racegirl2448

I've never had a pre-employment physical before and I am wondering what to expect. I was offered a CNA position in a nursing home.

During my interview I told the lady about how I've had pre-employment drug testing but never a physical and she informed me that they did not do the drug testing but do require a physical before orientation day.
Does that make sense? A pre-employment physical with a urine/drug test? Wouldn't a urine/drug test be automatically part of any pre-employment physical?
What is envolved with a pre-employment physical anyways? Do they do basic things like.... blood pressure and stuff like that? Do they make you lift stuff to make sure your back is ok or do they just ask you if you have any back issues? I am petrified to go for this physical. I got the job and now I am freaking out cuz what if I fail the physical. I know I am healthy and can do the work though so I guess I should not worry so much.
Another question....
If they do end up doing a urine/drug test (even though the lady said they don't) as long as I have the pharmacy print outs (the papers that you get with any scripts)
then if they find the oxycodone I have a script so I should be fine right?
I also heard that a basic urine/drug test for a new job tests for most street drugs plus "opiates" and that oxycodone will not show as an opiate and they have to request a seperate test for oxycodone..... is that true?
I take Oxycontin & Oxycodone for breakthrough..... both are the same drug just one is fast release and the other is slow release so if by chance I get tested and I am positive for oxycodone do I have to tell them I take both or can I just say I take the oxycodone PRN a few nights a week? I would think that they can not tell the difference between both drugs as they both have the same ingredients in them. I really do not want them to know exactly what meds I take.... I would like some privacy.
Any thoughts or information would be appreciated.
Thankx for letting me ramble on.... I am just nervous and really need this great paying job. I can not wait to start.

northbelle

All I know for sure is oxycodone is a opiate and shows up on drug tests as such. She said they don't drug test why worry??? Why don't you just tell the truth? They are both prescribed right??
You will get the job//you always come through in the job department .!!
By the way it is nice to see you here!! Why you stay away so long?
love north

ladyamalthea

If they were afraid you wouldn't pass the physical, I'm sure it would have come up before now...

And I agree with north. As long as they are both prescribed, I would be honest about it, because ultimately the person who tests you is probably no one that you would have to answer to anyways... and your boss is probably not going to read anything on the test other than whether or not you passed. As long as you pass, any other info will probably be forgotten within a week.

Good luck!

racegirl2448

Thankx guys.... I do plan on being honest...if they ask what meds I take I will tell them and will have the script papers with me. I heard somewhere that if you pop positive for an opiate or whatever but show proof that you have a legal script then they have to report the test as negitive.....is that true?
As to why I've been hiding for awhile.... all I can say is that I've been kinda depressed lately and have not felt like going online. I did stop in here once in awhile to see what you guys were posting and see what was happening but I myself did not post anything.
I really missed all you & I swore to myself I would not hide like that again......even if I am busy with this new job I will be getting home at like 11:30pm or so and I will make a point to stop in at least a couple times a week just so noone forgets about me. Honestly... I felt lost not talking to you guys for so long but that was my doing and noone's fault by my own.
As far as my depression goes..... I have no clue what my problem was... I just woke up one morning and BAM!!! Nothing made me happy. Maybe now that I'm 99.9 % sure I have a normal good paying job I will be more myself and happier again. I just hate that orientation is not until 9-11 and I gotta wait to begin working.
The one thing that scares me the most is knowing that oneday I will have to deal with WD's at work as I am sure the day will come when either I am out of meds a couple days early or my Dr will be on vacation when I call for my refill. These situations have happened to me before.... although I don't run out of meds early very often (not like I used to...I've changed a little in that respect).
I did run out a day & a half early last month but that was my own fault and my own stupidity ... it was not cuz I took more than I am suppossed to it was cuz I had stupidly left my pocketbook in my car when I got an oil change and I had the cash in my pocket for the oil change so I did not need my pocketbook and I sure as hell did not think someone would actually be ballsie enough to go into my pocketbook with me being right outside the garage doors.
Anyhow...when I left I noticed they vaccumed and my pocketbook was moved.... no big deal though until.....my cell phone rang and it was in the wrong pocket. See I have 2 small pockets in the front of my pocketbook and my cell phone goes in the left one and my car keys go in the right one. Well... my cell phone was in the right pocket not in the left where I keep it so that is when I got freaked out.
I rushed home & noticed (4) 1's missing from my inside zipper pocket.... along with a pack of gum that I got that same morning when I bought 3 packets of cigarettes. (1) brand new pack of Marlboro was missing too.
So I was missing $4.00 (my change from the store) a pack of gum and a brand new pack of cigarettes. I am not crazy I know what is in my pocketbook.....I had just left the store put the stuff inside my pocketbook and threw my change in the zipper part inside then I went straight to the oil change place. I got there and grabbed the cash for the oil change out of my wallet and left my pocketbook under the driver's seat. STUPID....STUPID....STUPID!!!!

