Illegal Drugs At Work?

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Thought i'd see what you guys think about this....

I was in class today and some of the girls were talking about their CNA jobs....one gal brought up drug testing and how if they implemented drug tests in her LTCF then they would lose half the staff!! She goes on to say that not only do atleast half the staff use cocaine, heroin and marajiuana they do it on their breaks at work! If that isn't enough the LTCF she is talking about is the one my grandmother lived in for awhile before she died (she lived there about 10 yrs ago). I don't understand how these people get away with this! How do their managers not know, especially if they are doing it on their break at work??? Also arent drug tests mandatory at all health care facilities?? Years ago when my grandmother was cared for there the nursing staff seemed great...i was there atleast 2ce a week and my mom atleast 3-4 I never noticed this...we live in a great neighborhood and have never encountered anything like this before...what do you guys think I should do? I haven't seen this directly, just heard from the girl in my class. I would hate for anyone to get hurt (patients) if it is true though....

Specializes in Neuro, Critical Care.
You need be really careful of "he said", "she said" allegations. Many have been hurt by rumors and false allegations in the past. If this is truly credible, a random screen will probably "out" the ones who are truly guilty. Also be careful for yourself.

And I disagree with those who say using a few recreational drugs off-duty is harmless. But I won't get into a huge debate on that. That is not the intent of the OP's thread.

Good luck and proceed with caution, is all I can say.

That is exactly what i am trying to avoid, i mean i really dont have any facts but that is a pretty serious allegation that this girl made and it still worries me...what do you think i should do? I feel that the drugs she mentioned are very serious, cocaine, heroin, marajiuana...it horrifies me to think that someone high on any of the forementioned drugs may be taking care of patients...what if she is lying and then i raise a stink for nothing, then again what if she isnt and i dont say anything and someone gets hurt? what would you do?

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Specializes in Telemetry, ICU, Resource Pool, Dialysis.

If you are really concerned, and believe that the person you talked to is being truthful, I think an anonymous letter to the administration of the LTC facility would be an option - as someone else mentioned. It sounds like you kind of feel guilty having this "information" and not knowing what to do about it. Don't you hate it when that happens?

PS If you do take action, I wouldn't discuss anything else about it with the person who gave you this information.

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Specializes in Telemetry, ICU, Resource Pool, Dialysis.
...what if she is lying and then i raise a stink for nothing, then again what if she isnt and i dont say anything and someone gets hurt? what would you do?

If she is lying - nobody tests positive, no harm done.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

If you are really sure you can trust this, then the suggestions Moe gave you are the best as far as I can tell. Good luck.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
i would contact the state/ombudsman (sp?)/jcaho/osha & ask them how such accusations can be investigated. tell them what you were told & that you're concerned having had a grandparent live/die there some time ago & are concerned for the patients there now. if you don't want to *call* the state....you can certainly write them an anonymous letter. someone from one of those organizations should be willing to make an investigation into the manner. i can't imagine them not ~

good luck - cheers,

moe

p.s. often times...drug screenings only occurs during pre-employment physical...& in some cases...during annual examinations...that's it!

this is the post i was referring you to. good luck.
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Specializes in Neuro, Critical Care.

It sounds like you kind of feel guilty having this "information" and not knowing what to do about it. Don't you hate it when that happens?

PS If you do take action, I wouldn't discuss anything else about it with the person who gave you this information.

I do! I dont know how reliable this girl is at all, i dont have much information at all just what she said in class. I think that an anonymous letter to the adminstration sounds like a good idea. I think that as long as the letter is anonymous and doesnt name anyone specifically i think that it couldnt do any harm. I'll keep you guys posted.

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Well..I can honestly say..what a nurse does on her day off..as long as it doesn't affect her performance at work and she isn't stealing from the cart..I will turn the other cheek. Who in this world is an angel?

My .02.

Z

i agree with this too. if someone smokes an occassional joint on their day off, especially if they have 2 off in a row to totally recover from it, then that's their business, It seems to me that nurses go out and get drunk all the time after work and then come to work the next day. My personal opinion is that a nurse needs to be responsible and not do anything that would jepordize pt care or their own health and license. It's just not worth it. You never know when something might happen, and it only takes one time. I did clinicals with a guy that would smoke a joint in the mornings and then come to clinicals. for the most part he was an excellent nurse. One day while working with him, he was going to give a shot and he really had to concentrate because he was high. I immediately went to the instructor and reported him. he failed the drug test they gave him and he was dismissed from the program. i don't feel like a narc because i personally didn't want him to stick me with the needle that he was TRYING to handle and I didn't want him to harm the pt since he had trouble "remembering" how to give a shot. This is just my opinion anyways...hope i didn't offend anyone. :)

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Well..I can honestly say..what a nurse does on her day off..as long as it doesn't affect her performance at work and she isn't stealing from the cart..I will turn the other cheek. Who in this world is an angel?

