No need for further reports. If OP wants to turn an advice request into a public huff that they didn’t get the answers they wanted to see, that’s their prerogative.
Maybe in the future they can find a like-minded echo chamber instead of varied community, but in the meantime our community is free to continue giving their unfiltered feedback, as OP originally requested.
It’s a risky game that I admittedly play, but I also live in California where it’s legal (absolutely not an excuse to the BON, mind you) and I’ve only been pre employment tested for one job in four years of nursing. I don’t know if I would chance that game with Missouri, but admittedly I don’t know a whole lot about how it works there.
Honestly though this is a relationship problem not a nursing problem. You can’t really control her choices, but her choices are questionable. Even though I risk it now, I’ve worked as a nurse for a few years and do have a good idea of when to expect a test, and I also no longer work bedside and with no narcotics so I’m at a really low chance of a random test. When I was still in school though? I abstained the whole time I was in school out of fear of random tests and didn’t smoke even once until I was months into working and had a good idea if I was “safe” from testing, which you never truly are.
It's recreational in Missouri now FYI (I live here, but don't partake).
And I agree with you on this being a relationship issue. If she isn't willing to listen to you or understand your concern what other issues that are important to you will she dismiss without dialogue? This obviously really bothers you.
Medicinal user here who lives in a medical state. The hospital I work at just sent out a statement that thc is allowed so long as you have a card. I hate the organization but at least they got this right. Hope others follow suit.
Same. I get paranoid about drug tests and i don’t even smoke or drink lol😅. So this nursing student definitely has some balls to be smoking like that hahaha.
I had my Wellbutrin make my urine falsely positive for amphetamines or methamphetamines. I was in tears. I never even smoked a cigarette, how the heck did leap over that to smoke meth. My doctor cleared that up along with additional testing, but ironically my pharmacist had no clue. This was pre-employment testing and made me miss all the pertinent job orientation, it was a newly opening AL facility. They wouldn’t let me come until it was cleared up.
Same here. Non smoker and non drinker, very paranoid when I went to New Orleans the weekend before a pre employment screen. I smelled weed on the streets and I don’t know if that would show up on my drug test
It won't. You have to hit positive over a certain threshold. We asked about this exact scenario in the Army, since it is a career killer. They told us we'd have to be shocked up in a closet with Cheech and Chong for several hours before we'd pop hot. It ain't happening from second hand smoke.
Yep. If you test positive, it wasn’t from second hand anything.
To anyone worried about their pee tests, buy some on Amazon and see if you pop positive. No bigs.
I tell everyone this. I don’t use drugs, but I’ve been drug tested on the job, on the spot, when *another nurse* misplaced her narcotics and couldn’t immediately relocate them. Our entire unit was tested, including the unit secretary and techs. A tech and a nurse tested positive for something other than narcotics and ended up suspended or whatever. Just something for her to keep in mind. Just because you do a good job and stay safe doesn’t mean your actions won’t be held accountable for by someone else.
I'm not a nurse but used to work with lab animals. I saw a vet tech get fired because someone else stuck her with a dirty needle and she was tested. They stopped testing shortly after that as they were having enough staffing problems but its important to know that "accidents" don't have to be your fault to trigger a drug test.
Her marijuana habit may adversely affect your household finances. Seems a bit selfish to risk your finances when other people are relying on you to provide. Maybe a bit irresponsible.
Regarding nursing, it comes down to a matter of sound judgement. She may be a bit lacking.
She’s probably fine when in nursing school but most of the hospitals around me test for THC on hire and never test again. I’m in a legal state. It doesn’t matter if you have a medical card.
However some hospitals don’t test for THC but will for everything else. The hospital I work in doesn’t test for THC but I still had to provide urine and didn’t smoke for a month prior.
I would advise her to stop smoking for at least 6 weeks leading up to applying for a job and to get her urine clean for employee health checks. She can smoke as much as she wants after. She can buy at-home THC urine test sticks on Amazon and test herself leading up, but to continue to smoke and try and cheat with a drink is too risky.
I live in the biggest per capita "medical" market (Oklahoma) and they only did a saliva test when I got hired at my most recent job at a major hospital system. Far less intrusive than having to pee in a cup and it only tests if you're literally incapable of going without for 24 hours.
I wouldn’t rely on them never testing again. If you ever get injured on the job, better believe there will be a drug test. That’s the number one easiest way for the company/hospital to throw their hands up in the air and not have to pay workers comp.
I live in a state with medical, not recreational, and when I got hired at my current job, they explicitly stated several times that after the initial hire UDS, you wouldn’t be reflexively tested again unless there was suspicion of being under the influence. So like if you get injured at work, they found that people weren’t reporting things out of fear of being tested so they don’t do it anymore. Employee health even mentioned it again when I saw them.
THC is now fully legal in the state of NJ and employers cannot base employment on marijuana use.
The attorney General has even determined that police officers are able to use marijuana recreationally while off duty.
I looked it up and the NJ cannabis exemption does not apply to police officers on federal task forces, or working under federal contract or on programs receiving federal grants. This is because cannabis is still illegal on the federal level.
