Nurse doing cocaine HELP

markjrn · Jun 20, 2005

A very close male friend has a new girlfriend. She is an ICU nurse. I have only met her twice and my friend states he is in love with her. I have a big big problem. The last time we went out she broke out a bag of coke. She admitted to me she had a drinking problem as a young teen. From what I saw she still has it. She did mix coke and alcohol that night. My friend told me she doesn't do coke on the days she works. I don't know if I believe that or not. I know where she works. I know her Director. If I tell even without using my name they will know it's me. I will loose my friend who means the world to me, but the ethical and professional in me is giving me the kick. It's been bothering me for a long time. I would like some other opinions before I make up my mind. I know what I should do and I know what will happen if I do it. HELP.
Lori

Are you maybe friends with a cop? You could tip off your cop buddy after she's been using, and he could help the community, do his job, and do the dirty work for you. Just a thought. That's what I would do. I have no tolerance for drugs.

markjrn · Jun 20, 2005

This woman works as a travel nurse. When she isn't traveling she is only a per diem worker for an agency. Knowing how agencies work I doubt they will put the effort into her. They will just stop calling her for cases.

Travel nurses have to go through urine testing, for the most part. I have pee'd in more cups than I can count for my contracts. Tell the company. They might write her off as a liability issue, and report it to the BON. These companies cancel contracts for all kinds of reasons, if they want to. Which company is it? I was just wondering if they're good or bad. You can PM me if you want.

smk1, LPN · Jun 20, 2005

just think of yourself or a loved one in the icu with this person as the nurse. Would you feel comfortable with that? Personally I think you should write a note to administration and suggest a drug test for the floor (maybe then it won't seem like you are picking on her.) Your friend should never have put you in this situation in the first place. 1) marijuana is illegal, 2) cocaine is illegal and for her to just whip that stuff out with you present is inappropriate. What if she had been riding in your car and you got pulled over? the whole group of you might have been arrested on drug charges. What kind of friend puts you in that sort of position? I wouldn't want a nurse who is coming down off of a cocaine high taking care of me anymore than i want one who is presently high on it, and mixing it with alcohol is even more dangerous.

Cubby · Jun 21, 2005

You stated yourself, you know what you need to do. I know that when I am up against something like this, the decision that is the most difficult for you to do-is the right thing to do. Follow your conscience-you know what you need to do. It is never easy, but the patients deserve an unimpaired professional to take care of them. Hope everthing comes out ok for you. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Stitchie · Jun 21, 2005

You stated yourself, you know what you need to do. I know that when I am up against something like this, the decision that is the most difficult for you to do-is the right thing to do. Follow your conscience-you know what you need to do. It is never easy, but the patients deserve an unimpaired professional to take care of them. Hope everthing comes out ok for you. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Well put. Doing the right thing isn't always the easy thing.

Every patient deserves 100% of your professionalism while under your care.

However, as professionals, and as someone who has not always been smart about these things, CYA is usually a good policy to follow.

It's always your license on the line!

Mystery5 · Jun 21, 2005

I agree.

I once had a concern about a co-worker, and that maybe she was using a stimulant at work. Her behaviour was becoming highly erratic, and one shift I worked with her, she was totally emotionally labile. I'll call her 'Julia', not her real name. She was acting like someone on meth, frankly. Also, another nurse, I'll call 'Anne' had vented to me at shift change regarding this Julia's erratic behaviour. I called Anne the next day told her that perhaps this gal was resorting to some drugs to help her cope. She had been working a lot of extra shifts, and everyone was noticing her volitile behaviour, which was escalating.

Anne and I who agreed that this was a possibilty and made a pact to not discuss this with another soul, and I said that I would approach Julia's manager, and Anne would back me up. I did this in all charity, because I had always liked Julia, and was truly worried about her. I discussed it at length with Julia's manager, telling her that Anne had said that she could call her, that I wasn't alone in my observations, and stressing that I was never going to discuss this with another soul, and neither was Anne.

