Pt sat on the edge of the bed with a menu on his lap in "roll-a-joint" position.". He quickly removed "something" from the menu and placed it into his cigarette packet, which he then tucked away under the pillow on his bed. He then placed the menu on his table and sat back in the bed.
What I did not see:
Marijuana. Rolling papers.
What I know about the Pt:
Active AIDS. Cancer. Goes outside to smoke in his WC a lot. Enjoys IV morphine, Ambien, Ativan, and Norcos a little too much. He's a clock-watcher. Once smoked a cigarette in the BR of his hospital room while under the care of another nurse.
What I said:
Hey, it's a shame your doc cannot write you a prescription for "that," as I pointed to his packet of cigarettes. I give "it" here in the hospital in a capsule-form called "dronabinol." We discussed legalization of marijuana. I stated that he must not smoke in his room due the risk of fire, the fact that smoking is obviously not allowed within the grounds of the hospital.
What I did not say:
Hey, I see that you are rolling a joint with marijuana there.
What he did not say:
Yes, I was rolling a joint with marijuana.
My reaction and action taken upon the above discovery:
Nothing further than the above description of my implied knowledge of what he was up to and a genuine discussion of my true feelings towards legalization.
I'm just curious as to whether anyone else has experienced such an occurrence, anyone else's feelings towards this incident, and anyone's opinions on whether I acted well having been faced with this "ethical dilemma."
