Why SHOULDN'T one smoke in Amsterdam?

Faeriewand, ASN, RN · Jul 23, 2006

At my school you have to pass a drug test before they let you in. They don't advertise it. you don't know until you go for orientation. No problem here. But if you smoked and then went to start school it might turn into a problem.

StNeotser, ASN, RN · Jul 23, 2006

:yeahthat:
Nursing schools can be WAY WAY more conservative/strict and act on very little information. I had a friend kicked out for having the odor of alcohol on her in class, negative BAL but had drank the night before (ok, not smart, but really?). I wouldn't even tell anyone you were going to Amsterdam

Why doesn't this surprise me? :uhoh3: I'll bet one of the other students told on her.

Anyhow, if I lived in Amsterdam I'd do it because most European countries find all this drug testing a violation of their civil rights. However, you sound like you're posting from the Land of the Free where one is free until one fails a drug test.

nursetina05 · Jul 23, 2006

I know the school I went to did random screening and one girl got kick out of the program for a positive test. With that said...it will show up for 30 days with urine and 6 months in a hair sample...think about it. Enjoy your trip whatever you decide to do!!

raynefall · Jul 23, 2006

Are you serious? I say to each her/his own...but I wouldn't parade it around on a website like this. If you're going to do it, keep hush about it.

Exactly, no one has to know your business.

Antikigirl, ASN, RN · Jul 23, 2006

Okay you can get random drug screens yes, but heck...just being in one of those cafes will get you high! So be aware! Also, there are different potencies and mixes in the pot there, some laced with things...so be aware.

With that in mind comes my second serious warning. If you are not very tolerant to drugs you can really get the high going on strong in very little time with very little amount! That is scary for two reasons...one, some people will target folks like that that are high and rip them off or worse. AND...you can also loose your control over your inhibitions and do something wrong and get into serious trouble...now that stays on your perm record and that is what will really be hard to fix if you are trying to get into RN school or just for your RN license!!! Criminal records are big time bad news and can ban you from licensure!!!

So that makes me in the mindset that it isn't worth it (in my book anyway). Drugs hurt the physical, and mental...you can get hurt or ripped off...and you can get a perm criminal record...ummmm that is three big risks for a day of high!

I say to each his own also...but like others have said...I would certainly not tell some folks about any 'fun' you had in Amsterdam..specifically anyone involved in your RN or obtaining your RN! Keep that for your close friends or family....

Have fun though..wish I could go to Europe! There is plenty to do there without getting high I hear...take advantage of that!!!!!

WVUturtle514 · Jul 23, 2006

If you are not very tolerant to drugs you can really get the high going on strong in very little time with very little amount! That is scary for two reasons...one, some people will target folks like that that are high and rip them off or worse. AND...you can also loose your control over your inhibitions and do something wrong and get into serious trouble...now that stays on your perm record and that is what will really be hard to fix if you are trying to get into RN school or just for your RN license!!! Criminal records are big time bad news and can ban you from licensure!!!

Alcohol does this too.....does that mean that nurses shouldn't be allowed to legally drink in their free time?

(BTW....I'm playing devil's advocate here...)

Antikigirl, ASN, RN · Jul 23, 2006

Actually, I did mention something about alcohol in the unedited vs before I sent it but it made the post too long! LOL!!!!!

Drinking can do the exact same things as drug use too! And a bit more sneeky because it is legal. I have seen people get into big trouble with a night on the town and get a license suspension awaiting an investigation about what happened.

One friend got so drunk (a nurse and a firefighter), and chose to drive home. When pulled over they faught the police and oh brother..BIG TIME TROUBLE. They may loose both jobs perm!!!!! Not worth it!

And yes..the physical and mental damage of alcohol is well documented and the info is out there much more readily in fact than the use of pot. And let me be frank here, I would much rather deal with a person high on pot than a alcohol induced pt...pot tends to make you a bit more friendly and cooperative where as ETOH is typically an instant uncooperative/embarrising/uninhibited/violent state of buzz!).

I am not condoning either really, but heck..I drink beer and wine (had some last night infact! LOL!), and I do it in moderation and typically at home and never drive with even one beer onboard. I also have a personal rule never to even have one if I work within 24 hours.

As far as pot...not my thing. I don't do it at all. But...I did work volunteer at indoor/outdoor concerts and let me tell ya, running in the middle of a mosh pit to get a patient...you just got high from breathing! LOL!!!!!!