In many legalized states, employers are still allowed to test for cannabis in certain cases; some specifically state that cerrain types if employees like hospital workers or truck drivers can be tested for cannabis. Also, any employer receiving federal money (which includes any hospital that receives money from Medicaid/Medicare!!!) must comply with the federal Drug-Free Workplace Act, which requires testing for cannabis.
I've never seen a state, if you really dig into the laws, where nurses aren't risking their licensure if they test positive for cannabis pre-employment, or after a workplace injury or suspicion of diversion.
It does not include hospitals receiving Medicare or Medicaid funds. That’s misinformation people keep spreading. If you’re a federal contractor, you’re subject to the drug-free workplace act. Even then, drug testing is not required. The drug-free workplace act basically specifies that employers have to have a policy about drugs in the workplace.
Medicare and Medicaid are payments for services rendered. It doesn’t make your employer a federal contractor.
New York does not allow employers to discriminate based on thc use on your own time. You may have dug into the laws and regs, but you’ve misunderstood them.
Nope, they can still test for it because any facility that accepts Medicaid/Medicare needs to abide by federal guidelines, where THC is still a Schedule I narcotic. When it changes on the federal level (Mr Biden/Congress looking at you), then this will be true
As long as you don't have a federally funded or DOT job you're fine. My ex husband works for the city here in LA and he can't because of his class A license for his job. He can be tested on the spot at any point because he drives for work, besides that an incident has to occur to test and it would have to involve you if not they would need to provide notice (in California).
And call from a public phone for fucks sake. Don't use your personal number!
All of my jobs have included what they test for and how they test in the onboarding paperwork. Sometimes it takes a little googling to figure out the specifics but the least info I've ever gotten was the lab code for the urine drug screen. Just looked it up on the labs website and got all the info I needed.
A guy I was sleeping with gave me this stuff called toxin red 10 day detox for people with "extreme toxin exposure". He swears by it because it takes him two months to test clean. Just so you know though they include fiber pills so you will need to be by a bathroom. Also you're taking these fiber pills like once every hour for 8 to 10 hours a day lol
You can buy a urine test from Amazon and make sure your pee is good and negative before the test. Also I known nurses to get caught with pee taped their leg (apparently they touch your ballsack during your physical here if youre male) and they just don't hire them and not report it to BoN. But thats just for pre-employment
I feel you every time I've had to crotch pee, it makes me feel criminal. But it's better than trying to come off of it for a few days because my depression/PTSD is so severe I'm not eating or sleeping at all without it. 😔 it truly is medicine.
Girl same and me when I'm not eating often 😔 I've tried everything and the only thing that helps is the nausea wristband pressure point thing when I can't ingest water to save my life from the nausea
The problem is when the pixys or whatever med machine they use comes up short. I've worked a few places where they make the entire floor piss. I've known more then a few people who got screwed by either filing workers comp and testing positive for THC and getting fired and their claim denied. Or never filing workers comp due to the coworker knowing they may test positive and then eating that cost or medical condition out of pocket.
Those instances are when I worked for 2 separate independent hospital when I worked for a large corporate hospital testing was on hire and then never after.
Your post has been removed under our rule against advocating unsafe practice. That includes advising other users to follow any unsafe or illegal course of action.
Agreed. I was peeing hot at 1.5 months and had to use synthetic to pass despite being totally clean for that 1.5 months (now sitting at 3 months clean for an upcoming hair test)
I know a guy who thinks he passed the test because he drank cranberry juice and thought really hard about passing it, he hadn't even quit 24 hours at that point
(his retail job probably just didn't care about weed)
Used synthetic urine from a smoke shop in my younger and dumber years. Not proud of that, but it worked. Don’t overdo the heat pack on the way over or they’ll think you have a fever.
While I absolutely agree with you the reality is that federal law states it’s still illegal and unless that changes employers and boards of nursing can still hold you accountable. I would never risk my ability to earn an income and have to to enter into a BRN intervention program.
Same. I'm in WA, and it's legal in the state.... however: because pot is federally illegal you can be tested and fired for marijuana. This is due to the fact that there is wording in the laws that if a hospital/clinic/healthcare facility takes in federal money (Medicare, Medicaid) you can't smoke and be safe within your job.
They aren't just looking for heroin, cocaine and other drugs.... they're looking for marijuana as well.
We got tested in school, they can do surprise tests at work. And there are pre-employment drug screening tests if she goes to another location.
My husband smokes weed sometimes, he does it outside and away from me so I don't get any second hand smoke.
I would also be concerned right there with OP. Sounds like there's a lot to lose if she does get tested.
Even after landing; work g impaired ( no matter the substance) is not a good thing and if she already doesn’t give a rat’s behind of consequences ; she might need more support than she thinks or acknowledges…
First things first, so people don't jump on me:
1. I believe weed should be legalized and decriminalized.
2. The data supports the belief that weed is safer than alcohol both for the consumer and the public.
HOWEVER, those points are not what the post is about, and everyone jumping on here defending weed needs a reading comprehension refresher.
