My CRNA friends do illegal drugs

Specialties CRNA

Published

Two of my friends who are CRNA's take recreational ecstasy almost every weekend. They will take it on Saturday night...stay up all night....and then try to sleep it off on Sunday. When Monday morning comes around they go to their contract per diem positions and perform anesthesia mostly in private practice plastic surgery clinics.

I am worried that one day they may provide anestheisa while the ecstasy is still running through their systems.

A couple of questions for those of you who are currently CRNAs.

1. How do you approach a CRNA and tell them you are worried they might harm a patient while under the influence.

2. What else would you do to make sure they don't harm anybody? Should I contact the state board or should I mind my own business? For the record I am just a nursing student.

They have both been practicing for 8 years and have never had any problems in the past. I just know I wouldn't want to be patient under their care.

Specializes in ER/Trauma.

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

Since the OP has not returned to furture add to discussion/outcome and professional advice provided, closing thread in 24 hrs.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Emergency.
Since the OP has not returned to furture add to discussion/outcome and professional advice provided, closing thread in 24 hrs.

finally...

thank you!

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Wait! this thread is missing a good ending line! Give me a sec...

One of life's greater ironies can be witnessed on the sidelines of a pill debate. It seems that those people who so adamantly oppose drugs are the very ones who would most benefit from them.

-Alpha13

And with that I declare this thread complete.

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Specializes in Anesthesia, CCRN, SRNA.

Update

Let me answer a few questions first.

#1 I do not use ecstacy

#2 I have witnessed the two CRNA's I mentioned using the drug on multiple occassions

#3 I do not condone the use of any illegal substance at any time

I have spoken to both of them about this issue. They are convinced they do not have a problem. Their reasoning lies in that they don't have to "have" the drug every weekend and just do it for fun. They claim no addiciton and that may very well be the case.

These two CRNA's do not have a supervisor. As I had stated previously they both work on a contract basis with a variety of surgeons in Southern California.

I have decided to no longer associate myself with the two women in question. I have told them why. I regret losing their friendship but I can not in good concious be a friend of a CRNA who abuses illegal drugs and is still practicing anesthesia.

I have chosen not to report them to the California Board of Nursing. Although I have witnessed them abusing ecstasy I have not witnessed them being impaired on the job. I followed both of them for a few days and during that time they seemed to be very professional.

I do not have proof that they are abusing drugs. I have witnessed it myself but I can not document the abuse via photographs, videos etc.

I have also chosen not to report them as I now live in another part of the country while I attend school. I do not wish to get into any legal skirmishes....period.

I am not the only student nurse or nurse or CRNA who knows about the abuse. I am probably the only one who talks about it on allnurses.com

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

ca bon regs:

am i mandated to report a nurse whom i suspect is diverting drugs or using drugs?

filing a complaint is not mandatory; however, it is critical to ensure safe quality care in california. to learn more about filing a complaint, please refer to the information contained on this website under the enforcement program.

for general information on this program, click:

what is the diversion program?

for answers to the frequently asked questions regarding the diversion program, click:

diversion frequently asked questions

alabama:

standards of nursing practice

mandatory reporting:

alabama board of nursing administrative code, chapter 610-x-6-.02(10) states, the registered nurse and licensed practical nurse shall accept individual responsibility and accountability for timely reporting of illegal, substandard, unethical, unsafe, or incompetent nursing practice directly to the board of nursing...

[color=#800040]alternative program

pa:

section 14. refusal, suspension or revocation of licenses.--(a) the board may refuse, suspend or revoke any license in any case where the board shall find that:

(1) the licensee is on repeated occasions negligent or incompetent in the practice of professional nursing or dietetics-nutrition.

(2) the licensee is unable to practice professional nursing with reasonable skill and safety to patients by reason of mental or physical illness or condition or physiological or psychological dependence upon alcohol, hallucinogenic or narcotic drugs or other drugs which tend to impair judgment or coordination, so long as such dependence shall continue. in enforcing this clause (2), the board shall, upon probable cause, have authority to compel a licensee to submit to a mental or physical examination as designated by it...

(8) the licensee possessed, used, acquired or distributed a controlled substance or caution legend drug for other than an acceptable medical purpose...

section 14.1. impaired professionals program

http://www.dos.state.pa.us/bpoa/lib/bpoa/20/nurs_board/nurseact.pdf

from pa bon winter 1004 newsletter:

both the professional nursing law and the practical nurse law (practice acts) contain the requirement that any hospital or health care facility, peer or colleague who has substantial evidence that:

1. a licensee has an active addictive disease for which he or she is not receiving treatment

2. a licensee is diverting a controlled substance or

3. a licensee is mentally or physically incompetent to carry out the duties of his or her license must report these facts to the board.

(see 63 p.s. 224.1(f) and 63 p.s. 666.2)

http://www.dos.state.pa.us/bpoa/lib/bpoa/20/nurs_board/nurse_2004.pdf

persons have been prevented from obtaining a nursing license/license revoked when it was found that they knew/witnessed rn abusing illegal substances. don't let that happen to you.

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