llgrn1987

I've taken everyone's advice. I have read every post but I am also working 6-7 days a week (camp Nurse). My last day off was more than 14 days ago. The outcome is that I am working on the situation. I assure you I take this very seriously. I am not running nor am I leaving patients unprotected. The situation is being handled using the public and private advice given. I don't think that there is any more angles to look at. I have my advice and my decision on the situation. Please close the thread. Lori

No, it just means that she has poor judgement, doesn't mind breaking federal law,has an addictive behavior and deals with other people who have no problem breaking federal laws, and doesn't mind edangering her health for "fun" (remember Len Bias, anyone?) doesn't mind risking getting those around her into trouble-And it stands to reason, if she's CARRYING around a BIG BAG of coke, she's doing it more than once in a while. You need to think about what you are saying here. I'm with Gromit. Actually if I did report her I risk losing my friend as he WILL side with her. It's a known fact. It's a given. Yes, it is true I would not be upset in the least if she was away from him but only due to her drug use and his past history. Other than this I have no problem with thier relationship at all. In a lot of ways she is good for him or at least makes him happy and when he is happy I am happy. There are other problems but this is not what drives my consern over the drugs. The other stuff is minor compared to this. She IS hooking my friend on this drug. He lived with me for a year and while he was a pot smoker, coke never entered the picture. He has an addictive personality and will become addicted to the coke easily. He used to take hydrocodones and became hooked for a while. I am not a drug user so his ability was limited. Put two drug users together and it's a train wreck. Mind you this is not a lover situation. He is pure friend. I am happily married. I have no motive to want to see him break up with this girl other than the fact she is a drug user. Telling on her would backfire on me and I would lose him. It would not effect their relationship at all except to ignite fire between all of us. He approves of her behavior. When they did it in front of me, she had the coke, handed it to him and he cut the lines like a pro. I have never seen him do that before. The nurse in me sees my patients or any patient as priority. I would not want a coke abuser taking care of me in an ICU. Lori

Who was/is Len Bias? She works nights.. as we all have. What if she is tired and needs a little pick me up. What happens if she got no sleep or little sleep during the day. Coke can get her through the night and who would know. I am with you and everything you just said. She has poor judgement. Lori

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> i do have problems with her but they are all associated with her coke use. i have been told by my friend that she has lost control of her temper enough to put 4 holes in her walls due to a binge night with the powder. she weighs about 90 pounds so for her to have put 4 holes at one time into her wall says she did enough to be impaired pretty badly. she once threw my friend out after a night of coke. his response to this was... don't worry. she will go get an 8 ball and everything will be fine. that scares me. other than her coke use i have nothing much to say about her. she has an abusive history from step fathers (5 of them). the fact she mixes her drugs with no consern to the effects on any body system is her problem. heck, i have my acls. i can do cpr. my first impression of her was not bad. up until the point she broke out the bag of coke i had some red flags just by what i was told but if i had to judge her myself i would say she was a nice person. i have seen her drink for about 12 hours straight enough alcohol to knock out the best of them but she remained standing. i haven't made up my mind about the situation. my intensions are not pure at this point. she is getting my friend hooked and that clouds my judgement a bit so your point is well taken. i haven't worked with her professionally nor have i witnessed her working impaired so to "snitch" at this point may look vendictive. this is not my intention. recreational drugs do not bother me. if they are controled. my fear is that since she has become uncontroled in her personal life what is it like in her professional life. as someone mentioned... would i want a coke addict working on one of my family members in an icu. my answer is no. lori

I tend to be a smart ass when I am comfortable with a patient so I can make them laugh. I think this last one is a keeper because I get asked this a lot. Lori

The smell of bloody stool! BLAAAAA Lori

I wouldn't either and this is why I am so upset over the situation. I wish she could see this thread. There probably isn't a professional or patient out there that would approve of her behavior in or out of the hospital. Would you believe she dreams of becoming a NP. Can you imagine her with perscription privledges. Lori

