Hospitals discriminating against medical conditions..?

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If a person has a medical condition and is prescribed medical cannabis by a medical doctor would it not be discrimitory for a nurse to be denied employment? Nurses should have the same rights as any other individuals that are not nurses. This is common sense. A nurse should have the right to chose either man made chemicals (which can lead to absolute dependance) or chose naturally occurring medicines such as cannabis (which is much less likely for dependance). Why are we being denied this right? If you say its because there is no test to measure if a nurse is high on the job or not then guess what? Its not the nurses fault this test does not exist so why does the nurse have to limit their options for medical care? Having said that I feel hospitals are discriminating against medical conditions and I don't even know how they are not being prosecuted for this. Medical cannabis is prescribed by a medical doctor and therefore is in FACT a medication! Hospitals are not hiring and firing people with medical prescriptions.

Specializes in PACU.
This was bound to come up sooner or later. As soon as medical marijuana was legalized in many states, I wondered how long it was going to take before this issue was discussed.

Laws that govern drugs/medications are on the state level, not federal. As such, it is my belief (which means absolutely nothing) that if the state approves either medical marijuana or marijuana altogether (like Colorado), then a nurse cannot be fired or have their license revoked. If a nursing board tried to revoke a license or a facility tried to fire a nurse because of it, I believe a strong & legitimate lawsuit could be brought against them. If it is not illegal, then a nurse cannot be treated as if it were illegal by a facility or state nursing board. Unless it can be PROVEN beyond reasonable doubt that the nurse was working while stoned with a quantitative test for THC, the nurse would win a lawsuit. It runs along the same lines as a nurse having a prescription for a narcotic---if there is a valid prescription for it, it's completely legal. It is completely legal for a nurse to drink alcohol when they aren't working, and so marijuana should be the same. You're right---just because there is no quantitative test for it isn't a nurse's fault.

I wonder if state nursing boards are having meetings on this topic, rather than sitting on their fat asses deciding to nail nurses to the cross for marijuana. Unfortunately, nursing boards can make their own rules because it is an administrative agency that doesn't adhere to actual laws & they do whatever they want to do. This also has to change.

Just an FYI, courts in Colorado have upheld an employers right to fire someone for smoking marijuana (and coming up positive on a drug test) even though said person was prescribed it. The lawsuit by the employee was thrown out.

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You can't tell me because I'm a nurse that I cannot use my lawful right to smoke just as everyone else. I may get fired and may not get a job if I do smoke but holding a RN license and smoking is not illegal if I have a prescription.. Back to common sense and you guys are exhausting.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I have never heard of this.... we are a tobacco free campus, and they absolutely will hold it against you in terms of health benefits if you are a smoker - but it doesn't affect your employment status! That is crazy to me.

What I do in my time outside of the hospital shouldn't worry my employers, as long as I am coming to work sober and safe.

FTR - I feel like I should add that I do not smoke, drink the occasional glass of wine, and pot was fun back in my college days. It's just a fascinating topic to me!

What you do in your time outside the hospital is your business. However, if you choose to partake of certain substances which they have stated are offenses that will lead to your lack of employment, you should probably take that seriously. They can't stop you from smoking pot or tobacco -- but they can fire you if a test comes up positive for either.

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Ok, screw the hospitals. Read my previous post.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
And honestly, how does my smoking affect my ability to do my job, as long as I am not doing it on campus, on company time, etc? I mean, I can DEFINITELY see the affects that it would have on my health insurance policy... but my ability to be a safe and effective nurse? Interesting.

(and again, to clarify - I DO NOT SMOKE. :up:)

I would think the smell of tobacco smoke on your clothing might negatively impact some of your patients.

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You can't tell me because I'm a nurse that I cannot use my lawful right to smoke just as everyone else.

No one has disagreed with you on this.

I may get fired and may not get a job if I do smoke but holding a RN license and smoking is not illegal if I have a prescription..

And, once again, no one is disagreeing with you. IF you have a legal prescription, you are not breaking your State's law by smoking. Where everyone is disagreeing with you is that your right to smoke does not trump the employer's right to not hire you--or fire you. They DO have that right...and courts will uphold it time and again. And, of course, anyone who maintains Federal employment recognizes Federal law...not State laws.

Back to common sense and you guys are exhausting.

Common sense is not up for debate here. What is being discussed is whether your legally-obtained prescription entitles you to smoke anywhere, anytime, without any consequences. It's not common sense, but rather the LAW that tells us this is NOT the case....you cannot smoke anytime, anywhere, without consequences. There are....and you are required to accept that if you accept the employment.

