Nursing student taking drugs

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What would you do if you found out that a fellow nursing student is smoking marijuana?

Specializes in Med-Surg.
There are alot of laws that are not enforced because the police thinks the resources are better spent elsewhere. The laws are probably kept on the books simply for show or for "just in case" legality purposes.

The MJ laws might not be strictly enforced, and a casual smoker certainly isn't going to get into any kind of trouble with the law. However, trust me on this: your drug screen is positive for mj here in Florida, you are going to face the BON and that's what's enforced. You may be only monitored for a year, but you will be monitored, and your license everytime someone looks it up will be marked.

I may be ethically opposed to the mj laws, think smoking pot is no big deal and harmless,"what I do on my own time is no one's business and besides it's no worse than alcohol", "if I smoke on Saturday, I won't be impaired come Monday", and I certainly won't go to jail, but I'm still not going to risk my job, livelihood, and reputation just to get high.

The BON enforces it, and that's enough to keep me away from it.

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Wow....my neck hurts for looking up at all these high horses. It is mandated that you report anything that could affect patient safety. It is NOT mandated that you police the world and tattle on everyone for any violation you see in their personal life. Will you be snooping though peoples trash, listening at closed doors and peeping through windows. If thats the case you will have to give up nursing and make it a full time job. I remember second grade when I had to wear a construction paper donkey tail during lunch because I was the "tattle tail". I now appreciate learning that lesson early in life. Don't you have more important things to worry about in your own life.

P.S. In Texas it is a law that if someone rides past a motor car on a horse the person must stop the car, and dismantle it completely until the horse passes. You may then reassemble your car and be on your way.

I also think its it illegal in most states to have oral sex (really no joke). You might try talking to some of your fellow nursing students to see if they are participating in the unethical, illegal activity, and then turn then in to the DON.

I stated that if you are aware that someone is using illegal drugs and they have children in their homes.. it falls under a State of Ct Mandatory reporter law in place to report abuse and neglect in children.please dont mock me..a police officer was fired from her job because she failed to report a neighbor who was neglecting her children..losing a nursing license we have worked so hard for because someone has a different opinion of the law is stupidity....

I do not put my nose into other peoples business, and , if you read my whole post, I didnt say that I would turn student in, I said i would talk to them ..

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Far enough. However,I dont think nurses are public role models who should be held to every law in the book (I think we have to agree to disagree here). Its not that I dont think they should or shouldnt be, just that they dont have that prominent status in society.

Nurses are public role models...and we should be held to obeying the law..just like everyone else..

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Specializes in Psychiatry.
Nurses are public role models...and we should be held to obeying the law..just like everyone else..

:yeahthat:

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Specializes in critical care, PACU.

Nurses are public role models...and we should be held to obeying the law..just like everyone else..

True, but I do resent that nurses are held to such a high standard you'd think we were all angels. I dont break the law and dont approve of doing drugs in the clinical area, but it does suck that I am taking narcotics, muscle relaxers, and NSAIDs with little pain relief and cant even try MJ because of my moral code and fear of being snitched on if caught.

As I have said in many similar posts, I think that you should keep it to yourself unless they are compromising patient safety. Furthermore, if it really concerns you, check in your student handbook. My school supports addiction and chemical dependencey rehabilitation over expulsion and works with students. Perhaps something similar may be arranged in this situation. But, I do think, though, that MJ on the weekends, is probably more of a relaxer or social activity.

As others have said too, I drink alcohol once in a while on holidays... underage, but I know that my peers would not even think about snitching on me for that, but MJ is a whooooooole nother story.

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Specializes in EMS, ER, GI, PCU/Telemetry.

I also think its it illegal in most states to have oral sex (really no joke). You might try talking to some of your fellow nursing students to see if they are participating in the unethical, illegal activity, and then turn then in to the DON.

lol, i just went on dumblaws.com and checked out florida....

it is illegal to have oral sex, illegal to live together with someone you are not married to and commit lewd acts, illegal to sing in public while wearing a swimsuit, illegal to have sex in any other position than the missionary position, illegal to fart in a public place, illegal to break more than 3 dishes in one day, and illegal to fall asleep under the hair dryer at the salon.

take me to jail!

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Specializes in Psychiatry.
lol, i just went on dumblaws.com and checked out florida....

it is illegal to have oral sex, illegal to live together with someone you are not married to and commit lewd acts, illegal to sing in public while wearing a swimsuit, illegal to have sex in any other position than the missionary position, illegal to fart in a public place, illegal to break more than 3 dishes in one day, and illegal to fall asleep under the hair dryer at the salon.

take me to jail!

We are probably all going with you....:p

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Specializes in Psychiatry.
True, but I do resent that nurses are held to such a high standard you'd think we were all angels. .

If you resent nursing's high moral standards, why are you going to school to be one?

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Specializes in critical care, PACU.
If you resent nursing's high moral standards, why are you going to school to be one?

this is argumentative :down: and off topic

if you read the rest of my post I have high morals and I feel guilty for almost any mistake, however minor hehe. I was only commenting that in comparison to other professions, we have to be almost inhuman... no DUIs, no mistakes ever.

thank you though for taking one comment and banning me from nursing for it...it's incredible the authority people gain from sitting behind a computer screen.

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Specializes in Psychiatry.
this is argumentative :down:

if you read the rest of my post I have high morals and I feel guilty for almost any mistake, however minor hehe. I was only commenting that in comparison to other professions, we have to be almost inhuman... no DUIs, no mistakes ever.

thank you though for taking one comment and banning me from nursing for it...it's incredible the authority people gain from sitting behind a computer screen.

I don't believe I banned you from nursing with my question.

My post was not meant to be argumentative. I reacted the way I did to your post because to me, "resent" is a strong word.

I would hate to see anyone enter the profession who "resented it."

Honestly though, I don't believe we have to be inhuman. Just moral law abiding citizens who look out for the welfare of others.

Are we held to higher standards? Sure. Are we perfect? Heavens, no!! But that's life.

I hope you get some relief from your pain.

Peace,

Diane

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Specializes in critical care, PACU.
I don't believe I banned you from nursing with my question.

My post was not meant to be argumentative. I reacted the way I did to your post because to me, "resent" is a strong word.

I would hate to see anyone enter the profession who "resented it."

Honestly though, I don't believe we have to be inhuman. Just moral law abiding citizens who look out for the welfare of others.

Are we held to higher standards? Sure. Are we perfect? Heavens, no!! But that's life.

I hope you get some relief from your pain.

Peace,

Diane

thank you. yes I have a "colorful" language prone to misuse/misinterpretation :) there's always a risk of varied interpretations when youre communicating on the internet.

ok back to the original topic :bowingpur

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Unless they are high during clinicals, absolutely nothing.

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