VanessaLee13

Don't be scared. The only reason I left the Clinic is because I moved out of state. Most of the people I used to work with in one of the ICUs are still there. There are down sides of it, but there are down sides of working in any type of hospital. Especially as a new grad, it will give you good experience, and at the very least will look good on your resume. As a new grad, don't be afraid to ask for help/advice, but also don't be afraid to trust yourself and your skills.

I started there as a aide when I was in nursing school (this was 4 1/2 years ago). I want to say I made around $10/hour (+$1/hour for nights).

Oh so very true! :) At the drug rehab where my husband works, they have to actually watch the guys pee in the cup to make sure it is their urine. There was a fake member going around trying to get around that! Amazing the things that drugs will make people do!

And I very well may not be able to live with myself either. School doesn't start until late August, so there is some time. Even though I have decided not to call now, does not mean that I can't change my mind in the future. Thanks for your support.

Hahaha...exactly! That was my one view...I didn't want to be the "Oh, who cares? It doesn't affect me in any way, so I am not gonna get involved" person.

:) One can only hope. My husband works in a drug rehab now, and is an AA sponsor. It is definitely amazing how someone can turn their life around and begin to help others when previously, they could not even help themselves.

Oh, and as a response to the anonymous suggestion that I previously thought was a good idea...anonymous accusations would not be taken very seriously in my opinion, and would be a waste of time. But again, as I said, that can always be an option in the future if need be.

OK, well thank you to everyone for your responses. I just had a long talk with my dad about this, and remembering back to nursing school....it took awhile before we were able to pass meds, and even then, the instructor was with us. And it is not as if you have a patient's life completely in your hands when you start clinicals (or even in your last semester of clinicals)...there is always someone watching over you to some extent. As far gone in his addiction J is (and yes, he is, despite all of you saying that I have no idea what he is doing), the people who are saying he probably won't even make it to class/clinicals are more than likely right. So I am done thinking about J or this situation. I am not going to say anything to the school. Even if he miraculously makes it through nursing school, I don't see how he can get, or keep, a job. At least I always can in the future say something if for some reason I can't get this off my conscience. Again, thanks for your polite, well-worded and thought-out opinions!

It is perfectly fine if I get a response opposite of what I originally thought I should do. And this is why I am asking if I should do anything...I don't know if it would make any difference, and I want to see what others think. And once again, I went to the same school and do not remember ever being drug tested, while I do remember being tested at all my other nursing/nursing aide jobs. Why are people on this forum so rude sometimes? You don't know me or my motives...why just assume that I am some horrible person trying to get attention? Do people just like being hostile and mean? You can tell me you think I shouldn't contact the school without being so argumentative about it. Sorry for interrupting your day.

I also believe in karma. Anonymously sounds like a good plan. And not even saying his name gives them the opportunity to drug test everyone (since as I said, I don't remember being tested when starting school there, but that could just be my memory failing). And the way J is heading, I want to drop the situation and any involvement as quickly as possible. Thanks for the advice. :)

I know, I have been tested at every hospital job I have had. 'Funny' side note...the only job I have *not* been drug tested for was a home health position. How a place who has nurses in patients' homes and driving around on their own does not drug test people is beyond me. Needless to say, that company had many other issues and I did not stick around long.

As the wife of a (now recovering) addict, I have learned that I am not a co-dependent. My concern has nothing to do with J and wanting to get him clean, or my gain in this. My only "mission" is to possibly prevent future harm to patients; I do not at all understand how any of this is "self-serving" or what I stand to gain in this. I am not "bent" on an agenda and wanting "validation." I simply have my opinion on what I should do and am trying to find others' opinions to decide if what I think is correct or not. Also, the F/F people are not experts that I talked with, they are simply other friends/family like myself. I apologize for coming to a board to ask for opinions on a difficult situation and apparently pushing some button with you.

He has admitted to doing everything I have said. I am 100% sure he has relapsed. He and my husband are (were) quite close. He was drinking in front of my husband, his girlfriend has found his needles and heroin & has seen him doing pills and drinking, and he has admitted to doing heroin, alcohol and pills on a daily basis.

Thanks, I agree. And for anyone who knows anything about drug addiction, keeping things a secret is one of the most powerful tools an addict has in continuing to use.

I have tried to remember if I was drug tested when I started school there, but I can't remember. I do remember being drug tested at all my other hospital jobs, so I am thinking I was not tested when starting nursing school. I am sure they have the right to drug test, which is why I think I should let them know, so they can test someone they otherwise might not.