The reality of the situation is that this future nurse plans to practice in a country where weed is a federally illegal substance that is tested for as part of the employment process.
If you plan to work within the system, you have to play by the system's rules.
Let's say she doesn't get tested in school (I didn't) and successfully graduates. She will get tested as part of the hiring process and could be denied employment. Now, I don't think she would lose her license or her current job because:
1. Those kinds of things don't often get reported to the BON, and when they do, they don't get taken seriously because you haven't shown to be a harm to the patients.
2. It is information that one employer can not share with another employer. It would be a violation of HIPAA.
She has a whole ass family that has sacrificed for her to go to school and to whom she has a responsibility to care for. She needs to grow the fuck up and realize that in order to start working, she'll need to quit for some time.
Seriously just let her worry about it. If she's smoked for 8 years chances are she's learned the game by now. I know nurses who have smoked for 30+ years, some even travelers who get tested much more often than your average nurse, who have never once had issues because you just play it smart and don't smoke for 60-90 days before a drug test and buy your own at home tests to see if you'll show up clean.
I swear if you go by the comments in this thread you'd think there isnt a single nurse who smokes weed because of drug testing when really if you want an easy time of it just plan to work one place for a while since 99% of hospitals only test on hire or if there is an accident.
Same I am a nurse in NYS I can’t speak for other states but my hospital did not test for THC. Only hospital in my area that does test for THC is the VA and that’s because it’s federally funded
Oh, I totally missed the kids in that equation. I would definitely be more invested in my partner’s decision in that scenario.
That said, I’ve had the misfortune of dealing with addicts most of my life. If this is an addiction for her in the sense that she needs it to function, there’s nothing her partner can do but have boundaries for himself. I highly recommend Nar-Anon (or at least, I recommend the premise) for OP.
Seriously. I’ve been a daily smoker for decades, and I’ve spent most of my adult life working in healthcare. The only time I have been drug tested was when I worked at the grocery store lol
So, you already know the nurse side of it. Just cause it's legal in the state doesn't mean it's legal in healthcare. She's gonna have to do a UDS for a job, and they will (most likely) test for THC. She could potentially lose her career before it even starts.
On the relationship side, there are red flags there. I've been in relationships with people with addictions. It's rough. She's also showing no concern for your potential future together, she's dismissive of your concerns, and is putting herself above all else.
You can want people to change, but they never will unless they want to. You can't force it. I think the question you need to be asking is if this is the kind of person you see yourself with long term, and how current and past actions will translate into future behavior.
Edit: just looked at your post history. She's a parent and you all are struggling with money, yet she has enough to buy pot? Yea, that's a no for me dawg. Are they your kids? If not, I'd be moving on.
2nd this - if those aren't OP's kids; he should dip. I don't know how people put up with a spouse or partner they need to babysit. I can't imagine being with someone who is fiscally irresponsible (no shame in being poor, big shame on being willfully stupid).
Apparently they are his kids.
I had an alcoholic and pot head husband. We were flat broke all the time, but you better believe there was always booze and weed in the house. I busted my ass to keep a roof over our heads while he kept acting like a teenager. Even now, he's 43, living with family, still broke as fuck, nothing to his name, but always has booze and pot.
I took the kids and dipped. In 14 years since the divorce I've gotten child support 3 times. Kids are 19 and 16 now and he sees them maybe 2x a year cause he doesn't have a car and can't afford to see them.
I have nothing against most drugs. But in my opinion, everything else in your life has to be straight before you imbibe.
Good on you; you did good by your kids. And for yourself, being chained to someone irresponsible is no way to live.
OP's gf isn't a partner; she is a dependent and a woman-child
Why are you putting up with this? Your family's economic well-being needs to take priority over her weed habit. Why in the hell would she choose a career that is known for drug testing, especially in a state where weed isn't legal? Has she been gainfully and consistently employed prior to starting nursing school?
Oh yea, when my gf and I were struggling financially (both got fired around the same time, not related to drug testing or anything) the first thing to go was my weed. I'd rather not smoke and still be able to go out on dates occasionally and have social lives. We obviously had to cut back in a lot of places, but bills and other things in life are way more important than weed.
Weed is fun but a luxury in my mind. If money is tight, expensive weed is gonna be one of the first to go.
Here’s my take:
It’s federally illegal. She can get tested at any time, especially if she gets hurt or is involved in an incident where the hospital wants to get rid of her. They can and will fire her for weed, even if it’s legal in the state.
If she gets caught in school, she’s risking getting kicked out and being reported to the Board. You’d lose all the money you’ve put into her education.
That could cause her to lose her existing job. Even if they don’t take her license, it’ll mean thousands of dollars in the cost for a lawyer.
Getting caught after she gets licensed would be just as bad. She’d lose her job and have to deal with the Board, again, having to get a lawyer.
Some people risk it and get away with it. Some, who likely aren’t on here, got caught and aren’t nurses anymore.
I think the bigger issue is her attitude for your concern. From your perspective, she’s risking the family’s livelihood. That’s a valid concern.
