Weed and Nursing School! Help!!!

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Last year I was enrolled in a 2 year nursing program that I did very well at. I was top 3 of my class and never missed a day of school or clinicals. Unfortunately I was stupid enough to smoke weed every once in a while and I got drug tested and kicked out. I honestly don't need anyone to put me down, I've done that enough myself. The problem is that my transcript says noncompliance of school policies. I have applied for a school already and they seen this and asked me to write a paper about what it was about. I did lie because I was afraid to say that I smoked weed.I said that there was a personal conflict between a coworker and I concerning confidentiality (my town is small and everyone knows everyone). My question is, has anyone got in trouble for smoking weed and then got accepted to another school? Or any advice on how to get accepted?!?

Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

Why would you lie? Definitely not helping your case...

Last year I was enrolled in a 2 year nursing program that I did very well at. I was top 3 of my class and never missed a day of school or clinicals. Unfortunately I was stupid enough to smoke weed every once in a while and I got drug tested and kicked out. I honestly don't need anyone to put me down, I've done that enough myself. The problem is that my transcript says noncompliance of school policies. I have applied for a school already and they seen this and asked me to write a paper about what it was about. I did lie because I was afraid to say that I smoked weed.I said that there was a personal conflict between a coworker and I concerning confidentiality (my town is small and everyone knows everyone). My question is, has anyone got in trouble for smoking weed and then got accepted to another school? Or any advice on how to get accepted?!?
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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

People ARE giving you advice---stop lying! You can't improve your future if you don't be honest about the past.

I guess I should have added that I don't smoke weed anymore. That was enough of a consequence. I am looking for help to improve my future, not ridicule.
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The problem is that the schools want me to write a letter on why I have a dismissal for non compliance with school policy... And all of the applications ask if I've been to nursing school before and I don't know if they are able to see if I went to one if I omit the transcript

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Dont lie. If caught will destroy your chances. Be honest and if you had some way to prove you have been clean that would help your case. Good luck

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

Yes there is a centralized database especially if you accessed financial aid so if you "forgot" to list other schools it's likely you will be caught. If you used a detox, NA, or other treatment regime ask for assistance in explaining your history and subsequent rehab from a counselor, sponsor or peer that likely experienced something similar.

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Things might be more tracked now- but I went to college/nursing school without a high school diploma... Sometimes the only person who checks on these things is you...

I would find out what records the school has, are they allowed to disclose them to other schools without your permission? Do you need to put down what other schools you went to if you aren't transferring the nursing credits?

Many questions that you need to ask to see if you would be telling a lie, or just telling what needs to be told.

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Specializes in Leadership, Psych, HomeCare, Amb. Care.

Believe it or not, healthcare is a small world. I've applied for jobs, and run into people 15-20 years earlier. Remember that many nursing instructors work for more than one school, so unless you are going to go to school in a totally different geographic area, there is a risk involved.

if you falsify your application, and it is discovered, you can be dismissed, even if you're almost done.

you were dismissed for pot smoking, not academic dishonesty or harming a patient

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

Despite the insistence of others if you utilized financial aid in your previous education you are listed in the national student loan database of you received a loan or a federal grant.

There are rumors of others but I was referring to the database from the USDoE. If you used financial aid, it will be listed. As far as being honest nursing is a small world and you risk someone at the new school or a clinical site knowing your past dismissal. The choice is yours to determine if benefit outweighs risk.

https://www.nslds.ed.gov/

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You live and learn. The most important thing is that you learn. Being human, we all make mistakes. What's important is what we do with those mistakes, how we grow from them, and what we decide to do in the future. Marijuana is a plant that has medicinal value, however, we fall into a gap where through historical misinformation, the creation of a war on drugs that we helped to create, politics, etc. it's been relegated to being a Class I drug with the DEA (ranked higher than even Meth, I learned today which is crazysauce). Although I believe this, we still have to live under the regulations that exist. For me, when I have worked with others, kids and adults, and a mistake has occurred, I always ask what did you learn from it? What have you done to make yourself a better person? How have you tried to help others with the learnings you came away with? It's not beneficial to beat yourself up, but it's also not beneficial to indulge yourself in denial or use fear to control your actions. Being honest takes courage. Sometimes when I'm not sure what the best thing to for myself is, I pretend that I have a friend with the same predicament and I try to be a friend to myself. Be courageous. Be honest. Consider what you would want to hear from someone else. (Don't know about you, but I always prefer the straight truth to any dishonesty). As providers and professionals, professional accountability is really important. This is a really good tie-in to consider how you live your personal life can affect your future professional life. Be compassionate to yourself - if you were compassionate to yourself, you might find the courage to be honest with others. I don't 'think' most schools care if you've done something wrong. (Humans are imperfect). They care about whether you righted that wrong and what you did with it. That shows maturity. Hope that makes sense.

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If the second school finds out you lied in your essay, that will be worse for you than if you had just been honest about the pot in the first place. They will definitely not accept you. And where did you get the idea that other schools are "not allowed" to confirm your record with your previous school? Nursing education is an even smaller "club" than general nursing is, and I pretty much guarantee you that someone at the second school knows someone at your old school and will check with that person to find out what happened, even if it's unofficial. People talk. Get used to that.

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So, did you already submit your paper including your lie about why you were kicked out of the previous nursing program? If not, don't submit it. Trash it. Write your paper on the honest reason. Explain that is was a mistake, why you did it, and what you have learned from the experience. Also include what you plan to do differently this time around (better coping skills? better friends to hang out with? etc.) so that you do not make the same mistake twice. Show that you have grown from this experience and found a way to better yourself from it. If they find out you lied on your submission to them you surely will not be accepted. Best of luck.

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
They are not allowed to verify it with the school. All they are allowed to know is what is on the transcript. That is why they asked me to write the paper on what happened. (Not that it matters, because I don't plan on trying to lie about it again)I don't even plan on applying to that school again but I do want to apply for other schools. I'm just trying to find out if anyone else has gotten kicked out of school for smoking weed but got accepted to another school after. Note: I quit smoking over a year ago. Should I just give up or should I apply and hope for the best?

I didn't get kicked out of school for smoking weed but I almost got kicked out of nursing for being a drug addict and alcoholic. I have been sober many years and my record with the BON in my state has been expunged but I did have to explain the little matter of a 3 year hiatus in my career while I worked on myself and my recovery. I too live in a small town and know lots of people and facilities. The Hospital system I worked for will never hire me again as they see me as a liability risk even though I never diverted narcotics or was impaired on the job. Since I couldn't rely on they for a reference I basically threw myself on the mercy of a prospective employer told the whole sordid story and begged for a job. The DON who was interviewing me said "Feel better now? She hired me on the spot!" I worked there for 6 years then left for 6 years and went back there just last April."

In your case if this comes up again I would be honest and just tell the story - that you foolishly smoked some weed and tested positive and was kick out of the program. That you have seen the error of your ways and stopped smoking weed. Chalk it up to youthful indiscretion and see what happens. Most people do recognize that we are human beings after-all.

Good luck to you.

Hppy

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