Nursing student taking drugs

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

They should be abiding by the law, plain and simple.

I shouldn't keep on with this debate. I spent 15 years in law enforcement and corrections, so I'm too biased and set in my ways. :yeah::chuckle

Well, I suppose the real question is whether law enforcement is primarily concerned with ensuring that people follow the letter of the law, or working to enhance public safety. I would personally like to believe that law enforcement places a higher value on the latter, but I recognize that this is not always the case. Different people have different interpretations as to the role law enforcement should play in society, so we may just have to respectfully disagree with one another on this one....

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Hi OC - sorry it took me so long to answer. Was tired last night & doing things around the house today. I'm glad I'm being thought of... :redbeathe:wink2::redbeathe

[emphasis mine]

Actually, I have a question for you. If the person lived in California, where medicinal marijuana is legal, had a valid prescription, and only smoked after work or on his off days, would you still have a problem?

Medicinal marijuana is one thing... legal within it's PRESCRIBED use. I am sorry if I did not make that clear before... I thought I had.

Relax,some people occasionaly smoke at parties ,it is not a crime and they are far from being druggies.To the OP just let it go and go about your business, no one likes spies,I rather have 10 friends then 1 enemy.

I'm sorry, what country do you live in? In the US, using ANY drug - prescription or otherwise - that is misused IS A CRIME! It isn't about being a spy - it is about the standard of care and the standard health care professionals should be held to.

That doesn't matter about the med weed, as pot is federally illegal. Federal law trumps state law.

Exactly - whether the State Nursing Board decides to take action doesn't matter... it's ALL about the federal law.

Oh, I'm aware of the technicalities of the law. I was simply posting an honest hypothetical question because I was curious as to how much of RutterMama's opposition to nurses using marijuana was do to the drug itself, and how much was based purely on its illegal status.

Although, it is interesting to note that nurses are licensed by individual states, and not federally. When you take this into consideration, there actually is some question as to whether a state board of nursing will take action against the license of someone with a valid [according to the state] marijuana prescription.

My opposition is partly due to the drug itself (based on my own life experiences)... but mostly due to the legal status of it at the present state in our country's legislature. And, as I said earlier... whether a state board will take action (scary to me) doesn't really matter in the entire scheme of things... it's illegal, plain & simple. If the person has a VALID prescription and does NOT abuse that... completely different situation & NO I do not oppose that.

I believe in the enforcement of the laws that are on the books. I also believe in the right of the people to change those laws, if they can garner enough support to do so. Those in CA who desired legal gay marriages did not garner enough, and thus, they can not legally have gay marriages.

As far as pot goes, it wouldn't bother me if it was made legal and moderated the way alcohol currently is. Until that time, however, I think it runs counter to the professional standard for nurses to be smoking pot and purposely committing a crime.

I agree 100%! If enough people rally together & are able to get the law overturned... more power to you! Who knows, I may even try it some time if that were the case (after it was legalized). BUT - until then... it is illegal, and I agree with BortaZinTx's last sentence... Nurses are held to a professional standard & to be participating in illegal drug use is PURPOSELY committing a crime and is WRONG!

I have been contributing to the blogs on AN.

I finally figured out what a nurse is.

A nurse is a liberal, who believes that it is ok to go to work after smoking pot, who believes that if you are a Christian then you are evil. The nurse also believes that American must socialize the entire health care industry. The nurse also believes that if you did not vote Obama, then you are evil, racists and full of hate. A nurse hates the hospital administration, that offered them their job in the first place. The nurse believes that only charity can come from the state, to be charitable as an individual is a waste of time.

Sure seems this way huh??? This is hilarious...

In case you haven't guessed... here's where I stand...

I am a conservative that believes it is NOT ok to participate in illegal drug use of any kind for any reason. I am a Christain & believe NO ONE is evil. Socialization is rediculus... I voted for McCain, am NOT racist & hate NO ONE. I try to work WITH the administration & help in any way possible. And - I have offered my time to many different orginazations and offered many different services NOT FOR PAY.

Smoking MJ at parties is not a crime! What country do you live in? Get a conviction for that on your record and you can pretty much kiss your nursing license good-bye in some states.