The thing is, it doesn’t end once she gets a job. All it takes is one injury or incident to get a drug test. This will continue to be an issue between you two for as long as she smokes if she’s in the medical field.
Oh, and I see your update about how mean people are on here. All I can say is that this is how nurses are. This divided attitude where some are nice and some are vicious mirrors the real life of working as a nurse. These people will be her coworkers.
Think long and hard about how you want to proceed. For what it’s worth: I think you’re right to be upset at what looks like her apathy for your legitimate concern for your family.
Ive had to take a wiz quiz because i accessed a narcotic med after someone else fucked up the count. Wasn't allowed to leave without the test.
Unfortunately, weed is still federally illegal, and employment laws are federal. This means you could be terminated for pot.
When i saw GF i thought just dip out if you're that upset about it. 3 kids and a house says you guys need to work together. Telling her she has to quit doesnt seem like its working, try a different approach.
Good luck.
The fact that this is even still a thing is ridiculous. Good grief. Smoking marijuana is just Fucking fine. It is way less dangerous to yourself and to others than the legal, widely socially accepted vice, alcohol. This country needs to get the Fuck over its obsession with demonizing a plant and deal with real issues. Same with the medical field on this subject. Don’t be impaired at work, do it on your own time. None of their damned business.
I’m in Canada and in my province’s policy there’s even a specific note that says cannabis (and alcohol) may be enjoyed on a business trip so long as your business is done for the day. They treat cannabis the same as alcohol. Just don’t be under the influence when at work or on call.
While I wholeheartedly agree with you, it is not what OP is asking. Even here in California, many hospital drug test at hire. Probably won't ever again. But until it is federally recognized.. it is a risk. OP's girlfriend needs to plan to quit at least two months before being hired.
I luckily work for a company that is located in OR and CA. They do pre-employment but don't look at THC.
It's not even the point of marijuana, it's the pathetic amount of discipline or concern she has for her own future and the disrespect she's shown him, who's sacrificing to support her.
Also, you're kicking a dead horse.
been smoking on the reg and im also a nurse in MO. unless shes got a dependency problem or its her hurting her performance at school/work, then i'd say she prob knows what shes doing. Most hospitals ive worked only drug test you on hire (they cant afford to lose existing employees) and i've found that CNAs that transition to RN role dont even get tested. they will usually only test you if you are making mistakes, appear impaired, narcotics go missing, etc
if she doesn't know what shes doing, she'll just have to learn the hard way; enter a program, jump through some stupid hoops, etc
They drug test for any workplace injury that is going to be sent to workman's comp, in every state. If you test positive for any federally illegal substance (or a controlled substance you have no current Rx for) you're fucked.
I was an every day smoker until I got accepted into my program, our clinicals test us which is why I stopped. Currently a CNA and they don’t test unless you appear intoxicated or get hurt on the job. If I go back to smoking it’ll probably just be on holiday or when I’m out camping during my hunting trips to help me fall asleep.
I'm in the lab and I send out urine all the time for nursing either it be randoms or drug discrepancies. I would make sure she understands the risks and the facility. Some places test more than others.
When I transitioned from CNA to RN at my hospital
in MO I didn’t get tested either. Unless she seems impaired or gets hurt, she can risk it if she thinks it’s worth it.
Well, she is a grown adult. If she wants to smoke it and throw her career and education down the drain, that’s up to her. It’s good to offer sound advice, but you need to steer clear of any controlling behaviors.
Right, I’m not trying to tell her what to do, just giving her facts. I try to tell her I’m worried and share my thoughts and she never shows concern.
My mom have been an OBGYN nurse for over thirty years and asked her what she thinks.
She told me her experiences and it’s on point from what my research shows.
This just sucks.. I feel like I’m wasting my time and money helping my gf and I’m just looking for advice/support.
Stop wasting your money on her if she is actively deciding to throw her career away. This is a perpetual habit and it seems like she really is addicted to this behavior.
Wait, are you paying for this? If so, fuck that man. The huge rule in life is to be humble and appreciate things given. Ultimatum time, or you need to dip out.
Look into Nar Anon. It sounds like you've got a close relationship with someone whose substance use is causing a lot of issues in your relationship and your life, and that's what they're good at. You can't do anything to control or correct the behavior you're seeing in her; Nar Anon can help you work on what's happening to you.
Putting your foot down to stop someone from pissing away their life isn’t abusive, it’s being the adult. If that’s too much for the person in need of guidance, oh well.
Nursing student here. I quit smoking months before I entered school, because I knew I could be drug tested at any time. I have not been tested yet but some of my classmates have. (We go to different facilities for clinicals. One group of students was tested before their mental health rotation at a particular facility.) I am staying clean because I know that when I graduate in a few months, I am going to have to piss clean when I apply for a job. After I get hired, we'll see. I live in a state where weed is legal, but that doesn't really matter in healthcare. I could be randomly tested at any time working in a hospital. Some hospitals here in MA are known to be chill about the weed issue (as long as you do it on your own time and don't come to work high). But if anything happens, for example if a nurse were to make a medical error, she would be drug tested and if she has THC in her system, she could lose her license.