I never discussed it with another soul, even my closest confidante at work. I'm sure that Julia was talked to because she cut back on her crazy hours, and made a point of approaching different co-workers, including me, that she had been having health problems and working too much, and had cut back. I don't know if she was using anything or not for certain, but it was a big reality check for her I think, and I don't have any regrets for having taken this action. It is a favor to all parties involved, but must be done with the utmost discretion.

subee, MSN, CRNA · Jun 21, 2005

I've only met her twice. It was on the second meeting that she did this. I do know that in the first month that they were dating they got into a fight and she put 4 holes in the wall with her fist. My friend is blind as a bat and compleatly, utterly gaga over this woman. She is young and cute. He has a long history of falling for the wrong type and getting hurt. I have no doubt this relationship will not last forever. This woman's mother was divorced 5 times, she is already divorced once. She has a history of alcohol abuse, smokes pot, cigerettes and her perfered drug is coke. Did you ever see a speeding train about to hit a loved one. There is nothing I can do about the relationship. He will choose her over me in a flash. He is that far taken with her. At this point talking to him is a waste of time. I hate to say this but he did it with her. Same drugs, same alcohol etc so they both don't think what they are doing is wrong. I am going to end up losing him as a friend because of this situation with her but he will be back once he is hurt. I am just so upset I needed to vent.
Lori

Contact your BON's peer assistance person. I don't know the law in your state but in New York you can report a nurse anonymously without liability, as long as it wasn't a malicious report. Its up to your this nurse's supervisor to observe this women's behavior and come with with any little behavior which would justify an on the spot screen for coke and alcohol. Then the problem becomes the nurses behavior, not your observation. If the nurse refuses then she has to be reported for professional disciplinary action but most agree to go into treatment on the spot. Good luck and keep us posted.

She might be upset new but with her choice of agents, death is the logical result, and if she makes it through recovery she'll be grateful to have her life back again.

LydiaNN · Jun 21, 2005

I really don't know that making an anoymous report would effect any action at all. How is HR to know that the report wasn't made by someone with a bone to pick? It would be a swell way to get someone in trouble. Ethically, I think you need to report it, confidentially but not anoymously. At that, they may not be able to do much, but you'll have peace of mind. They will probably suspect you, but OTOH, if she's bold enough to whip out the drugs in front of you, it's entirely possible she's done the same in front of others, too.

Gromit · Jun 22, 2005

I really don't know that making an anoymous report would effect any action at all. How is HR to know that the report wasn't made by someone with a bone to pick? It would be a swell way to get someone in trouble. Ethically, I think you need to report it, confidentially but not anoymously. At that, they may not be able to do much, but you'll have peace of mind. They will probably suspect you, but OTOH, if she's bold enough to whip out the drugs in front of you, it's entirely possible she's done the same in front of others, too.

Of course they can't rule out that (bone to pick) but the situation is serious enough that they will (at least once) do a test -since the random test does not violate the nurses' rights, and is relatively inexpensive (far less so than the consequences of not testing) AND its more common than you might think -because many people ARE afraid of reprecussions if they tell their superior or anyone else. Only reason I brought up that idea is because (many years ago) I was a safety-coordinator for a medium-sized construction company (on any given time, I was responsible for about 300-500 employees on a site) and once in a while, we DID get 'anonymous' tips (envelope slid under the door when I came into my office -of course, done while I was outside the office) and I certainly would schedule a batch of random tests (the subject was always, of course, included in the 'random' test) -now, if there was a sign of abuse (if he tested negative, it would be a while before I'd do one on him again -you have to be careful) -however, as in our field, an impaired construction worker can cause a lot of damage or death, so we took the 'tip' very seriously.

Possibly the person won't be tested immediately (you never know) but given the situation, I'd be surprised if they didn't.

In the event of a lawsuit, files are subpoenaed and if the lawyer found that a warning HAD been issued (a tip) and the (in this case hospital) employer didn't follow up... well, you get the idea.