My .02.

Z

I strongly disagree.

How would you feel if you knew this person had a history of using illegal drugs and something happened to a patient?? We have to have some responsibility for what the information we obtain (Granted it must be accurate and not some rumormill hearsay).

Maybe when she worked with you she appeared competent..... but out of your sight was not.

If you want to mess with illegal substances then you have issues that need attending to and should not be caring for patients until you can get help.

I certainly would not want to find out that the staff caring for my family was using Illegal drugs on their off time.

This also applies to those who abuse alcohol. I know of many "functional alcoholics" who may seem "normal"..... but I would not want them responsible for my patients. Sure they haven't had their alcohol yet, waiting to get drunk after work.... but their system is craving it and it does affect their body.

With patient acutity as it is, do you really want to sign off on work done by someone who might be impaired???:stone

just my honest opinion.

Mary Rose

PS..... there is a great difference from being a functional alcoholic to having a drink after work with friends... I'm not trying to infer that at all.

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i agree with this too. if someone smokes an occassional joint on their day off, especially if they have 2 off in a row to totally recover from it, then that's their business, It seems to me that nurses go out and get drunk all the time after work and then come to work the next day. My personal opinion is that a nurse needs to be responsible and not do anything that would jepordize pt care or their own health and license. It's just not worth it. You never know when something might happen, and it only takes one time. I did clinicals with a guy that would smoke a joint in the mornings and then come to clinicals. for the most part he was an excellent nurse. One day while working with him, he was going to give a shot and he really had to concentrate because he was high. I immediately went to the instructor and reported him. he failed the drug test they gave him and he was dismissed from the program. i don't feel like a narc because i personally didn't want him to stick me with the needle that he was TRYING to handle and I didn't want him to harm the pt since he had trouble "remembering" how to give a shot. This is just my opinion anyways...hope i didn't offend anyone. :)

Well there's going to be someone coming along here who's going to point out that this student could have hurt the pt and what would have happened if you werent there but I totally would have dealt with it the same as you.

Except I think I would have spoke to him when I found out about his smoking up prior to clinicals. Glad he was dealt with.

Smoking marijuana to me is no better or worse than ETOH. Too many times I've seen our nurses in the bar totally wasted but then they have 3 days off. Just because you're a nurse it doesn't mean the "sinful" things in life should be totally off limits. (speaking mostly of etoh) Pot smoking ALL the time..well no of course not. Once in a while...once in a blue moon? Who freaking cares. HEROIN? Woah.

As for the OPs qusetion..rumors are rampid in a hospital....I'm a firm believer in approaching the accused first.

And why would you offend anyone? It's your opinion. :)

Z

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I strongly disagree.

How would you feel if you knew this person had a history of using illegal drugs and something happened to a patient?? We have to have some responsibility for what the information we obtain (Granted it must be accurate and not some rumormill hearsay).

Maybe when she worked with you she appeared competent..... but out of your sight was not.

If you want to mess with illegal substances then you have issues that need attending to and should not be caring for patients until you can get help.

I certainly would not want to find out that the staff caring for my family was using Illegal drugs on their off time.

This also applies to those who abuse alcohol. I know of many "functional alcoholics" who may seem "normal"..... but I would not want them responsible for my patients. Sure they haven't had their alcohol yet, waiting to get drunk after work.... but their system is craving it and it does affect their body.

With patient acutity as it is, do you really want to sign off on work done by someone who might be impaired???:stone

just my honest opinion.

Mary Rose

PS..... there is a great difference from being a functional alcoholic to having a drink after work with friends... I'm not trying to infer that at all.

I'm not talking past history of the nurse...I'm talking once in a blue moon. Nor am I talking alcoholics. They're hiding it. Watching out for pts is a big prority yes but I can't become Inspector Gadget and put my pts at risk becuase i'm too busy watching another nurse all the time in case they might be impaired. Signs yes. I would let someone know that I will be watching but I won't immediatly go to management for a measly joint when I know they hardly touch it.

