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Many posters here indicate that their employer or potential employer is using information from a drug screen to discriminate against them because of medical issues... That's illegal!! If it has honestly happened to you, then you should protest. An employer only has the right to know if you are physically able to perform the job you have been offered. Not if you have high blood pressure, chronic back problems, or if you take narcotics for pain, etc... UNLESS those physical problems can cause safety concerns in the performance of your job. Even then, a hiring manager should only recieve a report stating that you are not physically qualified for the job... Release of your medical records to a hiring manager is a violation of your privacy!!! It's none of their business what's wrong with you... They only need to know if you can or if you can't do the job... The American's with Disabilities Act was passed to prevent such discrimination against workers who have medical problems, yet can still be productive employees. As a matter of fact, if you can do the "essential functions" of the job you are offered with "reasonable accommodations" then you still can't be excluded from employment based on your physical condition alone... For example, if your facility has lift assist devices to move patients, and you have a bad back, then the use of this device is considered a "reasonable accommodation". I'm not suggesting that discrimination doesn't happen... I'm just sayin' it aint right!

Be careful, I had it done and couldn't walk for a whole year!!! But than again I was a newborn... Sorry, just had to...:chuckle

Toadly, Thanks for the insight! Very informative, but even more than that very open and honest. My prayers are with you. I think this forum should be open to anyone who has an opinion, especially an educated opinion, such as a medical professional or someone with personal experience with a disease or disorder. Agree or not, offended or not, if we open our minds we can learn from each other. Let's call it patient/caregiver communication - "It's a good thing". Yes, sometimes we see humor in situations that are really quite serious, and we vent in this forum. It's one of our many coping mechanisms. It is an outlet to vent, and distance ourselves from the harsh reality of life, jobs, and all too often death. I don't think Toadly was criticizing anyone's position here, just venting his experience, and perhaps coping with his circumstances. Most of all educating! For that I am grateful! George

Hi dcarp, I agree with Sharon. It's hard to put a number on what a case load should be, because just like any patient load, acuity has to (or at least should be) factored in. My company splits these into two distinct jobs... Either you are a case manager, or you are a clinic nurse. It's difficult to juggle the two aspects, and do a good job on both of them. George

Without trying to judge anyone's personal views, can I just ask a couple of questions please? How can anyone look at the natural world and all of it's inter-related complexities, and not believe that there is a God? Can people really believe that all of creation was the result of some hap-hazard event? That a mixture of gasses under the right circumstances underwent a "Big Bang" and life came to be? One of the laws of nature (The Second Law of Thermodynamics) is that matter tends to go from a state of organization toward a state of total disorganization... Big Bang would tell you to believe the opposite. Like... "let's pour all these nuts and bolts on the floor, and when we come back, we'll have a Mercedes"... Again, I'm not trying to judge anyone, I just don't see how people can not see that there's a bigger power involved here!

May I recommend to anyone who is having financial problems, or if you just need a little advice, listen to Dave Ramsey. He's a little over the top for some folks, but he preaches sound financial advice... To find a local station in your area that carries his show, look on his web page... http://www.daveramsey.com It's not rocket science. Dave describes his teaching a plain old common sense, the same as your grandmother gave, only he keeps his teeth in! My wife and I are currently using his plan to reduce our debt, and be better stewards of God's money. God bless!

I'm here in Upstate SC... Charleston is my second facorite place to visit... I love the mountains first! George

Like others have said, nursing is no different that any other part of life... Treat those around you with respect. When in school, focus on learning. When at work, focus on getting your work done. If you are concerned that you will be distracted by the gender of your classmates or co-workers, then you may need to do some carefull consideration about your career path. Just my $0.02

I was working in ICU when one of our nurses gets on the phone and calls out to the telemetry floor. Acts as if he is from a funeral home which had just come for a deceased patient of one of the "less experienced" nurses on the tele floor... Gets her on the phone and procedes to tell her about the funeral home requirements to verify that the body is dead before they can process it for burial... He tells her that he put the supposedly dead man on a heart monitor, and he's in a sinus rhythm... She freaked... "But, but, but... he was dead".... "Ma'am, I don't know what he was there, but he's still tickin' down here. I'm afraid someone is gonna have to come take care of this man." She finally caught on, since there were a few onlookers rolling on the floor laughing... George

