Testing positive for any drug on a pre-employment or employer-ordered drug screening without a lawful prescription is grounds for discipline, suspension, and fines.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not sure
• D. It depends

Answer: (A)

The concept here is impairment and professional responsibility. Nurses must practice in a way that protects patient safety, and using or being under the influence of drugs without a valid prescription can impair judgment and performance. Florida’s nursing regulations treat practicing while impaired as unprofessional conduct, and the Board has authority to discipline licensees for this kind of conduct. A positive drug test in a pre-employment or employer-ordered screening, with no lawful prescription to justify the result, signals a breach of safety standards and can lead to discipline, suspension, or fines to protect the public. If there’s a lawful prescription, the situation would be handled differently, focusing on ensuring the prescription is managed without impairing practice, but the scenario described hinges on the lack of a valid prescription and the resulting safety risk.