Screening
Procedure for Nursing Jobs
-- RNs, LPNs,
CMAs,
GNAs, CNAs
Drugs Status
All Hands Nursing
and Health Services, Inc. take drug abuse very seriously -- especially as it
affects the workplace. In fact, we are committed to selecting, retaining and
placing safe, healthful and productive workers in client’s facilities, more
than ever, when the client requires drug screening of their own employees
and/or Agency caregivers placed on their facilities. We are confident that
our clients, potential clients, workers and potential workers will find our
drug policy reassuring. Repeat: We take drug abuse very seriously.
Drugs in the Workplace Recital
As presented by Beth Gaudio of the NFIB Legal Foundation, most drug users
are employed, and when they arrive for work, they don’t leave their problems
at the door. Some costs—increased absences, accidents and errors—are
obvious. Others, such as low morale and high illness rates, are less so, but
their effects may be equally harmful. Small businesses are often burdened
with these costs, since they often do not have the resources to address the
problem. In fact, according to the United State Department of Labor, 87
percent of full-time employed illicit drug users work for businesses with
less than 500 employees. More than 40 percent work for businesses with less
than 25 employees.
Definitions
|
1: |
Prohibited Drugs or
Controlled Substances
Prohibited Drugs or Controlled Substances include all forms of
narcotics, hallucinogens, depressants, stimulants or other drugs
whose use, possession or transfer is restricted or prohibited by
law.
|
|
2: |
Workplace
Workplace means Agency premises, client facilities to which an
Agency worker has been referred; or any location in which an Agency
worker is required to discharge his or her duties to the Agency or a
client.
|
|
3: |
Illegal Use of
Controlled Substance or Substance Abuse
Illegal Use of Controlled Substance or Substance Abuse refers to use
of a controlled substance that is not consistent with or is not the
result
of the lawful order of a licensed health care practitioner. This
also
includes the misuse or overuse of alcohol.
|
|
4: |
Impaired Condition
An Impaired Condition exists at any time when an employee or
contractor under the influence of drugs or alcohol cannot perform
normal job functions or normal motor functions, creates a health and
safety risk to employees and/or to others, or acts in a manner
inconsistent with the individual’s normal behavior.
|
|
5: |
Reasonable Suspicion
or Reasonable Belief
Reasonable Suspicion or Reasonable Belief is the conclusion that a
person of average intelligence and understanding is likely to reach
when presented with the set of circumstances and/or evidence
currently available. |
Our Drug Policy
Statement of Agency Drug Policy
“Employees and contractors are prohibited from unlawfully consuming,
distributing, possessing, selling, or using controlled substances while on
duty. In addition, employees and contractors may not be under the influence
of any controlled substance, such as drugs or alcohol, while at work on
company premises or while engaged in company business. Bona fide
prescription or over-the-counter medications, taken as prescribed or
directed, are an exception to this policy. Anyone violating this policy may
be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination and/or
reporting to law enforcement.”
Accordingly:
1. Regardless of whether a client requires drug screening or testing
and/or if they request drug screening or testing of Agency caregivers, it is
an Agency policy to prohibit unlawful manufacture, distribution,
dispensation, sale, purchase, possession or use of controlled substances in
the workplace, or while engaged in any Agency business.
2. The Agency identifies with the reasons to implement a Drug-Free
Workplace Policy in order to protect its business and employees, as well as
those of our clients and their patients and/or residents.
3. This policy will be effectively communicated to, and acknowledged
by, all employees and contractors.
4. The benefits of the Agency’s drug policy include:
| a. |
Reducing workplace
injuries |
| b. |
Improving productivity |
| c. |
Establishing safe,
healthy work environments |
| d. |
Decreasing workers’
compensation claims |
| e. |
Decreasing workers’
compensation premiums |
|
f. |
Educating employees
and contractors about the affects of drug use
on the company |
|
g. |
Showing employees and
workers that the Agency has a vested interest
in them. |
| h. |
Achieving overall cost
savings to improve the bottom line |
| i. |
Opportunity to receive
government and other leading contracts |
5. The
Agency understands that most illegal drugs have lingering and destructive
effects on the work environment even though the drugs may not have been
taken at the workplace. Therefore, the presence of an illegal substance in
an employee’s or contractor’s system at the workplace is tantamount to using
drugs in the workplace and will be treated as such.
6. Any employee or contractor who violates any aspect of the Agency’s
drug policy will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including
termination and/or reporting to law enforcement.
Responsibilities
1. Management
The Director is responsible for ensuring that the Agency’s drug policy is
communicated to managers, who, directly or through supervisors, shall inform
all employees or contractors during orientation.
2. Workers
It is the responsibility of each worker to ensure a drug-free workplace.