Hi guys: I have already asked this question on the Friends/Family of Addicts forum I belong to, so I thought I would get your opinion as well. My husband is a 3 1/2 years clean, recovering addict. His good friend (I'll call him J), who he met in AA, recently got accepted into nursing school for this coming fall 2011. J was clean for 3 years when he relapsed this past fall 2010 (heroin, pills, alcohol). J continues to use, is refusing to go into rehab, and as far as I know plans to start nursing school in the fall, clean/sober or not. I have three main concerns: 1. the waiting list is very long and he will be taking a spot from someone who would better take advantage of the program, 2. J will be impaired and having patient contact, and I worry about the patients he may be responsible for, 3. At some point he will have access to narcotics that he will be able to steal. Now, the F/F of Addicts people mostly just said to let the situation be, and that J would fail out on his own anyways. But I feel as if I should contact the nursing school to let them know (I went to the same nursing school). Because who knows how long it will take him to fail on his own, and how many patients/narcotics he will have contact with, besides the fact that someone else will have to wait another semester to get into the program if he takes the spot. So what do you all think? Should I contact the school? (Feel free to move this to another forum topic; I didn't think it fit great in the Nurses in Recovery forum since he is not yet a nurse, or in recovery). Thanks everyone! Vanessa

I second the tackle box idea. Mine is actually not a typcial large tacklebox that can fit a sharps container. I found it at walmart near the fishing stuff. It is a flat, clear plastic box (kinda looks like the boxes for beads found in craft sections). But the nicest thing about it is that it has customizable dividers. You can move them around to create openings the size you want. Works perfectly for my lab tubes, alcohol swipes, tourniquets, 2x2s, syringes, and lab bags.

I currently work at CCF main campus, driving from Elyria. Here are what I think are good and bad points: 1. Yes, white uniforms. I really do hate them. Haha. I definitely think it is a good idea to have everyone dress the same. It helps patients to identify who is who, but I do not like the white. It is impossible to keep clean. I don't know what other color I think would be better, but white is not a great choice IMO. PCNA's (aides) wear hunter green, respiratory wears dark blue, lab techs wears grey or red. 2. A lot of people on my floor do rotate shifts, and a lot of people (from what I hear) don't get three 12s right away. I was a PCNA on the floor before I got my RN, and my boss was willing to give me three 12s. I work straight nights. Although I don't love working until 7am, I cannot get up early enough for a 7am shift! :) 3. Everyone on my floor is really nice and helpful. Most everyone was so willing and eager to help me through my first few months. And we all still help each other a lot. 4. We can very often be understaffed on nights. Some nights we are staffed really well, and things go really smoothly. But on the nights we aren't staffed well, things can be awful. Somehow, someone in staffing seems to think that having 9 patients is OK. It probably would be fine on nights if it weren't for all the chart checks/24 hour notes that accompany night shift nursing. But hey, some floors are definitely staffed better than others, and staffing can be an issue at any hospital. 5. The great reputation (number 4 in the country) can be good and bad. It is good that it does rank so high, but can be bad whenever patients/families expect everything to be perfect. Issues happen just like any other hospital, and some people don't always understand that. 6. HR. As someone mentioned before, HR always seems to be great. Very helpful and quick. Parking at HR is AWFUL though. They have, like, 3-5 spaces for "applicants" and typically the whole parking lot including those spaces is full. When I went in to do my initial paperwork, I had to park in the bank, and was afraid the whole time I was getting towed. 7. Employee parking. It's getting better. The got rid of the municipal lot (like, 6 miles away), which apparently had terrible busing times. Sometimes taking 30 minutes + to get to your car. You only pay for parking if you want a garage or close lot to be your primary parking. My primary parking is a lot that is sorta far away (but still only about a 10-15 minute walk) that I pay nothing for. There are shuttles that run pretty frequently. And if you park in a further lot, you have a garage you are also assigned to where you can park when you work nights or weekends or holidays. 8. Little things are nice, like on Thanksgiving (and I think Christmas and some other days) they give everyone working that day a coupon for a free Thanksgiving dinner in the cafe. It wasn't home cooking, but was still really good, and appreciated! 9. You do have to stay in your position for a year before an internal transfer. I've heard of other hospitals being only 6 months. I think some circumstances, they will let you change positions sooner, but I am not sure. I can't think of anything else I want to add now. If I do, I'll add it later. Let me know if you have any questions! :), Vanessa