Detection of Marijuana use in elevator while at work

kp2016 · May 14

I would not be reporting this more than 24 hours after it occurred or demanding wide spread drug testing if I were you. You are convinced you smelled marijuana in an elevator space, this doesn't make it a fact that this was the case. The other person in the lift with you commented they smelled smoke. Now it could be that they don't know the smell and therefore didn't recognize it but it could also be that you were mistaken.

I worked with someone once who's dog was sprayed by a skunk a few hours prior to their shift. Even after many showers and new clothes... they smelled. Awful. Strangely the locker room that contained the clothes and tote bag they walked in with also smelled for weeks, it actually smelled like marijuana at first then settled into a more general nasty smell. Just a thought. The smell could have been something else entirely.

Given the other person with you thought they smelled smoke the thing to do at the time this all occurred would have been to notify the facility Night Supervisor/ Charge about the possible smell of smoke / potential facility safety hazard and allow them to handle it.

CharLPN · May 14

Thank you for the advise.

I haven't reported formally. The 24 hour statement is very compelling. Doing something now would cause unnecessary angst among staff.

If it occurs again, I will report discreetly to my supervisor and bring her to wherever it maybe detected.

Again. Thank you.

**canoehead, BSN, RN** · May 14

If it happens again, tell the supervisor and leave it with them. If you see someone acting impaired, tell the supervisor, and follow up with a letter to your boss and the impaired employee s boss, every time it happens. If the impaired person is working with you, I'd verbally push the supervisor to send them home, send the letters, and meet with your boss. If they harm a patient, calling the police is on the menu, but know that your job may be on the line.

You should know that the squeaky wheel gets annoying to its boss, even if you're right. Be careful.

JKL33 · May 15

Just my personal opinion:

IF another occasion arises that you feel compelled to report, I would not report any suspicions or possibility unrelated stuff like who talked to whom about when they would be coming down for break.

You aren't monitoring the elevator to know who all has been in it. I'd keep any report strictly limited to stuff like, "the elevator smelled like marijuana last night when I got into it at [X time]. That is all.

CharLPN · May 21

Thank you All for the information.

I was asked to come in for a meeting. Why, (I did mention to the overnight supervisor of my grievance post 48 hours.) I withdrew my grievance after my first response to this post. I told her that hast was my action, without thoroughly thinking. My mind was strictly on the residents.

I sent an email removing my grievance as my words were hearsay. No one to corroborate. Just me.

My CNO called me the next day and requested a meeting. I gladly attended without a negative thought in my mind.

I expressed the feeling of anxiety to my CNO, Unit Manager and ADON who were present at the meeting my CNO requested of me.

My CNO told me there are many folks that come in and out during all night that could have "contaminated" the lift. (There are camera's everywhere, my opinion. No, not that night) I just listened and agreed.

I overreacted without fact and now know that if this should occur again, I go direct to the unit supervisor. Or just think the way the CNO does. It could be anyone other than staff.

I will say this. Advocacy is a big part of what I do. I have to readjust and do better in order to help the residents that receive care in a facility that they pay good money to be in; that all their needs are met. ALL. Safety is first.

Thank you all for your advice. It is a platform like this that can help someone like me that have no help at all.

-Char

SNF nurse of 6 years.

P.S.

After my meeting my schedule was changed. And yet again I was handed a situation. A RN of a couple years told me we had to irrigate a foley. She proceeded to grab a 10cc syringe and place it in the balloon site. She filled and withdrew and said it was clear. Patent in my world.

The next time I asked her about this. She told me this is how she was shown by a RN of 5 years.

Honest. I left it. Went back to my training notes and videos and new this was wrong. I approached her the next day and said, "No disrespect" You are not irrigating the foley and proceeded to tell her why, but she ignored me and called on another RN. I explained. She didn't get it. I actually had to perform the procedure in front of them.

Why is this happening?!

And why is another RN wanting to put Hydrocortisone on a resident with excoriation?

Safety.... Safety.

I have a resident that has been on Bactrim since 04/17/25, ordered IV ABT for UTI on 05/07/25 for 7 days. Why was he taking oral and IV at the same time. No follow up UA&C. When are they going to do another UA&C from the last one he had 05/07/25. And still on the oral Bactrim to this day. Anyone? or should I just keep my LPN mouth shut.

kp2016 · May 21

Sigh. It is a shame that you didn't head the advice that mentioning this after the fact or saying anything other than you thought you smelled smoke if it happened again was not a good idea. I hate to say I told you so... but here we are.

I am going to take one more run at this. Your leadership called you into a meeting with your CNO, Unit Manager and ADON and changed your schedule in response to whatever you said and their perception of how it was said. In my experience these meetings are not intended to clear the air or resolve a simple miscommunication they tend to lead to nurses being disciplined then fired.

It is clear you care deeply about your residents but you will be in no position to provide them great care if you are fired or have your schedule changed / shifts dropped repeatedly until you are forced to resign. You need to strongly consider keeping your head down and do not confront the RNs with your perceptions of the failings in their care. I do not say that to minimize the valuable role of LPNs in the care of our patients. I say it because you already have a very clear target on your back.