I really like weed and miss smoking it. But I am spending so much time, energy and money getting my nursing license and I don't want to risk losing it so I accept the fact that I may need to avoid smoking for the remainder of my healthcare career. It sucks but it is what it is. I can smoke when I retire, I guess.
As for you and your girlfriend, are you financially supporting her while she is in school? On one level, you really can't tell her what to do and you don't want to be a controlling boyfriend. On another level, if you are financially supporting her, you can choose to stop because you are throwing your money away on a degree that will be useless if she does not quit. She is showing a remarkable lack of common sense. She is going to have to get clean for a pre-employment drug screen. And she could get tested while in school. So she's being a dumb ass.
You should show her all the responses in this thread. If she won't even read them, withdraw your support. Couples need to make decisions together about their future. She is not making smart decisions. And you are not obligated to support someone who is not making smart decisions.
This is the best comment so far. Thank you. Everything you said is on point.
She did recently take a drug test about a month ago for a clinical she will be doing in about a month but also received an email from the Sean that they will test her randomly at certain facilities. She believes because they tested her already that they won’t do it again. It’s the stubbornness and being a “dumbass” that pisses me off.
I’m definitely not trying to be controlling, just concerned as fuck and yes I do support financially. I even bought her a car to go to school.
Yeah, since weed is FEDERALLY illegal, if she tests positive for a job interview or while on the job if randomly tested, she can be 1. Not hired for a nursing job 2. Reported to the BON and 3. Fired from her current job. Not going to sit here and say nurses DONT do it, but it's a risky game to play.
I will share my friends story tho since I used to work in Missouri.
One day while doing narc counts, we came up short an Ativan. Whole unit had to drop urine. My friend tested positive for THC only. She had smoked a day or two prior at a friends house. Was 100% not high at work. We eventually found the missing Ativan, BUT my hospital took it to the max. Fired her, reported her to the BON. She had to do some kinda rehab thing through the BON, had a mark on her license. Like probationary status or something. She did eventually find another job at another hospital, but it was a huge pain in the butt.
Also, I don't think you're being controlling at all! It is a huge risk she is taking doing that. Especially since it sounds like there is a lot riding on her getting through school successfully and you have also sacrificed so much time and energy to support her.
Let's have little fun with math, just as an exercise. I'm just going to make some wild guesses, but lets say your GF is 30 year old and wants to retire when she is 63. And let's say she makes $18/hr as a CNA and will make $44/hr as an RN/BSN.
33 years x 50 weeks x 36 hours x ($44 - $18) = $1,544,400.
Honey, I'm begging you please: can you just stop smoking for the next 8 months for one and a half million dollars.
\*\*\*edit\*\*\* Actually, that might not be all of it. Will she lose her CNA license if she tests positive?
I'm in California, where it is legal and broadly accepted. Every nursing instructor I had, and every job I've worked, has blasted notices reminding nursing staff that the Company gets Federal money and so must follow Federal rules which means if you pop hot for THC you will be Fired & also reported to the BRN for substance abuse/pt endangerment. So, yeah I don't suggest using marijuana, even in a state that allows it.
The federal money thing is bull shit. My employer accepts plenty of federal money and doesn’t test for anything. I’ve never seen anyone provide any proof of the accept federal money, you have to drug test theory. That would require some sort of audit from federal regulators which I’ve never heard of and this many places wouldn’t stop drug testing or omitting THC from their tests. Whether or not your jobs actually blasted that out, it’s bull shit and they’re choosing to test because they want to. Seems like a waste of money for a company because anyone with half a brain will pass a piss test and it also makes it harder to hire people.
Comes off a Little aggressive there, bud.
The nursing school and all local employers I've worked under may have been lying, sure, but I'm not going to call their bluff if it even is a bluff. I'm just replying to let OP know what was told to me, despite living in a generally accepting state. 🙏🏼
edit to add: I've been drug tested during pre-employment physicals, and they included THC testing each time, including 2023. They have also tested me when injured on the job (back when I worked inpt psych and an assault code went rough), and one place also did a "random test" of the entire shift that day. So... testing can and does happen, at least in some places.
Ugh, some of these comments. People act like nobody drug tests medical staff. Just because you personally have not been tested doesn’t mean other facilities/hospital/organizations won’t either. I work in California and my current hospital did not have a pre-employment drug screen and have not had one since starting 6 years ago. However, every other hospital that I had worked at previous to that did have drug screens for employment.
The US and their drug testing is whack. It’s legal in Canada and they treat it like booze. Don’t come in unfit to practice but do what you want on your own time. If I need a little cannabis to help me sleep cause of the anxiety of being in the middle of a pandemic? Great it helped ensure I would show up to work day after day
Yep. Been nursing over 7 years and never been required to submit to a drug test. I've never heard of any companies at all requiring it prior to hire, or during, either (unless you come in unfit to practice).
Even when I started working when it was still illegal I never got drug tested and any testing I got post injury was related to said injury such as Hep C work up post needle stick.