AfterI noticed that crap missing I remember my Oxycontin bottle was in there... OMG I really freaked out then.... I got the bottle out and started counting. I had to stop counting and start over about 3x because I was so nervous that I kept losing my count..... finally I decided to count in groups of 10 that was it was easier and I did not have to worry about messing up when I got to like 63 or something.
I take them 3x a day & I had just got them filled a few days before... the bottle was full so whoever it was must've thought I would not notice any missing cuz the bottle was full........ there should have only been 10 missing cuz I took the 7am dose that morning. I used (3) Tues... (3) Wed.... (3) Thurs and (1) that morning.
Well..... there were 15 missing and I only had a total of 75 in the bottle. Someone took 5 pills..... meaning I will run out a day and a half early. I should be able to get them refilled a couple days early so I should be ok but it is just the point.... SOMEONE STOLE FROM ME...... SOMEONE WENT INTO MY PRIVATE SPACE AND I FEEL KINDA VIOLATED IN A WAY!!!!
I did not call the cops though cuz it would be useless. I did call the oil change place and voiced my anger. They said maybe I was mistaken and if in fact it did happen that they were sorry and would look into it but of coarse I never heard back from them.
Anyways-
I am so scared to start this new job and have to deal with WD's..... even if it does not happen my first couple months I know that oneday it will happen and I have no clue how I will deal with WD's at work .... I do not want to lose this job... I can't lose this job.
HOW DO PEOPLE DEAL WITH WD's AT WORK? IS THERE A WAY TO MAKE IT BEARABLE THROUGH YOUR SHIFT? Anyway to hide it from co-workers?

ccgirl

Gee, everyone's different. It takes me two days to really feel crappy but that's me. If it's only a day or so worth, your pharmacy will probably fill it a day early. I don't think that's unreasonable.

spark-o-cet

racegirl one rule of thumb in this day and age is to never carry a full bottle of potent pain medication with you,only take what you will need until you get home to get more.remember the amount that you take could very possible kill a teenager or someone that is not opiate tolerant.forget about the oil change place and dont let this happen again.please dont take this the wrong way but you as a pain patient have an obligation to protect your meds and plus you dont want to run out early im sure.chalk it up to a hard lessen learned.good luck-spark

racegirl2448

Did not take anything the wrong way... I knew I shouldn't have had them in my pocketbook. I never even keep them at my place to be honest. I live with my mom and she don't want that medication in her house so I keep them locked up at my storage unit with all the stuff I put in storage. I have a locked box in there with important papers I put them inside that and try to go there within a few days of getting them refilled.
I actually that morning was on my way to go put them in my storage place when I decided to get he oil change but still I should have kept my pocketbook with me...STUPID ME!!
Anyways- lesson learned. Next time go to the storage place first before any otehr errands.
OK WELL enough... I need to move on...lesson learned teh hard way but I just thank my lucky stars it was not worse than it was... I was luck this time and there will not be a next time.
Have an awesome day

yourgirl

I'm a nurse and every job I take involves pre-employment drug testing. Asking if they require one sends a red flag to any HR personel. Alot of times the drug testing is done at the facility when you recieve your MANTOUX(T.B.)test. If you have legal prescriptions for your medications you'll just have to show proof. That info is and should be completely confidential due to HIPPA laws which protects the privacy of anyones private medical history, Good-luck and enjoy your new job

racegirl2448

Thankx for the information...
I want to make this clear so there is no confussion....
During my interview I did not ask if they drug tested so.... I didn't cause any red flag to go up......
The drug testing comment only came up cuz the lady who interviewed me and myself were talking about my last job interview...I applied for a position at my storage unit facility ($$$ was crapola but it was 40hrs per week) I was only going to work there maybe 6 mths tops or until I found something else that paid better.
Anyways- I had told her about my last job interview and how they drug tested me only to lose my paperwork at the lab and how I had to drive over an hour to get re-tested. The only other thing I said to her during that conversation regarding drug testing was that I could understand drug testing applicants for healthcare job like the one I was applying for but.... for a job in a storage unit facility? I thought that was kind of strange. That is when she said "we don't drug test here but we do have you go for a pre-employment physical" then she said to me "I hope the clinic doesn't lose your physical paperwork" I looked up at her and saw her laughing...I laughed as well.
It is nice to know at least my supervisor will have a sense of humor.... I think this job is going to great and I believe the people will be nice to work with (cross my fingers).....

Sugah

Perhaps because they're responsible for safe-guarding the possessions of others & feel a drug user might be more inclined to steal?

Peace & Love,
Sugah

spyder

Aside from the drug screening. How involved a physical is it generally? Is it something you can do without taking off your clothes? What are they checking for?