Drug/Alcohol Test Policy & Procedures

Purpose 

The University of Arizona (UArizona) College of Nursing (CON) is committed to the highest level of educational activity and professional conduct throughout all programs. As such, CON is committed to maintaining safe, drug-free working, educational, and clinical environments for nursing students, faculty, staff, and patients. 

It is the policy of the CON that students are functioning free from the influence of illicit or illegal substances. Students are expected to comply with all federal, state, and local laws and all rules/regulations concerning drug and alcohol use, including rules, policies, and procedures of the Arizona Board of Regents, the UArizona, the CON, the American Nurses Association (ANA), the Arizona State Board of Nursing, and individual clinical partner sites at which the students are assigned. 

The use of controlled substances (unless prescribed by a clinician), marijuana (including medical marijuana), or illegal substances is prohibited by the CON. This policy is intended to delineate drug/alcohol testing requirements and disciplinary sanctions of the UArizona CON.

Applicability

This policy applies to all current and admitted students of the CON in a program with clinical requirements. It is important to understand that CON students are required to comply with all clinical partner site drug/alcohol testing requirements in addition to the testing required by the CON in this policy. Clinical partner sites may require drug/alcohol testing for anyone who is involved with patient care, including CON students, and, therefore, CON students may be required to complete additional drug/alcohol tests to meet the compliance standard of specific clinical partner sites.

Required Testing

For participation in all clinical programs, experiences, and coursework as defined by each program, CON students are required to complete drug/alcohol testing as follows: 

1. After being admitted to the program and before matriculating into clinical coursework (specific deadline to be provided during the clinical compliance onboarding process).
2. When required to meet clinical partner sites’ compliance standards.
3. Upon reasonable suspicion as defined below. 

Students who fail to comply with all aspects of this policy, including refusing to test for any reason at any time, will face sanctions as outlined below.

Protocol & Implementation

Except under circumstances of “Reasonable Suspicion” Testing (see below for details), students required to complete a drug/alcohol test must:

• Order the drug test through the CON’s approved vendor or as directed. The CON will provide instructions regarding ordering the test at the time the test is requested.
• Complete the drug test via urine sample before the required date.
• Pay all drug test fees.
• Have drug test results consistent with CON policies recorded and posted in the designated compliance system by the published deadline.

The drug/alcohol test screens for the following substances:

Students may be contacted by a third-party Medical Review Officer (MRO) if additional information or documentation is needed to process or interpret the drug test (i.e., reviewing prescriptions). Students using prescription medication that may result in a positive result are advised to be prepared to provide prescription or other medical information. Marijuana use is strictly prohibited by the CON, without exception, regardless of whether it is prescribed by a physician or used for medicinal purposes. 

The drug test results will be reviewed by the CON once uploaded into the CON compliance system. When applying and enforcing this policy, the CON relies only on the drug test results posted in the designated compliance system. 

Drug tests ordered through the CON’s designated compliance system are conducted and interpreted by the CON’s approved vendor, independent of the CON. Therefore, any questions, concerns, or disputes regarding the testing process or results must be pursued with the parties involved in the testing/verification process and not the CON.

Results

Students whose posted drug test results are negative may proceed with their admission, clinical placement, and program of study, except as outlined below regarding “reasonable suspicion” testing. 

Students whose posted drug test results are inconclusive, regardless of the cause, are required to retest at their own expense since inconclusive test results are not consistent with CON policies.

• Any test result other than negative or positive is considered an inconclusive test result under CON policy. This
  may include results such as dilute negative, dilute positive, cancel, invalid, rejected, interference, and more.
• Retesting is permitted only after an inconclusive test result is recorded and posted in the designated compliance
  system.
  • Retesting is permitted after each inconclusive test result, no matter how many inconclusive test results
    have previously been recorded.
  • Fully matriculated students must complete retesting within 7 calendar days of the most recent
    inconclusive result being posted in the compliance system.
  • If a student receives any test results other than inconclusive, the policy will be enforced as applicable,
    based on the results. 

Students whose posted drug test results are positive will have the results reviewed by a CON representative to determine if the results are consistent with CON policies.

