Nurse doing cocaine HELP

DRIVERRN · Jul 12, 2005

No one should have to be put in this position. Neither one of the people using is your friend. Cocaine is their friend. They have put you in legal jeopardy by showing you their illegal activity. If the police had come into the home while you were there everyone including you would have been arrested for possession. The woman with the coke has a dangerous contact who sells it to her and/or she probably sells coke to get her supply. I would never be in her home again for any reason. They are both addicts--coke and sex. Tell them both to stay as far away from you as possible until they are "sober" and save yourself because evidently they don't care about themselves any more so why would you expect them to care about you? This is a serious problem for you to take a stand to protect yourself and your nursing license, possibly your life. People who deal in cocaine are in the business to make money at any cost to other people. This is not just a "personal problem", this is a scourge that kills people or ruins lives/society. Think hard and do the right thing.

rica75 · Jul 12, 2005

:angryfire This really upsets me. she is in the medical profession, and yet is putting herself, your friend, and her pt's in harms way! Should you report her? Most certainly! I have been a cocaine user in the past, and what I learned from it is anyone who uses coke or meth is a liar and theif. I asssure you that if she has keys to the med cabinet, she will take some out for her pleasure. Coke inhibits your judgement even when your not high. You offten think of new and intresting ways to enhance your high because after so many uses it becomes boring and you do it just to do it. So you look for new things to do with it, such as using with alchol. or smoking, shooting, ect. I'm not proud of my past, but luckily I survived it with a lot of life's lessons learned. And I can tell you as a past user coke turns you into a totally diffrent person, and you can not be trusted. When your friend wakes-up (hopefully) and realizes that you reported her because she's proven herself careless (if she'll do it infront of you, she'll get careless elsewhere) he'll come and seek out your friendship with his tail between his legs. I know it has been a while since you posted this, but if you haven't done anything, please don't blow it off. If I were in your shoes I would say something. Reasoning with someone using coke is impossible, so talking to her or your friend is useless. But innocent people's lives are in her hands, and so is an endless supply of drugs. :flamesonb

MTK · Jul 12, 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

Does this person work in the same facility as you do? IF so, does this facility have an ombudsman or Integrity Office? If not, does your state licensing board have an ombudsman program for nurses with addictions? You are beating yourself up over how to handle this, but she is the one who gave you insight into the fact that she may be at risk to compromise patient care. Is she careless, reckless or wishing to be found out? If she is careless and reckless, would you want her caring for you or your mother or your child?

Good luck.

Works2xs · Jul 12, 2005

"even if I tell without using my name..."

I'm not too sure that is a good assumption. I'm guessing that the fact that this person is a nurse is common knowledge. I'm also assuming, based on her casual use of the drug in your presence, that she's not overly concerned with revealing her proclivity to anyone else. As you can see from this thread, there's a pretty overwhelming negative response to this person's continued employment. I would bet that the other people that know she's a nurse AND know she's "using" feel it to be an unacceptable situation. To put it succinctly, you're probably not the only person with this knowledge and it would be pretty difficult for her (or your friend for that matter) to prove you had any connection to the "annonymous tip" to whatever board/agency/ombudsman etc. Such a tip could come from anyone, at anytime.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Roy Fokker, BSN, RN · Jul 12, 2005

I honestly don't have problems with people who smoke or do drugs.

I certainly have problems if their habits will interfere with work.

Far as I can tell:

The hospital I worked at ran random drug tests. Did so once after a long weekend. Someone had informed HR anon. that so & so was using hard drugs. So to keep anon, they selected a group of people from the hosp to do random drug tests on. All legal.
Everyone just thought it was randomly done

Seems to be the best idea so far. I'm actually surprised more facilities donot have this...

Roy Fokker, BSN, RN · Jul 12, 2005

Got a question for y'all...
If she's not working while riding her her high/recovering from her high, why should she be reported?
It's an ethical question and I have my own answer. I'm curious as to what others think.

Good question.

I already answered it above in my post

scooterRN52 · Jul 13, 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

Your friend is not doing the cocaine and he doesnst have to be mentioned, but the girlfriend, someone needs to report that, it is too serious, try and do it anonymously, or try and get someone else to report it.

lpnstudentin2010, LPN · Jul 13, 2005

so how are things going with this problem?

rn/writer, RN · Jul 13, 2005

so how are things going with this problem?

Yeah, Lori. Could you give us an update? We're concerned for you.

Miranda F.

spidermonkey · Jul 13, 2005

I honestly don't have problems with people who smoke or do drugs.
I certainly have problems if their habits will interfere with work.
Far as I can tell:
Seems to be the best idea so far. I'm actually surprised more facilities donot have this...

If it's not interferring w/her job I think I'd keep quiet for now. If it IS interferring job she will be found out sooner or later. If she isn't doing it on the job, it will be hard to prove unless the facility does random drug testing. Without drug testing it's just your word against hers & you say you're practically strangers. Your friend is not going to listen to you right now- so you'll come out looking like the bad guy. I think the number of nurses that are alcoholics (& one can be a high functioning alcoholic for a long time & not be drinking on the job) & addicts is way more than we know. I worked w/a nurse that we all suspected was doing drugs- our narc counts were always off, he disappeared for long intervals during the day, his behavior was erratic-- he eventually hung (figuratively!- he got caught- hit bottom) himself & lost his job & his license. If you don't work on her unit you don't really know how she is every day-- and she isn't a friend that you can have a heart-to-heart with as if you care about her-- so let it go-- you'll stir up more trouble than it's worth IMO-- it will just make YOU look bad-- jealous, vindictive, mean, whatever-- and you don't work w/her so you have no knowledge of her daily functioning- if she's a "social" user I don't see how that can interfere. I know alot more nurses that are drinkers than drug users- I think facilities should do alcohol AND drug testing!!

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Jul 13, 2005

I honestly don't have problems with people who smoke or do drugs.
I certainly have problems if their habits will interfere with work.
Far as I can tell:
Seems to be the best idea so far. I'm actually surprised more facilities donot have this...

I have problems with people who smoke and do drugs. There is no recreational use of cocaine, use of cocaine is a problem. Its an illegal one and an immoral one. And some guy who is dating a girl who uses also more than likely uses himself. Druggies dont openly share their secret of drug use with non druggies, for numerous reasons.

Gennaver, MSN · Jul 13, 2005

I have problems with people who smoke and do drugs. There is no recreational use of cocaine, use of cocaine is a problem. Its an illegal one and an immoral one. And some guy who is dating a girl who uses also more than likely uses himself. Druggies dont openly share their secret of drug use with non druggies, for numerous reasons.

Hi Teeituptom,

I respect your view to dislike the use of drugs or smoking. However I myself do not prefer to bring the morality angle into addictions. Dabbling is a personal choice or preference YET, not one that I would personally choose.

I would not 'blame' an addict for being addicted. I did at one time though, (I live in the lower-income housing complex and for a period of time was totally repulsed at the sight of heroin addicts, crack addicts, alcoholics, prostitutes and so on). Ugh, the detest I felt....is gone now.

Thankfully, now I can deal with the things that I am able to help with.

Gen

p.s. I do wonder though, why the op never made it back to give an update and why the op continues to 'enable' her friend through all of his addictions, (marijuana, sex and so on).