She isn't in my state. This is why I have only met her twice. I have such mixed feelings and in my heart everything everyone has said today makes 100% sence. This woman works as a travel nurse. When she isn't traveling she is only a per diem worker for an agency. Knowing how agencies work I doubt they will put the effort into her. They will just stop calling her for cases. I am moving to their state shortly. Her company is based out of the state I am living in. I don't work with her yet. The company she works for has been in hot pursuit recruiting me. I am interested but it means that I could potentially bump into her professionally once I move to her state. She works ICU and I am changing speciality areas from Obstetrics to Cardiology. They just left for a travel job and will be gone for 13 weeks. Right now I am not really associating with them due to about 100 reasons all leading to her. It doesn't make me love my friend any less. For him I'll always be there but have decided to wait for him to contact me before I initiate contact with him again. When I move and get put into the position where I have to work with her I will deal with it. I am hoping that given this is a train wreck in the make the wreck happens sooner rather than later and I'll be free to do the right thing. This way I can help him pick up the pieces and move on. If this relationship results in marriage I can't see my friendship with him continuting and I can just have happy memories of the way he used to be. Thank you everyone. I just found this forum and I am already impressed. It's been a long time since I have been active in Nursing. I went into Vet medicine and will be returning to the field once I move. I miss my profession. It's something I am very proud of. Even though I went in another direction for a while I always think of myself as a Nurse first. Lori

I've only met her twice. It was on the second meeting that she did this. I do know that in the first month that they were dating they got into a fight and she put 4 holes in the wall with her fist. My friend is blind as a bat and compleatly, utterly gaga over this woman. She is young and cute. He has a long history of falling for the wrong type and getting hurt. I have no doubt this relationship will not last forever. This woman's mother was divorced 5 times, she is already divorced once. She has a history of alcohol abuse, smokes pot, cigerettes and her perfered drug is coke. Did you ever see a speeding train about to hit a loved one. There is nothing I can do about the relationship. He will choose her over me in a flash. He is that far taken with her. At this point talking to him is a waste of time. I hate to say this but he did it with her. Same drugs, same alcohol etc so they both don't think what they are doing is wrong. I am going to end up losing him as a friend because of this situation with her but he will be back once he is hurt. I am just so upset I needed to vent. Lori

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Approaching her is not an option. It will be viewed as a threat. This is a seriously disturbed person and my friend is compleatly taken by her. I agree it was really stupid of her to do it in front of me as I am moving into her area and we will probably run into each other professionally. I have discussed this with my friend (at length) and he doesn't see it as a problem. What they do in the privacy of their own home is their business. I thought it was very rude to have done it in front of me especially knowing I am against it. I am angry about being put in this situation. I almost feel as if it was a friendship test. How can I trust her with narcotic keys? I have read up on Coke abuse and the effects of mixing it with alcohol and the more I read the more scared I get. Now I feel like I have to choose between someone I love very much and do not want to loose as a friend and a professional situation that I know can effect the lives of others if she makes a drug induced mistake. I really wish that that hospitals drug tested more often. This would take the pressure off of me as she would be caught on her own. Drug abuse in the medical profession is a rising problem. It is so easy to substitute saline or dilute down pain meds especially in an ICU situation where pain meds are used so frequently and patients are often unaware of surroundings. This situation is bothering me so much that I have dreams about it at night. Lori Lori

A very close male friend has a new girlfriend. She is an ICU nurse. I have only met her twice and my friend states he is in love with her. I have a big big problem. The last time we went out she broke out a bag of coke. She admitted to me she had a drinking problem as a young teen. From what I saw she still has it. She did mix coke and alcohol that night. My friend told me she doesn't do coke on the days she works. I don't know if I believe that or not. I know where she works. I know her Director. If I tell even without using my name they will know it's me. I will loose my friend who means the world to me, but the ethical and professional in me is giving me the kick. It's been bothering me for a long time. I would like some other opinions before I make up my mind. I know what I should do and I know what will happen if I do it. HELP. Lori