You seem to be operating under the misconception that only nurses would be accountable for being impaired while at work, and that their legal use of certain prescription drugs could negatively impact other people. I'm pretty sure physicians would have the same liability, and accountability; no witch hunt in place for nurses alone. Same would be true of school bus drivers, long-haul truckers, and the list goes on. Nurses are not held to an exclusive rank of being restricted in their drug habits.

Can only speak for myself, but online discussion isn't really exhausting....a 14 hour shift, well, THAT'S exhausting ;)

Clear?

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Yes and I finished a 12 hr shift last night so it's my bedtime.. And I'll admit I'm not up to date on all these laws but it would seem logical that since I have questions about this topic there would be answers somewhere that breaks it all down for us.

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Yes and I finished a 12 hr shift last night so it's my bedtime.. And I'll admit I'm not up to date on all these laws but it would seem logical that since I have questions about this topic there would be answers somewhere that breaks it all down for us.

This might make it more clear.

Colorado top court says Dish worker can be fired for medical marijuana - Jun. 15, 2015

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Specializes in ICU.

Oh my. I'm guessing the OP is about 18 who does recreational marijuana and finding a bump in the road with employment here. OP, unless you work in a state with union's you work in what's call an at-will environment. Your employer doesn't need a reason to fire you, although being on the job under the influence of marijuana is going to be a top reason.

You want to talk about no difference profession-wise? Are you kidding me right now? Nurses are responsible for people's safety and lives. Just like I don't want the cops to be high, I don't want my medical professionals high. I could care less though if Joe Schmo Walmart worker lit one up before work. But I bet Walmart does. They prefer Joe Schmo is safe while working in their building because I'm guessing your the type of person who is going to be the first to sue when you fall down the aisle stocking diapers. Please correct me if I am wrong on that one.

You are obviously young, and have no idea how the real world works yet. You want to smoke marijuana on a daily basis, look at another career field. THC stays in your blood for thirty days. A glass of wine? A couple of hours. There is a huge difference on how the body metabolizes it. There is not even a correlation there. I can get blasted drunk the night before a shift. But I can wake up the next morning and aside from feeling like crap and not wanting to work, I can go to work not under the influence. My judgement is no longer impaired by the alcohol. It may be from my pounding headache and loud noises, but that's not the alcohol. The same can not be said for marijuana. If it's medical, you are doing it on a daily basis. It's not a once a weekend party or every now and again. IF your anxiety is that bad, find a medication that does not impair you. It's that simple. This is not a debate. It factual science. Big Brother is not being the mean guy here to you. Nobody is.

Your argument is not well-construed and does not make sense. That is why I feel you are still a teenager and probably not even a nurse at all. If you are wanting a thoughtful debate then make sure your side makes sense and you can back it up. Right now, you can't. I'm also going to recommend you take a civics class. Learn about the difference in federal and state law because there is a huge difference. Heck, I can go the whole way back to the Civil War which a small part of that was about the difference in state and federal law. I say a small part because the Civil War was about so much more than slavery.

Sometimes, when I read things like this, it confounds me that our citizens don't understand how our government works. It's like they can't take the time to be bothered. You were fortunate enough to be born into this great country and you can't even bother to learn the difference in state and federal law. There are people literally dying to be a part of this country that know more about it than most of our citizens do anymore. And now I am way off topic and will end it there.

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Specializes in ICU.

Let me also add it's been so many years since, I've been "blasted" drunk. Lol. Never again do I ever want to wake up hungover. And having to try and work with a hangover, the worst feeling ever.

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Hospitals all over the place are flat out firing any staff who smoke tobacco, at least partially on the grounds that the smell of smoke that lingers on smokers is an irritant to patients.

The lingering stench of Marijuana smoke can be just as much an irritant. I'm personally more or less indifferent to the smell of cigarette smoke on people. But the smell of pot smokers often makes be nauseous and gives me headaches. And I'm not the only one.

I see no difference. It's not about you, and your rights to smoke and your note from your doctor and bla, bla, bla. It's about the patients, and maintaining an environment where they're not exposed to known irritants unecessarily. If cigarette smokers can be told to quit or leave, I see no reason why pot smokers can't be told the same.

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Hospitals all over the place are flat out firing any staff who smoke tobacco, at least partially on the grounds that the smell of smoke that lingers on smokers is an irritant to patients.

The lingering stench of Marijuana smoke can be just as much an irritant. I'm personally more or less indifferent to the smell of cigarette smoke on people. But the smell of pot smokers often makes be nauseous and gives me headaches. And I'm not the only one.

I see no difference. It's not about you, and your rights to smoke and your note from your doctor and bla, bla, bla. It's about the patients, and maintaining an environment where they're not exposed to known irritants unecessarily. If cigarette smokers can be told to quit or leave, I see no reason why pot smokers can't be told the same.

Yes, but what of the riots?

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