Trust me when I tell you that they WILL take it seriously.

mstigerlily · Jun 22, 2005

Is it because of her profession that you feel the need to report her? What if she were a salesclerk at JC Penney? Would you report here then? I've read through your posts on this thread and it sounds like you have some other issues with her and her relationship with your close male friend. Do you want her to get in trouble or do you really want to help her? Or are you concerned about the patients she cares for?

Doing coke once in awhile does not mean she will be impaired on the job, it certainly doesn't mean she would steal from the Pyxis. Those are both assumptions. They are possibilities, but not certainties.

I think you have two choices here: if you care about this girl as a person and want to help you should approach your friend first and then both of them and express your serious concerns that this habit of hers will impair her on the job. This tactic may blow up and she and/or your friend may become angry and/or defensive and refuse to discuss it or avoid you which maybe lead you to chose choice #2 by default.

Report this nurse anonymously. If you did choice #1 first they will suspect it was you and there will be fallout. But if your motives are pure (you are concerned for her patients and for her as a person, not a desire to get her in trouble in any way - because you will, she may lose her job) then it needs to be done.

Melissa

Gromit · Jun 22, 2005

-melissa writes:

is it because of her profession that you feel the need to report her? what if she were a salesclerk at jc penney? would you report here then? i've read through your posts on this thread and it sounds like you have some other issues with her and her relationship with your close male friend. do you want her to get in trouble or do you really want to help her? or are you concerned about the patients she cares for?

doing coke once in awhile does not mean she will be impaired on the job, it certainly doesn't mean she would steal from the pyxis. those are both assumptions. they are possibilities, but not certainties.

-gromit writes:

they may be assumptions, but in this case, in this profession, a wrong assumption (giving her the benefit of the doubt -that she would not be impaired on the job) can have very drastic consequences. this is not the time for a moral self-examination. not in this kind of case. someone who is (as she has told us already) willing to do these drugs right in front of you is not about to do an 'about-face' just because you express your concerns. on the other hand, if you express them, and then she gets caught (even if you had nothing to do with it) you will immediately be suspect. if she does harm to someone, and you knew ahead of time about the problem, you may well be liable too, if you say nothing (check some of the papers you signed when you hired on).

another thing to considder -this disease has other traits. the very fact that this person would do coke -worse, do it with etoh, should call into question her ability where rational thought is concerned. after all, people who think clearly, and have a concern about consequences (and the ability to control their actions) wouldn't be doing this stuff, certainly not in front of others, in the first place. this is a catastrophic event waiting to happen. feel sorry and do a self-examination on your own time, but don't put others' in danger due to your inaction.

i think you have two choices here: if you care about this girl as a person and want to help you should approach your friend first and then both of them and express your serious concerns that this habit of hers will impair her on the job. this tactic may blow up and she and/or your friend may become angry and/or defensive and refuse to discuss it or avoid you which maybe lead you to chose choice #2 by default.

report this nurse anonymously. if you did choice #1 first they will suspect it was you and there will be fallout. but if your motives are pure (you are concerned for her patients and for her as a person, not a desire to get her in trouble in any way - because you will, she may lose her job) then it needs to be done.

melissa

the only reason i chose to mention reporting anonymously is because of the concern that there may be reprecussions. we all know (or should know) there are whistleblower laws in place to protect someone who blows the whistle, but in the real world we live in, you can still become an outcast, and it can be very difficult to prove later on. far safer to just leave the anonymous tip.

as long as the patients and others are kept safe, i couldn't care less about the motives.

-gromit.

TypicalFish · Jun 22, 2005

Doing coke once in awhile does not mean she will be impaired on the job, it certainly doesn't mean she would steal from the Pyxis. Those are both assumptions. They are possibilities, but not certainties.

Melissa

No, it just means that she has poor judgement, doesn't mind breaking federal law,has an addictive behavior and deals with other people who have no problem breaking federal laws, and doesn't mind edangering her health for "fun" (remember Len Bias, anyone?) doesn't mind risking getting those around her into trouble-And it stands to reason, if she's CARRYING around a BIG BAG of coke, she's doing it more than once in a while. You need to think about what you are saying here. I'm with Gromit.