Very true - and even if you live in a state where you get to keep your license - when you go to apply for a job, they do back ground checks, and with a drug conviction on your record... you'd be hard pressed to get a nursing position.

The way I see it....How would you feel about it if this student was going to be taking care of your parent...or child...during their clinicals??? Prescribed medication is monitored....marijuana is NOT...and it is ILLEGAL...and if they are doing it....the certainly don't need to be in the nursing field....I would MOST CERTAINLY talk in confidence to my instructor...if you know, and do nothing, and that student hurts someone when they are in clinicals and "out of it" on drugs, you would have a lot to answer for.

Very well said!

Again, its important to make the distinction between being high during work or school, and smoking in the privacy of one's one home.

A nurse who is impaired while working due to any substance [legal or otherwise] is a danger to patients and should be removed from duty. But lets all stop pretending that smoking a J on Saturday is going to somehow endanger your patients when you go to work on Monday, because it doesn't.

Very true, if I remember right the OP said the person was smoking during off time. No one has said that it is ok to go to work high. However... whether it is done on the weekend or just before a shift... it's wrong & should be addressed.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

In my opinion, anything that causes a RN to be in a altered mental status should not be working. This goes for physical exhaustion and mental exhaustion. I have already said what I feel about drugs, be it legal or not.

I do not understand why the medical profession continues to abuse interns and residents making them work 36 hour days. Pay your dues right.. I dont think so. 12 hr shifts are long enough. I personally would not want a MD intern trying to insert a central line, chest tube or arterial line after they have been up 24 hours. I know this is about Nursing and drugs, but not getting any sleep is also abuse. Ive seen fairly competent docs try to insert a line, but they just cant concentrate. Luckily in the MICU setting, most of the RNs know critical care medicine and will counter a physicians order if it makes no sense at all from exhaustion.

So in summary, I am opposed to anything that decreases the mental status of a health care provider. I may not be mr touchy feely, compassionate RN, but I still want what is right for my patient s. Rest is important, that is why I go to the Catalina Wine Mixer...

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Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.
In my opinion, anything that causes a RN to be in a altered mental status should not be working. This goes for physical exhaustion and mental exhaustion. I have already said what I feel about drugs, be it legal or not.

I agree with this...to an extent.

I don't think anyone is advocating staying up all night smoking pot and then showing up for work the next day. I don't think a single nurse or student would think that is ok.

I don't do drugs. However, I also think that alcohol and cigarettes has done more damage in our society than pot ever has. I don't remember ever hearing where someone has had a baby that ONLY did pot and nothing else (which is usually not the case) that delivered a baby where it was known that it was a "pot altered baby", but fetal alcohol syndrome children are born every day along with crack babies, coke babies, etc.

I have no memory of when I have seen someone high on pot where they took out a school bus or got into a fight at a bar, etc.

If you are going to make something illegal...then take away the alcohol.

I don't think a reasonable argument can be made if someone smoked pot a couple of days before a shift, that they are impaired for that shift. It just doesn't.

However, if someone came to work with the odor of it on their clothes or smelling of alcohol, I wouldn't hesitate for a second to turn that person in....to me THAT is impaired.

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I have been contributing to the blogs on AN.

I finally figured out what a nurse is.

A nurse is a liberal, who believes that it is ok to go to work after smoking pot, who believes that if you are a Christian then you are evil. The nurse also believes that American must socialize the entire health care industry. The nurse also believes that if you did not vote Obama, then you are evil, racists and full of hate. A nurse hates the hospital administration, that offered them their job in the first place. The nurse believes that only charity can come from the state, to be charitable as an individual is a waste of time.

This is completely irrelevant to the original post. And by the way, such a generalization is typically an illustration of either a very narrow-minded person, or an very unintelligent one. Hmmmm.

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Specializes in CDI Supervisor; Formerly NICU.

How ironic. Look what just came in my email inbox.

http://cme.medscape.com/viewarticle/585562

spacer.gif Carolyn Buppert, NP, JD; Tracy A. Klein, RN, MS, FNP

spacer.gifDilemmas in Mandatory Reporting in Nursing

Most nurses will never be faced with the dilemma of reporting another nurse's actions to the board of nursing. Should the need arise, many of us wouldn't even be certain how to proceed. What is reportable, and to whom should we report? What happens if we don't report? And if we do report another nurse, will we ruin his or her livelihood or career?

