HS Nurses - How do you know about different drugs?

[Avill, BSN, RN]

I guess what I am asking is , did you ever read or take a class or something that helped differentiate the different types of drugs the kids may be under the influence? or is it all just on-the-job-training?

Had a kid today who was smoking pot and had a "freak out" incident (he was ok by the time I got there) and his pupils were pinpoint. Figured the marijuana had something laced into it since he didn't have dilated pupils (he was ok btw)

But I was just wondering if you guys had any resources.

[Mango Juice]

Your local police department may have a pocket reference that they can give you. That is what I have :)

[ruby_jane, BSN, RN]

We have a screening protocol for impairment assessment. At the back, it has a chart that lists what you see (nystagmus, pinpoint pupils, etc) to the possible causes (opiates, stimulants, etc.) I've never found it that useful. But then, I've never had to treat a kid who might have been exposed to tampered marijuana, so there's that!

Local LEO is a great suggestion. In Texas you can take an 11-hour training course on all the signs and symptoms and drugs. It just seemed like a lot of time spent for something I rarely see.

[KKEGS, MSN, RN]

What a timely post! We just sat through a presentation yesterday with our HS SRO who talked through the different drugs and what signs and symptoms they look for. Although we can't say for sure what drug a student took we can gather information and let the dean of students, the SRO or whoever is dealing with the problem know what we found. For example, I can't say that a student took Vicodin but I can say that the signs and symptoms are consistent with narcotic use.

He gave us a chart of the different categories and the major signs and symptoms. I'm sure you can find one online to use in your health office as well.

[nmr79]

Honestly, my in-patient mental health experience is what taught me the most. I worked on an adult CD unit, and I worked on an adolescent unit until last summer. I learned more in those two places than when I worked in the ED. Also, things evolve, so I will try to read any new articles I can find about trendy drugs (vaping/juuling most recently). It starts before HS sometimes, too

[nmr79]

I would also add that the police can probably give you some helpful tips/info.

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

There is a GREAT program, nationwide called DITEP, Drug Indentification for Educational Professionals. Check with local LEO or state police