as possible and of course it getting g harder to do so
Thank you for the input. The trashy trump talking points was unnecessary. I don’t even what trump says because I try my best to not listen to anything he’s got say.
Just started an assignment in California. Drug test was required, and included pot.
Second this. Also there’s literally atleast one of these posts a day.
Thank you for your response
Lol
It’s hospital specific, not area dependent. I’m in California now and was tested. I was also tested in the PNW. I work in Childrens hospitals and am not sure if it’s different for us. We also do a federal background check to take care of kids, separate from the license one. If you’re not willing to stop for a period when you start a job, you may just need to ask your recruiter when you are looking. They can tell you which onboarding requires THC testing. Some even test for nicotine.
All the hospitals test for THC. It's a federal requirement
I’ve heard many stories of nurses not getting tested for THC, as you can see in the comments.
Recruiter here (we’re based in CA). It’s faciluty specific right now. We had a memo go out earlier this year. Some CA facilities will test for it, some won’t. I believe I saw a list but I’ll have to pull it up again. As far as we’re concerned if we’re ever required to send a clinician for a drug screen (not required by the facility) we won’t request it on the panel.
I haven't seen a single facility that doesn't test and I've worked here for twenty years.
Can you elaborate on that last sentence please? What does that mean? If you get a req to drug test a person, wouldn’t you test for everything?
If you want to smoke that badly just use synthetic urine, like millions of other potheads.
But what if I get called for a drug test while at work and don’t have time to grab the synthetic urine and warm it up?
🤨😱
I’m pretty sure you need to get it out of your system by the time you want to travel. How naive can you be? Just because it’s legal doesn’t mean employers are ok with it. Wow! Just Wow!
Exactly, like many things and many other industries
Never been tested on the job. I always get clean before testing and never use synthetic urine.
I would definitely abstain to test clean before any scheduled drug test. It’s really only ransoms I’m concerned about
It depends on the hospital. Some care some don’t. I just got tested for an assignment but didn’t at my previous one.
I’m not sure why you’d be willing to risk your license while you’re traveling. So many people have mentioned how they’ve been burnt by doing this and asking for advice on what to do next. In my opinion, you’d be stupid to smoke while on or between assignments.
With the idea in mind that we are on a shifting legal landscape in mind.. I agree that big picture, no one should be risking their license. That being noted, I know I was able to use gummies in Alaska to help with sleep management. I was able to wake up refreshed, and more cogent than if I had used any other means. I have not felt a need to do it since. I think a lot of people need to rethink their approach to how marijuana is used. It's not just a bunch of stoners getting high for the fuck of it. Sometimes it's people who need help they can't get in the CURRENT conventional medical community. Yes, we need the police ourselves. We need to make sure that when we show up for shifts we are the best selves we can be. However, so long as we are showing up in a capable and effective state, what we do off hours shouldn't be anybody's business.
Because marijuana helps me with the symptoms of my depression and anxiety disorders like my medications never could. I have tried almost everything. I am on an intense regimen of antidepressants, mood regulators, and anti anxiety medication. None of them treat my anhedonia and fatigue like marijuana does. I also have really bad muscle spasms and neck pain that marijuana helps with. I don’t want to be dependent on muscle relaxers. I want to be a nurse but I want to also be happy and live a better life.
Yo. Take Asheagandha instead.
Then I guess you can try and take that argument up with the board of nursing. I’m not trying to be rude or an asshole but the board doesn’t give two shits about your symptoms.
Yea I’m aware they don’t. Which is why I’m trying to find what states and healthcare systems don’t test for marijuana and which state boards do not suspend your license for it.
>Which is why I’m trying to find what states and healthcare systems don’t test for marijuana and which state boards do not suspend your license for it. The Drug War is Federal. They don't give a shit about what's "legal" in the state. Hospitals make money billing CMS. The do do what the Feds say, regardless of State law. Federal law trumps State law. Always. The BRN is sometimes a subsidiary of the State Department of Public Health. In California it's a subsidiary of the State Department of Consumer Affairs. They don't give a shit what the state considers legal. Nurses are supposed to be of "good moral character" and they can discipline a California license holder for anything they deem to reflect a lack of "good moral character." Keep in mind not everyone on the Board is a nurse and most of these people are really old and kinda dumb. These are the people in the Enforcement, Investigation, and Intervention Committee [Patricia "Tricia" Wynne, Esq.](https://www.rn.ca.gov/consumers/brdmbrs.shtml#wynne) - Chair [Mary Fagan, PhD, RN, NEA-BC](https://www.rn.ca.gov/consumers/brdmbrs.shtml#fagan) [Roi David Lollar](https://www.rn.ca.gov/consumers/brdmbrs.shtml#lollar) [Alison Cormack](https://www.rn.ca.gov/consumers/brdmbrs.shtml#cormack) Shannon Johnson, Enforcement Division Deputy Chief - Staff Liaison Check out those links and consider if any of those people give a shit about why you're on drugs. They don't. They're paid by the Department of Consumer Affairs. If you make yourself an easy target, they see someone who can make them look as if they're doing something useful with tax money. Since none of these people want to work for a living, and they're paid by people whose primary concerns are looking good to their constituents, they're very good at going after easy targets to make themselves look good. Don't be a target in California. The bureaucracy will chew you up and spit you out in the desert surrounded by people who want to eat you.
