Nurses Who Smoke Marijuana

Nurses Recovery

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I am currently taking my prerequisites for Nursing. I know two nurses, one is a friend of my mothers and she is a Nurse Practitioner and my boyfriend's mother is a charge nurse in the ICU. Both of them smoke Marijuana (occasionally) and they haven't had any issues with their career. Although I have seen a thread on allnurses talking about a woman being fired from her job because she tested positive for Marijuana during a random drug test at work. So my question is, why do some people get FIRED for smoking marijuana but some don't and continue to advance in their career with no issues? Is it just because they didn't get caught through drug testing? Do Nurses know when their employers will be giving drug tests or how often?

Thanks!

People can test positive for marijuana for months after partaking. And I am not a huge fan, but that is just me, after being married far too long to a chronic user--it gets old, quick. If you want to fight for your right to paaarrrrtttyyyy have at it, but don't get bummed if you can't work as a nurse because of it. It interests me that SOME people who go on and on about their right to partake on their off time will often be the first ones to think that smoking cigarettes is the most disgusting habit going. More and more places aren't hiring nicotine positive applicants either. And one could argue that in fact they are nicotine positive for MS symptoms.

I find that often chronic pot smokers do really have a "burn out" thought process. Short term memory issues. Even if they may not be actively high. Use for symptom control as opposed to recreational use doesn't make anyone less high or less positive. It is akin to being just a little pregnant. With all that being said, I am mindful that places of employment want insurances that their nurses are safe to practice. But there are more fish to fry than the pot user. And to be a complete study in opposites, not sure that I am a huge fan of my job dictating my private life....but story for another thread...

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Marijuana's health effects: Memory problems, addiction

USA Today did an article.....

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.
jadelpn said:
People can test positive for marijuana for months after partaking. And I am not a huge fan, but that is just me, after being married far too long to a chronic user--it gets old, quick. If you want to fight for your right to paaarrrrtttyyyy have at it, but don't get bummed if you can't work as a nurse because of it. It interests me that SOME people who go on and on about their right to partake on their off time will often be the first ones to think that smoking cigarettes is the most disgusting habit going. More and more places aren't hiring nicotine positive applicants either. And one could argue that in fact they are nicotine positive for MS symptoms.

I find that often chronic pot smokers do really have a "burn out" thought process. Short term memory issues. Even if they may not be actively high. Use for symptom control as opposed to recreational use doesn't make anyone less high or less positive. It is akin to being just a little pregnant. With all that being said, I am mindful that places of employment want insurances that their nurses are safe to practice. But there are more fish to fry than the pot user. And to be a complete study in opposites, not sure that I am a huge fan of my job dictating my private life....but story for another thread...

I think you make good points here about the chronic abuse of marijuana.

The medicinal uses of marijuana are only now becoming apparent but the chronic abuse of the drug is an issue, especially in our youth.

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Specializes in Reproductive & Public Health.

I don't smoke marijuana , but I think is absolute CRAP that nurses get tested for that. the problem with marijuana , is that there's absolutely no way to tell that a nurses is inebriated at work because he or she tested positive for marijuana. I could snort cocaine on the weekend, and come up negative on a drug test a few days later. hoping that someday the drug laws will be updated to account for that fact. I think about this a lot, because the state I live in, Massachusetts, has recently legalized marijuana for medical uses. I worry about your moms I take care of because some of the nurses where I work still think that a positive marijuana test during pregnancy to eat for a CPS call, even knows PS, on their website, clearly states that a positive drug test during pregnancy does not, repeat does not consider a positive drug test during pregnancy as grounds for CPS involvement. in all honesty, I really wish that the United States as a whole would legalize marijuana as a recreational drug. but, it is true, that as a nurse I would never risk smoking pot because it can has serious ramifications on my license. excuse my French, but that is another and complete bull crap.

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Specializes in Reproductive & Public Health.

oh my goodness, please excuse the random typos in my last post. My phone has the most bizarre autocorrect

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Specializes in LTC, Management, MDS Nurse, Rehab.

I lost my license for over a year for smoking one joint....3 weeks later i had a drug test.....ruined my life for a while....i will never agian partake in any illegal drugs..

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.
MichelleRN34 said:
I lost my license for over a year for smoking one joint....3 weeks later i had a drug test.....ruined my life for a while....i will never agian partake in any illegal drugs..

And this is just plain wrong...wrong on so many levels it is crazy.

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Specializes in LTC, Management, MDS Nurse, Rehab.
tewdles said:
And this is just plain wrong...wrong on so many levels it is crazy.

It is wrong...But what can I do....Its cost me a lot. I lost my license for over a year...spent lots of money to see an addictionologist and take drugs screens for 7 months before applying to see the board. I was placed on 1 year probationary license where i have to continue with the drug screens and have 1 eval every three months times four......all for one stupid joint....NEVER AGAIN..

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Like... ummmm.... WOW!, man... what was the question, man?

Seriously, just because something has been legalized (to whatever extent) or at least decriminalized in some states, an employer may still enforce its own rules concerning that item or substance. We are told those rules when applying for a job, and are expected to understand them upon accepting the position.

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Had too!

brownies-poop.jpg.5646b30a064a41c6e6750c7b3905ebb2.jpg

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Times are changing, in ten years you aren't going to get your license taken away. It's just not going to happen. Maine is about to legalize it next. It's really too bad you lost your license for that long. It's actually awful. I hear some nurses going home after a long shift and drinking a lot of wine by themselves and falling asleep. Holy crap sounds like alcohol abuse to me. Marijuana is no where near as harmful, it's only a matter of time until its moved off of the schedule one drug list and legalized for adults. The girl with fat thumbs is living in the past and is very misinformed.

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Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.
stephanie. said:
Had too!

Bahahahaha!

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