Nurse doing cocaine HELP

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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

I advised her to either speak to her friend and this woman directly and be honest with her her concerns or to report her. Seems to me I'm in line with what most of you are saying.

I just got the vibe from the original post that her concern has more to do with keeping this woman away from her "very good male friend". Of course I may be mistaken but it's hard to tell from a message board on the internet. Drug users are not always bad people. We have all broken laws at one time or another, even federal ones. I think drug users need help, not punishment. Even if they happen to be nurses.

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.

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Specializes in ICU-Stepdown.
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.

Who was/is Len Bias?

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-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.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

i do have problems with her but they are all associated with her coke use. i have been told by my friend that she has lost control of her temper enough to put 4 holes in her walls due to a binge night with the powder. she weighs about 90 pounds so for her to have put 4 holes at one time into her wall says she did enough to be impaired pretty badly. she once threw my friend out after a night of coke. his response to this was... don't worry. she will go get an 8 ball and everything will be fine. that scares me.

other than her coke use i have nothing much to say about her. she has an abusive history from step fathers (5 of them). the fact she mixes her drugs with no consern to the effects on any body system is her problem. heck, i have my acls. i can do cpr.

my first impression of her was not bad. up until the point she broke out the bag of coke i had some red flags just by what i was told but if i had to judge her myself i would say she was a nice person. i have seen her drink for about 12 hours straight enough alcohol to knock out the best of them but she remained standing.

i haven't made up my mind about the situation. my intensions are not pure at this point. she is getting my friend hooked and that clouds my judgement a bit so your point is well taken. i haven't worked with her professionally nor have i witnessed her working impaired so to "snitch" at this point may look vendictive. this is not my intention.

recreational drugs do not bother me. if they are controled. my fear is that since she has become uncontroled in her personal life what is it like in her professional life.

as someone mentioned... would i want a coke addict working on one of my family members in an icu. my answer is no.

lori

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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.

Who was/is Len Bias?

She works nights.. as we all have. What if she is tired and needs a little pick me up. What happens if she got no sleep or little sleep during the day. Coke can get her through the night and who would know. I am with you and everything you just said. She has poor judgement.

Lori

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Specializes in Me Surge.
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

The person does not have to be "high" to be impaired. The nurse coming down off the high is alos impaired. Cocaine long term usage does affect the ability think rationally. If you are a nurse then you know this. If you are a nurse then you that nursing is bout critical thinling. And to answer your question. YES it does make a difference that this person is an ICU nurse, if she were a clerk at Walmart and makes a mistake it means she forgot to ring up the clearance price. If she is an ICU nurse and makes a mistake, it could be she forgot to titrate a cardiac drip and someone died. I see a MAJOR difference between the two.

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Who was/is Len Bias?

Leenie Bias was an extremely talented University of Maryland Basketball player, the night that he signed to play for the celtics (during Larry bird's time) a "good" friend of his introduced him to coke; he had a massive heart attack and died that night. A few years later his younger brother, known to hang out with this same "friend" was shot to death in a drug deal gone awry.

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. I think drug users need help, not punishment. Even if they happen to be nurses.

Melissa

I don't think that anyone here is saying "yay! let's send her to jail!" I think that the general consensus is that if she is doing cocaine she shouldn't be caring for people's LIVES in an ICU.

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Specializes in ICU-Stepdown.
Who was/is Len Bias?

She works nights.. as we all have. What if she is tired and needs a little pick me up. What happens if she got no sleep or little sleep during the day. Coke can get her through the night and who would know. I am with you and everything you just said. She has poor judgement.

Lori

ugh, and I feel the same way about DAYS! (I only choose jobs that let me work nights) -of course, the night shift bit is hell on my wife, who actually likes to sleep at night (never figured that one out! (grin))

I have no ill feeling toward addicts -in most cases, I feel sorry for them -but all bets are off when it comes to dealers. I have a pair of nieces, and if they ever get into that stuff, pray I don't find out who got them into it. It may take 'two to tango' but only the Good Lord Jesus could show wrath like my family -I can't have children, and my nieces mean everything to me. Wouldn't be pretty. I'm a big boy, and the runt of the litter. Imagine the mayhem all three of us could do :) )

Seriously, my concern is for the patients and others. If it were TRULY a victimless crime, I couldn't care what you do. We ALL have our vices. I enjoy my beer and rums, and I love riding my big motorcycle -but not together, and I never put myself in a situation that will harm others (I couldn't live with myself if I rode drunk and hurt someone else -so the two stay apart. Drink and work on the bike, clean the bike, repair the bike, but the engine stays off. )

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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

You have one option and one option only. You have a moral, ethical and professional responsibility to report her to your state's BON. She is a danger to herself and more importantly, her patients. You may do this without risk, the sooner the better.

Grannynurse :balloons:

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First of all, it is your responsibility to be the patient advocate. That stands for the patient in the bed or the one that is standing beside it. Most hospitals have an integrity phone line where you can report things like this. I would guess that an agency would also have something like this. Find it and use it.

A number of years ago, an old friend told me that his girl friend had been accepted into the nursing program at a local college. I knew for a fact, not speculation, that she had a high dollar drug habit. We are from a small community and I knew that she would eventually be caring for my friends and family. I had a meeting with the director of the nursing program very privately and told her the facts as I knew them. That she had been to rehab more than once and relapsed. I hoped that her latest rehab would be effective, but fore warned is fore armed. I believe that that was the first year that incoming students were drug screened. She never made it into the program. I did feel bad for her, but how many patients were helped? I think a lot. I wish that I could say that she got clean and stayed that way, but it didn't happen. My friend lost his business because of her drug debts and the cost of caring for her.

So sad the cost of a drug habit.

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I advised her to either speak to her friend and this woman directly and be honest with her her concerns or to report her. Seems to me I'm in line with what most of you are saying.

I just got the vibe from the original post that her concern has more to do with keeping this woman away from her "very good male friend". Of course I may be mistaken but it's hard to tell from a message board on the internet. Drug users are not always bad people. We have all broken laws at one time or another, even federal ones. I think drug users need help, not punishment. Even if they happen to be nurses.

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.

Actually if I did report her I risk losing my friend as he WILL side with her. It's a known fact. It's a given. Yes, it is true I would not be upset in the least if she was away from him but only due to her drug use and his past history. Other than this I have no problem with thier relationship at all. In a lot of ways she is good for him or at least makes him happy and when he is happy I am happy. There are other problems but this is not what drives my consern over the drugs. The other stuff is minor compared to this. She IS hooking my friend on this drug. He lived with me for a year and while he was a pot smoker, coke never entered the picture. He has an addictive personality and will become addicted to the coke easily. He used to take hydrocodones and became hooked for a while. I am not a drug user so his ability was limited. Put two drug users together and it's a train wreck. Mind you this is not a lover situation. He is pure friend. I am happily married. I have no motive to want to see him break up with this girl other than the fact she is a drug user. Telling on her would backfire on me and I would lose him. It would not effect their relationship at all except to ignite fire between all of us. He approves of her behavior. When they did it in front of me, she had the coke, handed it to him and he cut the lines like a pro. I have never seen him do that before. The nurse in me sees my patients or any patient as priority. I would not want a coke abuser taking care of me in an ICU.

Lori

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You have one option and one option only. You have a moral, ethical and professional responsibility to report her to your state's BON. She is a danger to herself and more importantly, her patients. You may do this without risk, the sooner the better.

Grannynurse :balloons:

I agree with this statement. Please do so, for the good of the patients, and so she may get some help.

SJ

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