Nursing student taking drugs

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

I definitely wouldn't do anything. Like mentoned before, unless they are smoking prior to dealing with patients, then I seriously doubt that smoking marijuana would endager anyone or impair their ability to perform as a nurse. The truth of the matter is, although marijuana is brandished as a "drug" here in the US, there has NEVER been any documented proof or studies showing that it has ever resulted in the death of an individual, given anyone cancer, or caused even ONE of the horrendous things that happen when you take real drugs. Alcohol is more of a drug than marijuana and it is more abused and more lethal! If you wouldn't care to see a fellow nurse getting drunk, then it wouldn't even make sense to care if they were smoking marijuana. Now if you saw someone smoking crack or shooting heroin, then that would be differnet!

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The truth of the matter is, although marijuana is brandished as a "drug" here in the US, there has NEVER been any documented proof or studies showing that it has ever resulted in the death of an individual, given anyone cancer, or caused even ONE of the horrendous things that happen when you take real drugs. Alcohol is more of a drug than marijuana and it is more abused and more lethal! If you wouldn't care to see a fellow nurse getting drunk, then it wouldn't even make sense to care if they were smoking marijuana.

And yet, so many people would rather stay way up on their moral high horse than actually, you know, take the time to look at actual facts.....:rolleyes:

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Specializes in EMS, ER, GI, PCU/Telemetry.
People who can't follow the rules don't deserve a spot in a program that others (who can follow the rules) do deserve. Just like I would report and student for cheating or mistreating a patient. There isn't a gray area.

i have to say something about this comment of people "not following rules".

look around you in nrsg school. how many students are aged 17-20? ok. how many of those students drink etoh on the weekend? that's illegal too... if you wanna say that people who don't follow the rules don't deserve a spot....

kick out all the underage drinkers too, then.

seriously... since when are nursing students the darn moral police? nrsg school is hard--worry about your own self.

cheating, well let them hang themselves, they won't pass their boards. mistreating a pt, report them, but you have to actually see/hear it and then guess what it's he said she said and the CI deals with and they probably will get put on probation.

but partying on the wkends, including smoking pot, drinking etoh and taking meds that are not prescribed to them--there is a gray area. if they don't come to work/school/clinicals impaired, mind your business. if you were to kick all of the nrsg students out of college who participated in these activities and didn't "follow the rules"----we'd be out of 75% of current student nurses. sorry.

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In my opinion, this question completely depends on the circumstance. If you witnessed the person smoking marijuana once, discretely at their house, during an extended break from school, like over Christmas Break, than it's their business. If you witnessed this person smoking before clinical or a patient-care experience, than I would inform the instructor. If it seems like the person is not taking it seriously, has a problem, or is or could possibly endanger patients than you have an obligation to privately inform your clinical instructor.

If a person is an addict, whether they know it or not, and is using drugs that can have a negative impact on their ability to safely perform their duties whether or not it's the day they are performing patient care, then this is a major problem.

However...

If it's a person that has no genetical basis for addiction, has no past trauma, and is discretely, on occasion smoking marijuana, and is not having to perform patient care anytime that week than I really don't believe it's a problem.

I think unless you're with this person everyday and know them well it's almost impossible to tell what their situation is, so bottom line...if it's before a clinical or patient care, go to the professor. If it's any other time, I'd use your judgement and either let it go but keep an eye out or go talk to the person if you know them well in a nonconfrontational way and see what's going on with them. You'd be surprised how many marijuana addicts there are out there that don't even know it, and that may be this person's case but again it may not be so tread softly here...unless they are putting patient's in direct danger by either using that day, and/or have an obvious drug problem, and in that case you have an obligation to tell your instructor.

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Specializes in Telemetry & Obs.
seriously... since when are nursing students the darn moral police? nrsg school is hard--worry about your own self.

:yeah:

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I'm not quite sure where all the nursing students go who have time on the weekend to drink, smoke or do anything else:chuckle besides study?:confused: I wish sometimes I had enough time to shave my legs..:chuckle

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Specializes in critical care, PACU.
I'm not quite sure where all the nursing students go who have time on the weekend to drink, smoke or do anything else:chuckle besides study?:confused: I wish sometimes I had enough time to shave my legs..:chuckle

Hillllllarrrrrious :yeah::chuckle:yeah:

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Nothing if its during works hours thats different

What business is it of mine if you booze it up or smoke it up on your days off.

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Specializes in My son...for now..

Aren't you just a little busy for this? I mean I am so consumed with studies, keeping up at home.. I haven't the slightest minute to monitor my cohort, don't create drama...keep your nose clean..

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Aren't you just a little busy for this? I mean I am so consumed with studies, keeping up at home.. I haven't the slightest minute to monitor my cohort, don't create drama...keep your nose clean..

I'm wondering the same...

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Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.
And yet, so many people would rather stay way up on their moral high horse than actually, you know, take the time to look at actual facts.....:rolleyes:

However, on the flip side, getting a population to study the effects of MJ is difficult.

MJ, like so many other drugs that are sold illegally in the USA, is usually not "pure"...dealers like to make various potions to soak the leaves in, dry them out again, to enhance the effect so people will buy from them.

The reason there is a lack of research, is because with regards to, for example, MJ during pregnancy, it's rare that you find a pregnant woman who is using MJ and ONLY MJ and not abusing other drugs, and the MJ she may be using may not even be pure...you can't get approval for a drug study in this country, experimentally, on pregnant women where the researcher would PROVIDE the drug...you can only do the study after-the-fact and they may or may not be telling you the truth.

You can't study it on teens, for the same reason.

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I'm with the unless they are showing up to clinical or work impaired, leave it be. Although I don't believe MJ is the evil is made out to be, I would not want someone to take care of my family if they were high. But I also wouldn't want them to take care of them if they were drunk, sleep deprived or otherwise impaired. But what someone does on their own time does not concern me unless the effects are caring over into their work.

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