I have personal experience with the "merit system" of pay raises. You are right to be skeptics. It basically boiled down to the fact that no matter how good an employee you were, there is still a finite quantity of funding to be spread amongst the worker bees. While they tell you that the range is for example, "potentially up to a 10% increase", the part they don't tell you is that this scenario is only if they give it all to one person, and the rest do without. The result, is that because of limited funds, and the fact that "every employee contributes fairly equally", you all get about the same thing. The range from top to bottom was usually 5.0% down to 3.5%... Well, let me tell you, if you're bustin' your tale takin' care of patients, while some prima donna is filin' her nails, the 1.5% difference doesn't quite cut it!!! George

WOW... what a topic, and what a variety of thoughts on pot and ETOH... Here's one more thought... Personally I find myself as a person who needs to be in control. Not of people, or situations, but of myself, my words, and my actions. To use or abuse these substances which could alter my ability to maintain that control does not apeal to me. This has nothing to do with whose time I'm on, or any privacy issues... this is anywhere and anytime!! I personally find it very offensive when others lose that self control as well. It comes across as juvenile and lacking intelligence. I don't care if you're a rocket scientist, if you lose the ability to control yourself, either physically, mentally, or emotionally, because of a desire to "get high", then you lose mega IQ points in my book! George

Two quick comments: 1) Basically this is a polarized topic... I don't think there is any middle ground. There are those of us who see this as being cut and dry... We can't understand the rationale, no matter how hard it is argued, that pot is ok. For us, it's wrong simply because it is logically wrong. On the other end of the spectrum, are the pot proponents. They will always argue that it's no one's business what they do on their time. Perhaps they feel that they have an inate ability to control the effects of the drug. It's almost like the drunk who insists on driving, because "they aren't as think as you drunk they are" hiccup!! hiccup!! 2) To all the comments about practice acts... I wonder how many recreational users even knew what their states NP act said when they go their license??? Good day all, George

I'm ok with that... thisnurse, you are right about alcohol... it can be just as bad, and often worse than other drugs... I guess one difference is that alcohol is regulated. It has to meet certain standards. You know the alcohol content of your beverage of choice... Pot is "like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get"... And your point about other "silly" laws is well taken. Not everything that is law makes sense, however I don't see drug laws as legislating morality, as much as I see them as a protection against a danger. Are we on target with all "evil products"? No, hence we still allow tobacco sales... I guess my problem is that I have never understood anyone's need or desire to "get high"... To me it is an indicator of an underlying problem in their life. Maslow didn't include getting high on his heirarchy. I think the need to get high is to numb the pain of not fulfilling some of the higher needs that Maslow points toward... perhaps love, or self-fulfillment. Just my sober opinion... George

Let's put the issues of impairment, health effects, compromised patient care, whetever, aside for a minute. Let's just look at the fact that it's illegal... Maybe I'm a little overboard, but where do we draw the line on what's OK? If you don't agree with a law, you just do what you want? It's not hurting anyone, right?? WRONG... Our society is set up and structured for a reason. OK, let's throw out all the laws that we don't like... I'm not paying taxes anymore... And, I'll be helping myself to your car whenever I want, because I don't believe that stealing is wrong. I mean why should you have something nicer that I have? Laws are in place to protect society, and it's structure. Just because everyone can't see the BIG picture of why we have certain laws, doesn't mean that we should ignore the ones we don't like... George

I just want to take the time to say congratulations, and I'm sorry, to all of you who went through such torment from your former spouses. I can't imagine someone being so cruel and insecure that they would resort to such tactics. It's a self-fulfilling prophesy when you fear a negative outcome so much that you make it happen through your own actions... These men had severe underlying insecurities. I went through torment during and after nursing school, but nothing as severe as some of you ladies... My ex-wife was so insecure... absolutely convinced that I was cheating with classmates... even accused me of inappropriate "activities" with an instructor... After school, it was my co-workers she was jealous of... It really tore down the foundation of our relationship... TRUST! There was nothing going on, but because she kept accusing, I realized that "if she doesn't trust me, how can she love me?"... We were divorced about 2 years after I graduated... Re-married now for almost 10 months, and I have never been happier... Same as many of you have already posted, we are equal partners, ready and willing to face anything that comes our way. Together, and with faith in God, we can do anything. George