In Canada we look at pot in a different light so maybe this explains my attitude towards it.

Z

PS: Believe it or not I don't smoke pot since I hate the effects and yes..I do frown upon those who spark up a doobie every 2 hours like cigarettes. :)

I think we got way off topic. Sorry OP.

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Specializes in Neuro, Critical Care.
I'm not talking past history of the nurse...I'm talking once in a blue moon. Nor am I talking alcoholics. They're hiding it. Watching out for pts is a big prority yes but I can't become Inspector Gadget and put my pts at risk becuase i'm too busy watching another nurse all the time in case they might be impaired. Signs yes. I would let someone know that I will be watching but I won't immediatly go to management for a measly joint when I know they hardly touch it.

In Canada we look at pot in a different light so maybe this explains my attitude towards it.

Z

PS: Believe it or not I don't smoke pot since I hate the effects and yes..I do frown upon those who spark up a doobie every 2 hours like cigarettes. :)

I think we got way off topic. Sorry OP.

its ok for getting off topic!:) This seems to be a good thread as I can see both sides of the argument...as for spreading rumors around the LTCF (the one i was originally speaking of)..maybe i didnt make myself to clear, sorry guys, I dont work there or do I really know anyone who does..I only know the one girl in my class...so as for spreading rumors I dont even know anyones name to spread...like i said this was just a conversation we had in class and it bothered me...what bothered me most was that according to this girl the employees were spending their lunch break getting high on drugs such as heroin and cociaine...i'm not condoning the use of marajiana or anything but there is a HUGE difference in smoking a joint and abusing heroin...I agree NO ONE should come to work high thats just awful and not to mention STUPID! I guess im most amazed that IF this is really happening and there are employees using heroin at work, im suprised NO ONE has noticed, i mean I would think it would be obvious if an employee were strung out...i havent seen to many functional heroin and cocaine addicts...But then again I do agree with a few of you who say what you do on your time off as long as it doesnt effect your work then whats the harm? It is hard though to know where to draw the line. I tend to play it safe and just not do it, i mean smoke one joint and then two weeks later get a random drug test then you would lose your job, maybe, maybe not but i wouldnt want to chance it.

Ive decided to write a general anonymous letter to the administrator. I am not going to mention any names. I am also not going to tell anyone else (well except you guys) I have done this. I will be sure to stress that this is something that i have heard second hand but is worth checking into. Thanks for all the replies and go ahead and discuss whatever!:)

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its ok for getting off topic!:) This seems to be a good thread as I can see both sides of the argument...as for spreading rumors around the LTCF (the one i was originally speaking of)..maybe i didnt make myself to clear, sorry guys, I dont work there or do I really know anyone who does..I only know the one girl in my class...so as for spreading rumors I dont even know anyones name to spread...like i said this was just a conversation we had in class and it bothered me...what bothered me most was that according to this girl the employees were spending their lunch break getting high on drugs such as heroin and cociaine...i'm not condoning the use of marajiana or anything but there is a HUGE difference in smoking a joint and abusing heroin...I agree NO ONE should come to work high thats just awful and not to mention STUPID! I guess im most amazed that IF this is really happening and there are employees using heroin at work, im suprised NO ONE has noticed, i mean I would think it would be obvious if an employee were strung out...i havent seen to many functional heroin and cocaine addicts...But then again I do agree with a few of you who say what you do on your time off as long as it doesnt effect your work then whats the harm? It is hard though to know where to draw the line. I tend to play it safe and just not do it, i mean smoke one joint and then two weeks later get a random drug test then you would lose your job, maybe, maybe not but i wouldnt want to chance it.

Ive decided to write a general anonymous letter to the administrator. I am not going to mention any names. I am also not going to tell anyone else (well except you guys) I have done this. I will be sure to stress that this is something that i have heard second hand but is worth checking into. Thanks for all the replies and go ahead and discuss whatever!:)

You've made a good choice in my book for what it's worth. Getting high at LUNCH? Big time danger !

These random drug tests sound awful. The staff only gets drug tested if there's a reasonable belief that the person is diverting and using drugs on the job. And ONLY that person is tested. So I'm told.

I'm a firm believer in random drug testing the doctors though. Why is it always the poor nurses ?

Z

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