CritterLover, BSN, RN · Jul 23, 2006

beacuse it is illegal here, even though it is legal there.

if you test positive, using the argument "i wasn't doing anything illegal at the time; i was in amsterdam" isn't going to get you anywhere. first, you would never be able to prove you had smoked in amsterdam but not here; second, i doubt they would care even if you could. thc is fat soluble and stays around for a long time. is ruining a potential career worth it to you?

jyoung1950 · Jul 23, 2006

Boy, am I out of it! I thought you were talking about cigarettes, forgetting that Amsterdam allows marijuana smoking!

Ah-hah, now I get it!

I guess like someone else said, drug tests. I have heard pot stays in the system about a month.

rach_nc_03 · Jul 23, 2006

Alcohol does this too.....does that mean that nurses shouldn't be allowed to legally drink in their free time?
(BTW....I'm playing devil's advocate here...)

:yeahthat:

This has ALWAYS been my beef with the attitude towards pot in the US. But that's beside the point.

I have two points to make.

1. Participating in an activity that's legal in one area but *illegal* in another area makes the activity, IMO, irrelevant in that second area. Let's say you go to Holland and hire a prostitute, which is totally legal there. Your classmate does the same thing in Charlotte, NC and gets arrested and convicted. When you both apply for jobs at the same hospital, he/she has to report his conviction, and you have nothing to report, as you didn't commit a crime.

While you were in Holland, let's say you went to a cafe and bought some pot, smoked it, and had a great time (maybe with the prostitute). This happened, let's say, six months before you applied for the job, so all traces of the drug are out of your system. Your classmate bought some pot and smoked it with the prostitute, but was convicted of drug possession. Ding on him/her, another charge.

To me, the bottom line is that legal is legal, period. That being said, drug use in a country where the drug is legal creates logistical problems when you apply to a job and/or nursing school here. If you want to do it (and that's well within your rights), be sure you understand the clearance of the drug from your system. THC clearance is different from person to person. Regular smokers will have a positive urine screen for longer than those who only smoke it once. There are many, many websites that cover this in-depth, and I suggest you research the topic before making a decision. Also, I'd personally call the school(s) in question and ask what type of drug screening they perform. If they won't tell you (which I think is stupid), see if you can find a current or former student to tell you. If they do a simple urine drug screen, you can buy a home drug testing kit and find out if you're clean or not.

2. Here's a list of completely legal activities that can impair a nurse's performance:

- Heavy drinking off-duty (I know a LOT of nurses who will drink to excess on Saturday night and work the next day with a monster hangover- then brag to friends about how drunk they got last night)

- Many prescription and non-prescription drugs (I've seen a nurse make a med error when she was zoned out on benadryl- her own words)

- Getting too little sleep (a HUGE problem, and why I hated working 3 consecutive 12 hour shifts)

- Being emotionally distracted by a personal crisis

Smoking pot in Amsterdam two months before starting nursing school isn't going to affect your performance. Period. (I don't know the timing of your trip, but my point remains the same.) All of the things I listed above will do so. In every situation, you have to use your own best judgement.

Regardless of what you decide, have a great time on your trip!

Busy20yo · Jul 23, 2006

Rac nc o3- great post. The urine test ins't a concern at all for me. Its the hair test i'm a little more worried about... I'm not sure if that should even be a concern as i wont be in the program for at LEAST 8 months....

THANK YOU GUYS/GALS SOOOOO much for your time!!!

First, let me clear something up- I'm a VERY strong minded individual. I don't fall into peer-pressure, and i have NO urges to try controlled substances. I have broken many bones, and been issued many bottles of Tylenol W/Codine as well as Vicoden(sp). Off all those bottles, i've probably only taken 5 pills TOTAL, and that was simply because the pain was unbearable. I've worked around people that smoked around me EVERY DAY after work, and i never touched it...

I have no urge to experiment either... I just figure it would be a once in a lifetime experience, and its kinda part of traveling there for some.

ALSO, i am on the waiting list for the program right now. I will be IN the program in one year, and will become an RN in 3. I dont think it would be possible for THC to show up in a year from now...would it? I'm just trying to think things through first, but I'm starting to think i should just enjoy my vacation and stop worrying about it...

banditrn · Jul 23, 2006

Tobacco shows up on a drug test?

Oh, OK, now I get it - you were talking about pot, not cigarettes!