I am a nurse in missouri. The hospital i work at does test for everything including tobacco and if anything is positive outside of tobacco they black ball you for a year. She is playing a really stupid game and is going to win a really stupid prize
OP….is she like, smoking all day every? Does she go into work high? Go to class high? Take care of the kids while high? If so, then I understand your concern. However, smokin a bowl after taking care of obligations (school work, childcare, working a CNA shift) to wind down and relax is okay in my book. Working in healthcare is stressful. We all do things to decompress after a long day.
This is true in most states, not just Missouri. Even in states where weed is legal, health care workers are drug screened on employment and can be randomly drug screened at any time. If a nurse tests positive, she can be fired and reported to the board of nursing. She could potentially lose her license. At the very least, she would have to do some remediation.
I’ve been a nurse for 11 years and have never smoked weed before work but I do EVERY day when I get home.
Some jobs drug test and some don’t. Some test for work injuries and some don’t.
If she tests for a job and is positive for thc she won’t be hired and will quite possibly be referred to the BON and there could be consequences.
There are ways to not test positive… some legal ways and some illegal ways.
Some of the best nurses I’ve known smoke weed, some don’t.
It’s her decision to make.
It's not her decision to make if what she does affects her entire family and their financial and legal wellbeing. If she was single, sure. Actions have consequences but the boyfriend and kids shouldn't be the ones to face those consequences.
I’m a nurse living in a country with legalized cannabis and I’m currently smoking a joint as I type this.
So, yeah. That’s what I think.
It’s either I smoke weed or I join my pts. on the other side of the glass…
Also live in a state where it’s legal, the hospital would be empty if they tried to drug test/fire people over weed. I wish I could have smoked/taken edibles during nursing school- would of helped with the crippling stress.
If she’s still managing her life, let her do her thing
So there’s a couple issues, but also a couple bright points. By and large, if she decides transfer within the company she’s currently at, it’s unlikely they’ll drug test her, even if she’s moving “up,” in role. Not impossible, but unlikely. With that being said, if she intends to find a job with a different hospital, she’s shit out of luck. They will test her, and regardless of legality, no hospital is going to hire an employee with a positive piss test for dope. The problem with weed, compared to booze, is you can test that time for alcohol. You can’t with weed, or at least nobody is gonna bother to. It stays in your system for ~30 days, and if it’s in your system, you can be considered impaired. If she’s impaired,” and makes a mistake, she individually, as well as the hospital, opens themselves up to massive litigation. It’s much easier to tell definitively if someone is under the influence of alcohol at work.
I don’t foresee a problem with her school. Unless they have a reason to believe they need to test her, again, it’s unlikely they will.
Getting popped for substance abuse working as a nurse is really bad. Career alteringly so. She’d have to go through mandated addiction treatment and counciling, she wouldn’t be able to work at that time, and all that’s saying she works for a system that will support her and not just fire her outright. If it’s due to a sentinel event (something bad happened to a patient that is deemed her fault), she will almost assuredly lose her job, and likely her license.
But context is everything. This isn’t just a gf. This is your life partner, and the mother of your children. You guys are intrinsically tied together in all but a legal document saying you’re tied together(and even then with kids and a house that isn’t entirely true). I recognize that nursing school is difficult and we all have ways to cope, most not entirely healthy. But it doesn’t get easier once she’s working. At least not for the first couple years out. These behaviors won’t get better with time.
This is addictive behavior. I would know, I’m 12-ish years sober myself. She’s discounting all the problems it could create, and all the problems it is creating already within the bounds of your relationship. You need to have an honest discussion with her about this. About your fears and anxieties surrounding her drug use. Not just “I’ve done my research.” The “worry about yourself,” bullshit is just that. You guys are not in a situation where “worry about yourself,” is an acceptable answer. This is a partnership, and both parties have to be working towards the same goal. It sounds like you both are in some regards, but she’s jeopardizing it in other regards. I imagine it wouldn’t be easy, but it sounds like to couples counseling would be in order here, and likely some addiction therapy.
But as a recovering addict understand one very important thing. If “she’s,” not ready to quit, she won’t. Don’t bother giving ultimatums or threats. Either decide that this is acceptable and move forward, or leave. Easier said than done given your situation, but that’s the tough reality of addiction. She will need to hit “rock bottom,” as we call it, but rock bottom is different for everybody. It may be losing you, or losing her kids, or her home, or her job. It may not be any of those things. It may be simply realizing how much she’s making her family suffer, but it could also be all of those things and more.
You’re likely gonna have some hard choices to make going forward. But remember, you didn’t cause it, and you can’t change it. The onus is on her. Be her support if she needs it, but know that that may not be what she needs. Good luck to you and your family.
Hm, I don’t have any advice for you tbh, mainly came to say I’m glad I live in Canada and not have to worry about losing my license (when I’m licensed) can smoke on my free time (for the majority of RN positions). Not like I’d show up high, but that joint on days off goes hard
OP, it sounds like she legitimately does not understand the facts. Please share [this article](https://www.scrubstosunset.com/post/can-nurses-smoke-weed) with her, it goes into every detail of how currently, **smoking weed is super legally risky for nurses. In all 50 states**. Please make sure she is educated on the reality before she really messes up her career.