It may be helpful to remember, at such a time, that our primary role as nurses is to advocate for patient care and safety. This is also true of licensing agencies, such as boards of nursing, which are responsible for protecting the public, and not, as is commonly believed, to advocate for nurses. Here, for example, is a quote from the mission statement of the South Dakota Board of Nursing:

The mission of the South Dakota Board of Nursing is to safeguard life, health, and the public welfare, and to protect citizens from unauthorized, unqualified, and improper application of nursing education programs and nursing practices.[1]Because the nurse is in the best position to notice improper or unsafe practice on the part of a coworker, some states require nurses to report other nurses to the board of nursing. The activities, infractions, or suspicions that nurses are required to report vary among the states, but most often involve substance abuse and unsafe practice.

Understandably, nurses may have mixed feelings about reporting a colleague. These feelings often arise from a lack of knowledge about what is a reportable offense.

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The way I see it....How would you feel about it if this student was going to be taking care of your parent...or child...during their clinicals??? Prescribed medication is monitored....marijuana is NOT...and it is ILLEGAL...and if they are doing it....the certainly don't need to be in the nursing field....I would MOST CERTAINLY talk in confidence to my instructor...if you know, and do nothing, and that student hurts someone when they are in clinicals and "out of it" on drugs, you would have a lot to answer for.

Ummm, not really. People who abuse "prescription medications" are pretty much masters at getting prescriptions/drugs by whatever means possible. The person taking 12 pain pills a day is probably not being monitored by their Dr....they're probably getting these drugs another way.

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Sure seems this way huh??? This is hilarious...

In case you haven't guessed... here's where I stand...

I am a conservative that believes it is NOT ok to participate in illegaldrug use of any kind for any reason. I am a Christain & believe NO ONE is evil. Socialization is rediculus... I voted for McCain, am NOT racist & hate NO ONE. I try to work WITH the administration & help in any way possible. And - I have offered my time to many different orginazations and offered many different services NOT FOR PAY.

Funny....I'm a very conservative, Southern Baptist who voted for McCain, whose best friend is a minority, who has also done charity work. Sometimes even we disagree. **SHRUG**

Up Vote Up Vote ×
In my opinion, anything that causes a RN to be in a altered mental status should not be working. This goes for physical exhaustion and mental exhaustion. I have already said what I feel about drugs, be it legal or not.

I do not understand why the medical profession continues to abuse interns and residents making them work 36 hour days. Pay your dues right.. I dont think so. 12 hr shifts are long enough. I personally would not want a MD intern trying to insert a central line, chest tube or arterial line after they have been up 24 hours. I know this is about Nursing and drugs, but not getting any sleep is also abuse. Ive seen fairly competent docs try to insert a line, but they just cant concentrate. Luckily in the MICU setting, most of the RNs know critical care medicine and will counter a physicians order if it makes no sense at all from exhaustion.

So in summary, I am opposed to anything that decreases the mental status of a health care provider. I may not be mr touchy feely, compassionate RN, but I still want what is right for my patient s. Rest is important, that is why I go to the Catalina Wine Mixer...

Are you aware that some surgeries can last in excess of 20 hours in and of themselves? 12 hour shifts are not a reality for many people in the healthcare profession.

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This is completely irrelevant to the original post. And by the way, such a generalization is typically an illustration of either a very narrow-minded person, or an very unintelligent one. Hmmmm.

I get the feeling its more a sign of someone who likes to provoke people for fun. From other posts, it seems like he can make well reasoned points when he wants to, so I wouldn't really call him unintelligent, just overly argumentative and intentionally provocative...

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Specializes in Psychiatry.

But if someone came to clinical stoned out of there mind,

or drunk off there ass I would hope the instructor would

do something.

um, duh!

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My goodness, there are an awful lot of high horses trotting around this thread...

I have better things to spend my energy on than worrying about whether a fellow student smokes pot. UNLESS that student is impaired during clinicals or any other patient contact, as so many others have said. Then it's a different story and the instructor needs to be informed. Otherwise, I worry about me and what I need to do and let the pot smoker worry about her/himself.

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