Workers with information or knowledge about a violation of the Agency drug
policy must inform management immediately upon obtaining knowledge of the
violation. Failure to comply with the notification obligation, when proven,
will be grounds for disciplinary action up to and including termination.
3. Clients
Clients are encouraged to report any suspicions of drug abuse by an Agency
caregiver or worker placed at its facilities. Such report should be made to
the Director or his or her representative.
General Provisions
1. Prescription Drugs
Agency workers who are using prescription drugs under the care of a licensed
health care practitioner are required to notify their supervisors of such
use. This information will be treated confidentially, with only those who
have a “need-to-know” being informed. If management is unsure of whether or
not the medication is likely to impair a worker’s performance or place
co-workers or those that the Agency services at risk, the worker will be
required to produce a statement from his/her health care practitioner. The
worker will not be allowed to work until completely free from the prescribed
medication as determined by his or her care practitioner.
2. Prohibited Misconducts
The misconducts listed below, supported by reasonable belief that it
occurred, will be grounds for summary discharge without prior warning:
A. The
unlawful consumption, distribution, possession (including in a worker’s
system), dispensation, purchase, sale or use of a controlled substances
on Agency property, premises or while engaged in an Agency business off
Agency’s premises.
B. Reporting to work under the influence of a controlled substance or
alcohol.
C. Theft or use of patient’s or clients’ medications.
D,
unless you are our client, our client's representative, our associate, our
partner, a case worker, a case manager or a nursing administrator. It takes
a lot of time to check our supplies. Please use the of a controlled substance or alcohol outside of the workplace
which jeopardizes the Agency’s orderly conduct of business.
E. Any other serious act of substance abuse that jeopardizes the
well-being of co-workers, those who serve on the orderly conduct of
business.
The above
misconducts are merely examples and not a complete listing of such
misconducts. The Agency reserves the right to determine, at its discretion,
the types of misconduct that will result in discharge without prior warning
for violating its drug policy. Similarly, client facilities reserve the
right to determine, at their discretion, the types of misconduct that will
result in having an Agency worker recalled without prior warning for
violating its drug policy.
3. Triggers, Procedures and Consequences of Drug Testing or Screening
A. If a client
requires drug screening for an Agency caregiver, the Agency will perform
drug screening on the applicable caregiver before they can be initially
placed to work in the client's facilities.
B. If for any reason, a client, at any time, requests a drug test or
drug testing of an Agency caregiver who is already placed in the
client’s facility by the Agency, the caregiver will be required to
submit to the drug testing before they can be sent back to work in the
client’s facility, and only if the test results are negative as stated
in (c) and (d) below.
C. Only caregivers with negative drug test results will be placed by the
Agency.
D. If test results are positive, the caregiver will not be placed in a
client’s facility, or if already placed, the caregiver will be withdrawn
from the client’s facility, and also disciplined appropriately by the
Agency, up to discharge and/or reporting to law enforcement.
E. All drug testing will be performed by a certified and licensed
testing lab at the expense of the Agency. The lab will be responsible
for specimen collection, specimen identification, handling of specimen
containers with chain of custody documentation, and will analyze and
interpret the specimen with a screening test.
F. When a client or their representatives, an Agency worker, or another
concerned citizen makes the Agency aware of a possible violation of the
Agency’s drug policy, the Director or other designated management
representative will investigate the allegation.
G. When reasonable suspicion or probable cause exists that a worker has
violated the drug policy, and the worker does not voluntarily resign
from his or her duties, the Agency will require the worker to submit to
drug/alcohol, urinalysis/blood test or any other appropriate medical
test. In such cases, the test will be performed in the manner mentioned
in (E) above.
H. Where the testing is triggered by reasonable suspicion, the worker
will be suspended from work until the test results are received, and a
decision, based on all available evidence is made by Agency management.
I. Where the testing is triggered by reasonable suspicion, and the test
results are negative, the worker will be returned to work.
J. If it is determined that the worker violated another Agency
policy(ies), appropriate action will be taken.
K. Where the testing is triggered by reasonable suspicion, and the test
results are positive, appropriate action will be taken.
We are confident
that our clients, potential clients, workers and potential workers will find
our drug policy reassuring. We take drug abuse very seriously.
What to Do If
You Can Meet Our Requirements
We have openings available for dedicated nursing professionals
who want to work in leading health care facilities in Maryland.
Apply Today!
Nurses
- Registered Nurse (RN) | See Requirements for RNs
- Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) | See Requirements for LPNS
Nurses Aides
- Geriatric Nursing
Assistant (GNA) | See Requirements for GNAs
- Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) | See Requirements for
CNAs
- Certified Medical
Assistant (CMA) | See Requirements for CMAs