Best of luck.

CharLPN · May 29

I resigned two days later.

I know what the smell is and the affect it has on me. (My daughter used it prescribed from a ptsd Dr two years from a predator trama and than her fathers death. Her domicile is with me. But, during her father's time (from a family memeber)it occurred.

Same happened to me.

The smell makes me nauseous

I will say this my CNO, ADON and Unit manager listened. I know dang well if they really wanted to go back to video the, "it could have been anyone" would have been eliminated.I understand what you say. It is most unfortunate they call me still to find out what the problems I had. But I had already told the CNO.

All of this schedule change was because they failed me. They appologized.

However, my unit manager came back and questioned me without others around. This wasn't accepted. She was rejected.

The history goes This way.

I was ment to work on SNF, not another floor.

My first day, my trainer was not informed.

Second say, the nurse called out last minute. I was put on 5th floor.

Third day same gal called out after 7pm I was put on 6th floor.

All of these nurses had no idea they were suppose to train me

That is a problem.

And yes it is said I know more than a RN in skilled. And by the way, she looked it up. You do not push a steroid at a snf in a picc.

Hence the reason for IM

I feel relieved I left.

So again.

Thank you.

It makes me think. Not bad, but better.

All of you are great.

KathyDay · Jun 4

I was never a snitch, but on 2 occasions, I was compelled to report a fellow RN. One was a new grad who was incredibly unprofessional and who performed poorly in a number of ways. Another was a long respected RN, who in a past job had been my Department head nurse in an ER. We worked in a small telephone triage center at the time that she showed up to relieve me at 11pm, very intoxicated. I was shocked, but also alarmed that I had to hand off to an inebriated nurse. I left, but immediately called our supervisor from home and it was dealt with immediately. Some things we simply can't ignore and being impaired or dangerous is one of them.

Zimber · Jun 4

CharLPN said:

Thank you All for the information.

I was asked to come in for a meeting. Why, (I did mention to the overnight supervisor of my grievance post 48 hours.) I withdrew my grievance after my first response to this post. I told her that hast was my action, without thoroughly thinking. My mind was strictly on the residents.

I sent an email removing my grievance as my words were hearsay. No one to corroborate. Just me.

My CNO called me the next day and requested a meeting. I gladly attended without a negative thought in my mind.

I expressed the feeling of anxiety to my CNO, Unit Manager and ADON who were present at the meeting my CNO requested of me.

My CNO told me there are many folks that come in and out during all night that could have "contaminated" the lift. (There are camera's everywhere, my opinion. No, not that night) I just listened and agreed.

I overreacted without fact and now know that if this should occur again, I go direct to the unit supervisor. Or just think the way the CNO does. It could be anyone other than staff.

I will say this. Advocacy is a big part of what I do. I have to readjust and do better in order to help the residents that receive care in a facility that they pay good money to be in; that all their needs are met. ALL. Safety is first.

Thank you all for your advice. It is a platform like this that can help someone like me that have no help at all.

-Char

SNF nurse of 6 years.

P.S.

After my meeting my schedule was changed. And yet again I was handed a situation. A RN of a couple years told me we had to irrigate a foley. She proceeded to grab a 10cc syringe and place it in the balloon site. She filled and withdrew and said it was clear. Patent in my world.

The next time I asked her about this. She told me this is how she was shown by a RN of 5 years.

Honest. I left it. Went back to my training notes and videos and new this was wrong. I approached her the next day and said, "No disrespect" You are not irrigating the foley and proceeded to tell her why, but she ignored me and called on another RN. I explained. She didn't get it. I actually had to perform the procedure in front of them.

Why is this happening?!

And why is another RN wanting to put Hydrocortisone on a resident with excoriation?

Safety.... Safety.

I have a resident that has been on Bactrim since 04/17/25, ordered IV ABT for UTI on 05/07/25 for 7 days. Why was he taking oral and IV at the same time. No follow up UA&C. When are they going to do another UA&C from the last one he had 05/07/25. And still on the oral Bactrim to this day. Anyone? or should I just keep my LPN mouth shut.

Some patients take long term Bactrim or other abt for recurrent UTI's etc. I never knew until I questioned it as well.

sissiesmama, ASN, RN · Jun 5

KathyDay said:

I was never a snitch, but on 2 occasions, I was compelled to report a fellow RN. One was a new grad who was incredibly unprofessional and who performed poorly in a number of ways. Another was a long respected RN, who in a past job had been my Department head nurse in an ER. We worked in a small telephone triage center at the time that she showed up to relieve me at 11pm, very intoxicated. I was shocked, but also alarmed that I had to hand off to an inebriated nurse. I left, but immediately called our supervisor from home and it was dealt with immediately. Some things we simply can't ignore and being impaired or dangerous is one of them.

You didn't have to go back in and work that shift too did you? Hopefully not!!