• If the results are consistent with CON policies, the student may proceed with their admission, clinical placement, and program of study.
• If the results are not consistent with CON policies, the following shall occur:
  • Newly admitted students not yet matriculated into the program will have their offer of admission rescinded.
  • Students already matriculated into the program will be immediately suspended from their clinical placement(s), program, and college for the remainder of the semester at a minimum. The CON may take further disciplinary action as outlined below.
  • Students who hold a license as a CNA, LPN, or RN and whose drug/alcohol test results are positive are required to self-report and provide the CON documentation confirming they self-reported to the appropriate state BON(s). Failure to self-report a positive test is a violation of this policy and may result in disciplinary action as outlined below.

“Reasonable Suspicion” Testing

Students will be required to take a drug/alcohol test if CON has reasonable suspicion that the student is using or under the influence of drugs or alcohol or both in an educational or clinical setting. For purposes of this policy, “reasonable suspicion” shall mean:

1. Observable phenomena, including but not limited to, direct observation of drug/alcohol use, possession of drugs/alcohol, and the physical symptoms of being under the influence of a drug/alcohol;
2. A pattern of abnormal conduct or erratic behavior;
3. Information provided by reliable and credible sources regarding the student’s alleged violation of this policy;
4. Newly discovered evidence that the student tampered with a previous drug/alcohol test;
5. Unexplained controlled substances or alcohol or both missing or diverted from the clinical or laboratory environment, if the student had reasonable access to the controlled substances or alcohol during the time of the event; or
6. Evidence of circumstances or information which may cause a reasonable person to conclude that a student is more likely than not engaged in conduct that violates this policy.

When drug/alcohol testing is required based on reasonable suspicion, site-specific safety protocols must be followed.

Additionally:

• The preceptor/instructor/clinical supervising faculty will:
  1. Remove the student from patient care and/or assigned work area, if applicable.
  2. Inform the student they are being removed due to reasonable suspicion as described above.
  3. Inform the student they are required to undergo drug/alcohol blood testing within 12 hours.
  4. Locate a nearby testing facility that:
     1. Uses chain of custody protocol and documents transfers on the chain of custody form, and
     2. Is open and available to take the blood sample within 12 hours.
        1. The CON Clinical Operations Office may be available to help locate a testing facility during regular business hours by contacting 520.621.9954.
  5. Ensure the drug/alcohol blood test screens for, at a minimum, the following substances:

6. Arrange for payment of the drug/alcohol test.
7. The CON Clinical Operations Office may be available to help locate a testing facility during regular business hours by contacting 520.621.9954.
8. Arrange for safe transportation to take the student home or to the nearby testing facility. The student is not allowed to drive themself.
9. Escort the student to the safe transportation.
10. Notify the clinical site supervising personnel, if applicable, and the CON Clinical Compliance Coordinator(s).

• The student will complete the drug/alcohol test via blood sample within 12 hours of being removed from their work area.
• If a student admits to alcohol or drug use, they will still be required to complete a drug/alcohol test as outlined above.
• If the test results are negative, the student shall meet with a representative from the CON the next business day following the test results to discuss the situation and plan moving forward.
• If the test results are positive the student will be reported to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and follow the process as outlined under ‘Disciplinary Action’ below.
• If a student refuses “Reasonable Suspicion” Testing, the student will face the same consequences as if the Reasonable Suspicion test results are positive.

Disciplinary Action

Matriculated CON students who violate this policy shall be reported to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. The Associate Dean will convene a committee to consider the student's positive drug test results or other violation of this policy and issue discipline and sanctions. Possible disciplinary action may include, but is not limited to, removal from clinical sites, suspension from CON programs, and/or dismissal from CON. 

The Committee may also condition a student’s continuation in a CON program (and/or return from suspension or return to clinical activities) on the student’s participation in, and successful completion of, an approved drug and/or alcohol counseling program, coupled with the student’s consent to random testing. Requirements of such a program may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Satisfactorily participate in a substance abuse assistance program or rehabilitation program approved by the Committee for this purpose.
• Provide evidence satisfactory to the Committee of continued outpatient therapy in an approved program appropriate to the treatment recommendation.
• Remain substance free after completing a rehabilitation program for chemical dependency and participate in random drug screening during rehabilitation and for the duration of their education at CON.

A student’s voluntary or required participation in, and successful completion of, an approved drug and/or alcohol counseling program, coupled with the student’s consent to random testing, may be considered in the disciplinary process, but does not ensure that dismissal will not occur. 

Students are encouraged to self-identify to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs when they have problems with drug or alcohol abuse. In such cases, confidentiality will be maintained, to the extent possible, by the CON. 

All Committee decisions are final.