Nursing students on medication

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We had a conversation at work today about nursing students that take medication to stay awake for school. I have seen students come from the university so drugged up on things like adderol. Do these students realize that they are putting patients lives at risk and do I have the right to say anything to my boss????? Why do these so called #1 nursing schools allow this????? Does the nursing boards not see what is happening????

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Thank you for that. I can appreciate what you are saying as well. Because of the nature of psychotropic medications, meds like citalopram shouldn't be prescribed for job related stress. I think I misunderstood that your statement about working out issues instead of taking medications was strictly about your own situation and not others'.If that's the case, then it sounds like you made the right decision for yourself. I don't really have the option, it's either meds or crazy for me, and I get a little upset when people, especially nurses who have at least a modicum of education on the subject, look down on people like me. I apologize for the rant, it is a sensitive topic for me. I can really appreciate your willingness to learn about it, I wish more people would. Instead of contributing to the stigma, you tried to understand, and I appreciate it.

(((HUGS)))

It can at sensitive for me as well; I have mood disorder trait from familial aspects, as well as PTSD. At this point I do need medication,

and to try to share-in one instance, gave me backlash; similar to the OP's post; it been LONG about time for this attitude to be eradicated from nursing, IMHO.

OP, you don't know; student could've been nervous and slipped and shared that; unless they are presenting a HUGE danger-like doing a treatment out of the student nurse's scope, otherwise leave it up to the instructor.

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Specializes in ICU.

I take several different medications. I have epilepsy, fibromyalgia, and severe depression with PTSD. Right now I am in a horrible fibro flare up because I had to take some antibiotics for a sinus infection. For some reason antibiotics cause me to flare up to the point where I can't be touched hardly at all. Fibro comes with its every day pain and for that I take morphine. I take it in the morning. I take Pristiq at night for the depression and fibro. I take muscle relaxants at night to help me sleep and relax the muscles. I have terrible insomnia which goes with the fibro. My epilepsy drugs I have gotten used to over the years and it doesn't slow me down as much as it used to. I have been seizure free for over 3 years.

This type of attitude is why I don't talk to people about my issues. People say oh morphine, like I am drug addict or something. It is the only thing that helps me function and I have never gotten a "high" from it. Never. I go to the same pharmacy, have 3 month check ups with my doctor for my pain, and never fill early. The fact that I have to take meds is not something I like to do but in order to function I do. I would never do anything unsafe but the fact that I take meds, someone will automatically think I am "under the influence", or practicing unsafely. I would be more unsafe if I wasn't on my meds. What goes on in my life is between me and my doc and no one else. It is nobody else's business.

I will very much be an advocate for my patients because I feel that for my experiences I can have empathy for them. There is absolutely nothing worse than being in horrible pain every single day of your life and not being able to do anything about it. So great you don't need meds to get through your day, I am genuinely happy for you. But don't judge those of us that need them. I am a single mom to an 8 year old who does competitive judo and am taking 16 credit hours this semester and am pulling all As. I need the meds and the fact that I need them does not make you any better than me.

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Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.
This person did not say he was taking it because of any disease. He stated he was taking it to be able to stay awake for clinicals.

Perhaps he does have ADD and is taking the adderall for that. Maybe a fellow student saw his Rx. bottle and he just said "oh, it's to help me stay awake" rather than having to get into a discussion about his health history when his classmate has no business knowing about said history.

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Again that's not how it happened. Go back and read my posts. When did I say that I don't take medications?

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Ok I am sorry about all of this. I did not mean to ruffle anyone's feathers. I take medication myself for depression as I stated earlier. I think of you missed that because it's being said that I don't think things like depression are real diseases. I know they are. If this person had said I take adderall for ADHD then maybe I wouldn't have questioned it so much but that was not what was said. Even if he was taking it for ADHD and I felt his behavior or actions were unsafe I would consider saying something to my supervisor because I do know that people can take those medications and function normally. It may be even a case that if he was taking it for ADHD that he needs to take it so that it kicks in before clinicals. I was going on what he said. Anyways I am sorry about ruffling feathers. I'm not going to say anything unless I know for sure. Point made.

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For whatever it's worth, what I personally took issue with wasn't your original question. The issue was that you said you were being attacked for "putting patient safety first". That's just silly.

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It really doesn't matter anymore but thank you

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No nursedirtybird there was no intention to contribute to any stigma of any psychiatric disorder I do not know of any nurses with a real psychiatric disorder in my line of work but I do know of nurses who are so stressed outside of their heads that they need a drug to be able to function at work...thy are given indefinate citalopram...my argument rather was that surely it is better to address what is causing the stress rather than internalising it and having to take meds ....[/quote']

So do you tell patients not to take meds when being discharged, that they should "address what is causing the stress"? What if they just buried a child and they need something to help them with grief, while seeking help? What's your thought on patients with chronic pain that take pain meds?

Sent from my iPad using allnurses.com

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Specializes in adult psych, LTC/SNF, child psych.

I take Concerta for ADD and it does help keep me awake; it's a stimulant. It also helps me focus and stay on task. I certainly hope and mostly would like to assume that if this student has an rx for Adderal, the prescribing physician has given him a dx of ADHD or another dx for which stimulants are indicated as appropriate tx. If he's taking it as prescribed and not abusing it, alertness is a good thing. Just because it's a controlled substance does *NOT* mean he is automatically a danger on the job or that he's addicted to the drug. I'm sure the pill bottle says "Don't operate heavy machinery, make make drowsy, do not use with alcohol" but that doesn't mean he's putting patients at risk for injury. I'd gladly prefer a nurse with ADHD who is on medication or otherwise seeking treatment than a nurse with ADHD who isn't seeking treatment.

I have bipolar disorder but brought up Concerta and my ADD-type symptoms (poor concentration, lack of focus, constantly moving, easily distracted) because it was negatively effecting patient care. A distracted nurse is a nurse at risk for med errors. I take it as prescribed and it works wonders.

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Specializes in adult psych, LTC/SNF, child psych.
I don't know enough about Adderall, but does it show up in random drug screens? Our program (and my job now) had drug screens and the possibility of a random one at any time. Whatever facility we were at for clinical could drug test us well. I have a prescription for a medication and it tests, so I just bring in letter from PCP if needed.

We also had pretty strict rules about work and clinical. I am terribly naive and believe people follow the rules. Nurses are supposed to have integrity, if one cannot follow the rules BECOMING a nurse, they need to git gone!

Adderal is a substance that will likely show up as a stimulant on a drug test, but if the person has a prescription, that's not likely to be a problem or cause them to get thrown out of a program.

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Specializes in adult psych, LTC/SNF, child psych.
No nursedirtybird there was no intention to contribute to any stigma of any psychiatric disorder, I do not know of any nurses with a real psychiatric disorder in my line of work but I do know of nurses who are so stressed outside of their heads that they need a drug to be able to function at work...thy are given indefinate citalopram...my argument rather was that surely it is better to address what is causing the stress rather than internalising it and having to take meds ....

I take serious offense that you say "real psychiatric disorder". What's your definition?

I also doubt that anyone is being prescribed indefinite citalopram just willy nilly. Taking medication is not internalizing stress. Antidepressants, contrary to popular belief, aren't happy pills that make everything rose colored. They also come with a whole slew of side effects. Just ask anyone on psychiatric medication if they like being on it and I guarantee you'll get a "no" from each person. Taking medications is *NOT* the easy way out like you present it.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

I still want to know what "stand on a board" means?

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