Marijuana and Nursing School

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I'm sure there is a thread about this but I wanted to establish one specific to my situation.

I am a 20 year old, second year nursing student in a highly competitive nursing program at a four-year private liberal arts college. I do not live on campus, I still live with each of my parents.

I am sure this question will elicit judgemental comments from all walks of life but let me illuminate you on my character-

I do not drink alcohol or party.

I strictly am attending college to better my future and become qualified, you'll hardly catch me socializing. I am extremely school-oriented and maintain a 3.5 gpa.

I study in my free time and work full time as well as attending school full time.

but YES, on occasion I indulge in smoking marijuana for the calming effects it has on my situational anxiety and sleep issues.

So here is my directive.

Do nursing schools TYPICALLY drug test prior to clinicals and how severe are the consequenceswhen testing positive with marijuana?

Marijuana with free cocaine? One could only wish for that!

Lol ^

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Come now Caribbean Character, a person that abuses illegal drugs occasionally is the perfect person to have a job that involves...passing out drugs.[/quote']

Absolutely. And if I was a business owner, this is definitely the type of employee I would hire.

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How many of you have ever TRIED it? Because I'd like to see the correlation between the tone of each post and who's actually had a personal encounter with the drug. As in - has actually tried it.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.
How many of you have ever TRIED it? Because I'd like to see the correlation between the tone of each post and who's actually had a personal encounter with the drug. As in - has actually tried it.

Honestly...I have not. I was around it in high school but never did it. It isn't legal. Period. So I don't care about the drug, which I think should be legal, because right now it isn't legal.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
How many of you have ever TRIED it? Because I'd like to see the correlation between the tone of each post and who's actually had a personal encounter with the drug. As in - has actually tried it.

I'm a daughter of a MJ smoker...she has smoked since the late 60s and 70s...her children (me and my older sister) were mostly not affected, except my sister has asthma, I have adult onset RAD...and we did really well in school, so if there were effects of the MJ, they were minimal enough. She doesn't work in healthcare, and she's retired.

My ex-had mental health issues and smoked it....bad combination...scroll through past posts about my ordeal with him...not good to light up when you are a paranoid, suicidal schizophrenic :no:...did not mellow him out at ALL.

I puff puff inhaled...sorry, did nothing for me.

I don't have an issue with MJ..,the point is, like I stated in the previous post, and I alluded to, as most posters pointed out, it's BEST NOT TO RISK being in a position to test positive in healthcare, especially with how there are states that are not friendly with ex cons or anyone taking illegal drugs, or Schedule I drugs....until that changes, it's too risky to test positive and undergo a monitoring program...I suggest posters to go to the Recovery thread to see what happens after a positive drug test and have to undergo monthly drug testing and having stips and restrictions on their license-ask them if it was worth the risk...BON's don't CARE...a positive test is a positive test...and you will go through the ringer...that's the risk of using MJ regularly, or ANY substance that you are not to be "under the influence" with while working. Rationalizing that it's a "natural plant" will not fly in front of a BON...you will be considered an "impaired" nurse.

It is what it is...it is one's choice...understand the risks...and the consequences...

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How many of you have ever TRIED it? Because I'd like to see the correlation between the tone of each post and who's actually had a personal encounter with the drug. As in - has actually tried it.

I have in the past and now the smell of it makes me physically ill. I don't understand what this has to do with schools and clinical sites drug testing, though. Wether any of us have done it or not, a drug test is still a drug test.

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.
How many of you have ever TRIED it? Because I'd like to see the correlation between the tone of each post and who's actually had a personal encounter with the drug. As in - has actually tried it.

I haven't. Never. Not once. My husband laughs b/c he's a PO and smells it all of the time, LOL

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I haven't tried it because it is illegal and I understand the risks versus benefits of doing something illegal. Plus, I wouldn't want to be the 1 person made example of and lose my financial aid for a year (there's a lot of what-ifs in this case like what-if you pay a ticket without being seen by a judge and so on). Also, I want to join the military and it's not worth it.

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Specializes in Pedi.
I have in the past and now the smell of it makes me physically ill. I don't understand what this has to do with schools and clinical sites drug testing, though. Wether any of us have done it or not, a drug test is still a drug test.

It doesn't have anything to do with schools and clinical sites, it's just someone trying to rationalize. I have never smoked marijuana. I still believe it should be legal. Even if it were legal, I wouldn't expect nursing schools or hospitals to allow people who used it to go to school or work for them. When I worked in the hospital, no one could work if they were on narcotics. The reason mattered not. If you were taking prescribed vicodin you couldn't work.

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It doesn't have anything to do with schools and clinical sites, it's just someone trying to rationalize. I have never smoked marijuana. I still believe it should be legal. Even if it were legal, I wouldn't expect nursing schools or hospitals to allow people who used it to go to school or work for them. When I worked in the hospital, no one could work if they were on narcotics. The reason mattered not. If you were taking prescribed vicodin you couldn't work.

I didn't mean my response as an attack at all, I apologize if it came off that way. I happen to agree with you 100%.

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Specializes in Reproductive & Public Health.

This is what I have to say about RNs and other health care workers who smoke marijuana- I could not possibly care less what my RN or NP or physician does on their own time. Most nursing schools require drug tests, and most facilities require a drug test for all new hires. Certain facilities and certain specialties require random drug testing. I've never experienced that in my own short career as an RN. Unless you are using marijuana for a medical reason (which is still a sticky issue and most employers don't give a crap if you have a medical reason to use it- they can still dismiss you or refuse to hire you, and it is perfectly legal, albeit unethical IMO, to do so), it is easy enough to abstain for a few weeks prior to a scheduled drug test.

I've worked with enough physicians, mid levels and nurses to know that smoking marijuana is NOT uncommon in the health care field. Certainly not any less common than it is in the general population.

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Saw this on FB this morning and had to laugh. ;) Miss the little pot-smoking smilie.

If We Legalize Weed In America, We'll Have To Deal With A Lot More Of These People

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