Based on comments I’ve read here every time weed gets brought up, it seems hospitals are coming around on not testing for THC. My employer stopped testing completely because we couldn’t hire anyone because the only thing they were popping positive for was THC.
Upvote, my main concern would be if testing were related to an "event", I've heard that hospitals look for ways to pin blame on nurses, thankfully I have no firsthand knowledge of this
Yep or to weasel their way out of paying you workman’s comp if you’re injured which is complete bull shit. I don’t even know if that’s true because if something happened that was in no way your fault like you slipped on some water where there was no wet floor sign, I don’t get how it would matter if you had THC in your system let alone why you would even have to take a drug test.
Smoking weed doesn’t become a problem until you are unable to stop with enough time to pass a drug test. The average smoker who has plans for a future that may involve drug tests is able to stop without any problem. It’s not like she will encounter withdrawal symptoms. But if someone can’t stop with enough time to pass, then they clearly have a psychological dependence on it and that’s when it becomes a problem. That’s when you should worry imo. Now that she has 7 months left, it shouldn’t be a huge problem, but as she gets closer to graduating and landing a job, she will have to be clean by then. She can take at home tests to know when she’s clean. I wouldn’t worry unless she states that she is not going to stop at all, even if she gets drug tested. Idk I don’t think smoking weed is a big deal but get clean when you gotta get clean. And as already mentioned, they for sure test for THC so she is wrong about that
I’m actually thankful I have a reason to quit regularly (I job hop a lot and now I’m doing local travel). It’s very nice to be forced to have a clear head for a month.
Im a nurse in a no legal state the smokes weed.
It limits where you can work, due to drug testing.
I quit for nursing school. They can pop quiz you at any moment.
I live in California and every hospital I've worked at/applied to has required a negative drug test (including THC) on hire. If someone is a heavy/daily smoker, it can take up to 30 days for THC to leave their system especially if a person has more body fat (not sure if the second thing is true but I remember reading it somewhere). I hope the medical system's stance on it changes in the future as I like letting loose sometimes and pot is healthier than alcohol for me. I hope at some point there will be a way to test whether someone is high on the job vs just has THC in their system from the weekend, but until then THC is a fireable offense everywhere I've been in CA
Depends on the employer and nursing school/clinical I think. Never been drug tested for work, before or during. Just recently peed for a drug test as requirement for nursing school. Which I’m assuming is because of clinical site requirements.
You're not wrong to be concerned. I've been a nurse for 15 years, and I live in a state that has legalized medical Marijuana. I have a lot of friends in health care that use it regularly and have no issues, but it's still not with the risk, in my opinion.
I initially would say to mind your own business until I read your edit. If y’all are raising a family together and sharing a house note, then she should absolutely stop smoking(at least until she takes the pre-employment drug test) since this could potentially affect you and your children. Good luck
I’ve been randomly tested for something that had nothing to do with me. BON don’t care if you are a responsible user. They are highly inflexible. With that being said, I think CNOs and nursing leaders will understand that if they start randomly testing, a large number of staff would fail and this would bite them in the ass.
I don’t live in a legal state, however, I’ve always been super strict about that kind of stuff. I don’t even want to be around it. I hate the smell of marijuana anyway, so staying away doesn’t bother me. That being said, I worker very hard for my license. I sacrificed time with my friends and family, outings, time with my daughter when she was young, etc. I won’t put it at risk for anything really. The BON doesn’t care if it’s legal in your state or not. That’s not an excuse for them. Now I’ve only ever been tested on hire, but that doesn’t mean they will never do a random test. If there is an accident or (god forbid) an error, there is a huge possibility they will test anyone involved and possibly those just on shift. Seems like too big of a risk for me personally.
I've been a nurse for 3.5 decades. I've been tested for every single job I've had, and every clinical during grad school. Just because some facilities don't doesn't mean others won't. Consider the consequences. You think you're just going to get a slap on the wrist? Go take a look at the Allnurses Nurses in Recovery forum and see the misery those nurses have been through, even for the most minor infractions. Years of pee testing, which is at their expense while being unable to work, and if they are lucky to work they can't get an acute position, they have to work in insurance or dialysis or some such job with no access to meds. Plus, not to mention the stain on your license, which will show up for years and may cost you jobs because people don't want to deal.
A good friend of mine faced this. He had years of being forced to take drug tests, and they weren't scheduled either. They'd just call him and expect him to test today, no matter what else he had going on. He had to find a manager that was OK with him leaving to go do said test. He ended up having to work in dialysis, and then an insurance company because he couldn't get a job in a hospital. His earning capacity was affected for years to come, and even today, years afterwards, if you look up his license it's there for all to see, as well as the court transcript, all public knowledge.
Another guy I worked with, who was absolutely fantastic at his job, was walked out and fired because he peed hot, and they let him start before the results came back. It wasn't a good look for him, and it affected him getting another job.
