Hey so I'm having a bit of a moral dilemma. So basically, today was our last day of clinical for the semester and everyone but my friend and I were either drunk or high when they came into clinical today. The clinical instructor we have is kind of oblivious to everything and didn't notice. The issue I'm having is that this is at least the 2nd time they have done this and I've heard that people in other groups have also been having this issue. I'm upset because the clinical instructor did nothing about it and their behavior is both irresponsible and dangerous.
I want to email one of the chairs of our school to just give them a heads up, without any names, that this is going on, but I'm afraid of what might happen. I'm not doing so hot with my grades and I'm worried they might be affected by this. I'm just upset because these girls are going to get passed along with better grades then me, when they are coming to clinical intoxicated.
I think you care. I think you really want to be a nurse. I think you need to start making professional strides and adapt positive behaviors. Reporting them will not improve your grade.
I agree. And while I find the situation quite strange (for example, no one else noticed the drunk/high students), I'm not going to accuse you of sour grapes. I do truly believe you are here to do the right thing.
However, the "it's not in the student handbook" excuse does not save you from your responsibility to report those who are impaired. I realize you are new to the nursing "thing," but this goes beyond nursing. For example, if the 1st grade teacher shows up drunk, the student teacher must report him/her, even if this is not specifically spelled out in the student's handbook from his/her college. If a worker at WalMart sees a fellow employee who is high and impaired, they have the duty to turn them in. I could list hundreds of examples, but I think you get the point. This isn't about being a nurse--it is about being a responsible adult.
Your motive for reporting should be primarily for patient safety. Because you waited so long to report, it appears as though patient safety was not the primary cause for your frustration. It's also worth considering the difference between being drunk and being hungover. A drunk person is far more dangerous than a hungover person who is puking. (Please understand that I am not justifying coming in hungover either. It's irresponsible, but less serious than coming in drunk).
EDIT: I apologize, i just read your post about the girls telling you that they were drinking one hour prior to coming in. Very irresponsible on their part.
op, I haven't read all the responses to this thread, but are you 'one of the gang' with these other students? the reason I ask is because if they have collectively decided that you are not one of them, it may be that they decided to just tell you that they went out, got drunk and high, etc., just to see if you would tattle on them, and see what would end up happening to You. Just something to think about. I hope the situation is resolved, however it happened.
The time for action has come and gone. Any action now would only be gossiping or spreading rumors because there will be no proof. The time for action was when you suspected or had proof of this and should have went to the Clinical Instructor with your observations. Also I don't think that doing so in secrecy would be necessary, it is your duty to protect the patients cared for by these students.
I think that you are playing with a fine line here. If you have proof then next time report them, but otherwise concentrate on what you are doing. I am sure there are procedures for instances like this. In the program I graduated from we paid for drug and alcohol testing each semester as part of the tuition just for instances like this. If this was suspected everyone in clinicals at the time would have been required to submit for testing within the hour.
Honestly, I was just so freaked to see people show up like that to clinical that I didn't know what to do. I'm new at this whole nursing thing so I just had no clue as to what to do. I hope the nurses on the unit noticed. This isn't sour grapes, but you have to admit, passing the kids who are drunk at clinical and failing the ones who aren't is a little messed up. I hope something is done. Those girls were a mess all day and we were on a Labor and Delivery and postpartum unit. They were holding other people's babies! I guess I know to go right to my instructor next time
People are not passed in nursing school because they show up to clinicals sober. It is expected, of course, that you are not under the influence of alcohol or drugs when you arrive to clinical but that alone is not enough for you to pass. IF the other students were indeed drunk or high (and that's a big IF in my mind based on the information given in this thread), the school was not aware of it so couldn't take any repercussions against them. It is too late to do anything now.
The fact that your clinical was in L&D and postpartum makes it even more unbelievable to me that no one noticed if they were under the influence. Nurses more or less 1:1 their patients in L&D, the nurse caring for the patient surely would have noticed her student taking frequent puke breaks. Doctors are much more of a presence in L&D than on your average floor since they're there, you know, delivering babies. Medical professionals (especially those in L&D who are used to drunk/high pregnant women lying to them about their substance use) are pretty good at spotting those under the influence. Moms in Post Partum are nervous and super protective of their newborns. I'm expected to believe they'd just hand over their 3 hr old baby to a drunk nursing student with no reservations? Sorry, I'm not buying it.