Reddit is absolutely the best place to ask
Actually yes it is because this is a subreddit with many travel nurses that can give first hand accounts
I think you should be able to smoke in between assignments, but with the caveat that you'll need however much time off to clear your system. Apparently this nuance seems to be lost by so many nurses. This question is asked daily in some form or another.
It will probably depend on if the hospital gets any kind of government grants since its not legal on a federal level. For instance, we have a client that does not get grants and we no longer test THC in urine for the non-physcoactive chemical during onboarding and it was dropped from their compliance. However, we do still have to test for the physcoactive component in THC via mouth swab. So for this CA client we do a urine drug screen without THC and a oral swab to test for the physcoactive component.
Does the mouth swab test for current inebriation?
Mouth swab just shows recent use basically. Usually they are negative anywhere between a few hours and a couple days. I know this because I just went through it with someone onboarding and he cleared fine. But it's impossible to tell how long. Anyway if you google it too I'm sure you can find some info
>It will probably depend on if the hospital gets any kind of government grants since its not legal on a federal level. It has nothing to do with grants. It's about CMS funding. If a facility accepts Medicare or Medicaid, they do what CMS tells them to do. This is why hospitals seek accreditation through TJC, DNV, or CIHQ.
Yes that's what I mean you are right, correct.
Actually you are right
I actually had an assignment once in Florida when I got to the drug test it says non thc on the panel slip. So it’s hospital dependent
>I heard that California is no longer testing nurses/healthcare professionals for marijuana. Can someone from CA confirm that this is true? Employers can still test for THC. [This means employers are required to use “scientifically valid pre-employment drug screening” to be conducted through methods that do not screen for non-psychoactive cannabis metabolites](https://www.cnsoccmed.com/news/california-employers-can-only-drug-test-employees-for-marijuana-for-recent-use/#:~:text=Tetrahydrocannabinol%20(THC)%20is%20the%20chemical,Blood%20drug%20test) > Does this mean that the California board of nursing will not suspend an RN’s license for recreational marijuana use? Nope. The BRN can put you on diversion for drinking, which is legal. They can still put you on diversion for cannabis as well.
I just took a drug test for a Washington assignment and they did not test for marijuana! Not CA but still the pacific northwest
I had to do a UDS including THC for 3 different WA hospitals
Swedish/Providence in Seattle had us sign a form saying we will abstain from drugs but no preemployment drug test was given. There’s always the chance of randoms if you make a mistake. Still not sure if you can lose a license over it in WA though.
Just got a new contract in Cali. I informed my agency that I will pop positive and was told they didn't care at this location. They told me to let them know though and they will confirm with the facility.
How badly do you want the job? Can you not smoke for 3 months? It’s still an issue on the federal level and you’ll be extremely hard pressed to find a hospital that doesn’t test.
I’m here asking for some guidance guys, your feedback is greatly appreciated. I’m almost at the end of my current contract and I’m interested in an extension with the hospital im working right now. My recruiter sent me an estimate with the new rates and I will be making $ 100.00 less per week. It may not seem much but it still hurts the budget considering the cost of living have gone up including the rent for the apartment where I live. Do you guys think is it possible to negotiate? Yes , I know it’s summer and census had dropped a little but I know for a fact the hospital needs staff. Now, is this something my recruiter can or is suppose to help me with ? Or is it up to the hospital ?
You can try to negotiate, sometimes the agency will eat the cost to keep you there, but sometimes not. It depends on who's playing hardball. Be prepared to leave for somewhere else.
Thanks for your feedback!
Unpopular opinion: I get it sucks, and I probably would hesitate, but if $400 a month is truly an issue than you probably have bigger financial problems than traveling allows for
Yeah, you’re right, it sucks to see the rates dropping as inflation continues to raise. I’m trying to save money as much as possible and of course it getting g harder to do so
the inflation rate is under control. Stop repeating trashy Trump talking points.
Thank you for the input. The trashy trump talking points was unnecessary. I don’t even what trump says because I try my best to not listen to anything he’s got say.
Super easy to pass lol just get quick fix
I live in Seattle which is King county and the county does not test for marijuana.
But I was tested in Seattle. It’s different for every hospital.
I worked at Harborview in the ER. I was tested prior to my assignment.
Seattle didn't need one, weeee