I also have a very hard time believing this story as is. Drunks reek like alcohol. There is no masking it with perfume and lotion. It's just comes out their pores. They also have a sheen to them from sweating. Their eyes are red and glazed over. People who are high have glossy red eyes. Sometimes they smell if it was smoked. And both groups of people would acting intoxicated. There is just no way that not a single person beside you noticed this. It sounds like you believe this to be true, but I think you just misunderstood. Maybe they went out drinking the night before (which is foolish) but were just hungover. Especially because if you have ever been drunk, the hangover will come whether you've slept or not. They would get to the point of so tired they couldn't function. There's no way they would have made it through 12 hour clinical without a single person noticing. Especially on a baby ridden floor.
As as for now, it's too late to report. At this point it will look like you are trying to stir the pot because they would have had to test positive for drugs and alcohol while still at the clinical site in order for faculty to do anything about this. If this happens again and you have either been told directly, or suspect, let your CI know what you noticed. And you don't know if maybe the CI did talk to them if they were acting out of sorts and what they did about it.
I also have a very hard time believing this story as is. Drunks reek like alcohol. There is no masking it with perfume and lotion. It's just comes out their pores. They also have a sheen to them from sweating. Their eyes are red and glazed over. People who are high have glossy red eyes. Sometimes they smell if it was smoked. And both groups of people would acting intoxicated. There is just no way that not a single person beside you noticed this. It sounds like you believe this to be true, but I think you just misunderstood.Maybe they went out drinking the night before (which is foolish) but were just hungover. Especially because if you have ever been drunk, the hangover will come whether you've slept or not. They would get to the point of so tired they couldn't function. There's no way they would have made it through 12 hour clinical without a single person noticing. Especially on a baby ridden floor.
As as for now, it's too late to report. At this point it will look like you are trying to stir the pot because they would have had to test positive for drugs and alcohol while still at the clinical site in order for faculty to do anything about this. If this happens again and you have either been told directly, or suspect, let your CI know what you noticed. And you don't know if maybe the CI did talk to them if they were acting out of sorts and what they did about it.
Just as an fyi, OP states that these other students told her they had been out drinking until 5am, and they were all at clinicals at 6am. Effectively, still intoxicated; the hangover would have hit them later in the shift. But kinda hard to misunderstand if they told her they just finished up their binge an hour ago...
Just as an fyi, OP states that these other students told her they had been out drinking until 5am, and they were all at clinicals at 6am. Effectively, still intoxicated; the hangover would have hit them later in the shift. But kinda hard to misunderstand if they told her they just finished up their binge an hour ago...
Thats what I was offering as a misunderstanding. Maybe they were out until 5am but werent drinking until 5am. It would be incredibly hard for a bunch of drunk and high student nurses to get past an entire floor of nurses and patients without anyone noticing or questioning. The OP sounds sincere in their concern (however late), but the whole story is a tough one to swallow. If they were really drinking until 5am and came to clinical that way, then fine. I just have a feeling there was either a misunderstanding, or the students in question were not telling the whole truth.
psu_213, BSN, RN
3,878 Posts
I agree. And while I find the situation quite strange (for example, no one else noticed the drunk/high students), I'm not going to accuse you of sour grapes. I do truly believe you are here to do the right thing.
However, the "it's not in the student handbook" excuse does not save you from your responsibility to report those who are impaired. I realize you are new to the nursing "thing," but this goes beyond nursing. For example, if the 1st grade teacher shows up drunk, the student teacher must report him/her, even if this is not specifically spelled out in the student's handbook from his/her college. If a worker at WalMart sees a fellow employee who is high and impaired, they have the duty to turn them in. I could list hundreds of examples, but I think you get the point. This isn't about being a nurse--it is about being a responsible adult.