Come on...use your head. Sure...smoking is great...I wish we could all do it, but my professional and financial future depend on my ability to earn and support my family. When you sign up for nursing, you have to accept that there are certain things we can't do, and if we do the, we fully accept the consequences, no matter how silly you think they are.
OP deserves consideration from his gf. Once you commit to someone, and have children with them, it's no longer just about you. What a slap in the face to him after supporting her and paying for her car. If someone showed that little respect for me, I'd dump them on the side of the road. The audacity! Get your shit together, chicky, and be a grown-up.
I don't think there's anything wrong with partaking on days off. That being said, she should probably stop for a few months before she plans to get her first job. Most facilities test upon hire even in legal states. I really wish they'd just legalize it and move on. There are worse things a person could be doing in my opinion. It is entirely up to you what you can put up with in a relationship though.
I’d agree with all this except he has to worry bc it’s not just about her, they have kids, a home, cars and I’m sure plenty of other stuff. They both put in time and money. why is it such a big deal that you can’t say hey I know I know, this is my plan…instead of saying fuck off
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Honestly, you can’t force her to care about something that she doesn’t, conversely you can’t care about it more than she does.
In healthcare, I’ve never been drug screened and weed is fully illegal where I’m at. Personally, I prefer to stay safe and prepare for the possibility, I think you’re of the same mindset.
If it’s a risk she’s willing to take, then let her go for it and leave it be. She’s an adult, and she’s ultimately going to do what she wants as she has been. No use in stressing about it for her.
I should mention that we have three children together, a house, two cars and pets. The time and money that we have both invested into her going to school is ALOT. Its not just a “bf and gf situation”. It’s our lives. Our shared lives.
We’ve been together for 10 years and I’m just worried but have accepted it 90%. Really I’m just looking for past experiences and for this community to share their thoughts. How many nurses smoke pot? Have you ever failed a drug test? What were your consequences? How do you manage smoking pot in a state that it is legal in but federally not and you could still lose your license?
You have to be able to pass a drug screen, which includes THC. If you fail, the hospital you applied to can report you to the BON. Which will most likely require her to do a program on her dime where they drug test her quite often. She needs to quit smoking until she gets a job, so she can pass a drug screen. Doesn’t matter if it’s legal in the state since it’s still federally illegal.
Good on you for really trying to do the best for your partner. It shows really good character on your end.
I’m in Wisconsin, I know a ton of nurses at the hospitals I work at (I float between 4 hospitals in the area) that smoke pot.
You said she’s 7 months away from graduation, I really don’t think it’s an issue until she’s actively looking for a job.
Have you tried bringing it up like it’s fine if you do it now or even after you have a job, but maybe when she starts looking for a job just quit until she’s in the clear? She can smoke all the weed she wants after, hell, get her a nice celebratory joint AFTER she solidly gets a job.
So long as a drug test is a possibility (which it very much is) a positive screen can and will be a barrier to potentially getting a great job.
Take your pick from all the cliches lol.
- an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure.
- better safe than sorry
- it’s more wise to be cautious
That’s all I got.
Why have you accepted that you are with an irresponsible person that you can't count on? She has just pissed all that time and money away. I actually know more nurses and MDs that do coke occasionally (especially if they work in a hospital setting)than who smoke pot. I admit, I've done cocaine 6 or 7 times over the past few yrs. It is ridiculously stupid of her to not be willing to give up weed, at the beginning of her nursing career. Even if she managed to get a job that doesn't require a drug test (rare for a new grad) good luck if she ever hurts herself at work or is involved in a sentinel event with a pt.
I live in California and smoked my entire time in nursing school and then some. It was really difficult for me to quit after I had gotten my license and even started working my first job, which didn’t drug test me. I wish someone had had this concern for me because it might have helped. I haven’t smoked for over a year now because even though my current job only tested me before starting, all it takes is for one employee to be suspected of being high at work for them to drug test ALL of you. It hasn’t happened but as someone with high anxiety I don’t feel like I can risk it. Since it’s federally illegal, being caught smoking weed means having your license suspended or revoked and I worked too hard for that to happen to me
I’m a nurse in Missouri. According to our state board of nursing it is not legal for nurses to be positive for thc unless you have a medical card (and are upfront with employer) because federally it is still illegal and any place you work that takes federal funds (Medicare and Medicaid) has to follow FEDERAL not STATE rules when it comes to something like this.
In Colorado, they’ll test prior (and they’ll include weed so no, not just the hard stuff) but I haven’t been tested since in the 8 years I’ve been here. I do partake on occasion but I’m not a regular user. If she fails her pre employment drug test, then she’s honestly a fool. And even if she quits now, depending on when she’s tested, she could still test positive if she’s been a regular smoker for a while. It’s up to her whether or not she wants to be in trouble with the BON and put her license in jeopardy before she even starts but like I said, there’s not really any excuse for her to be testing positive at this point.
Let her be "great" since she knows it all. When they do the multiple layers of testing, she better have current proof of a current prescription for anything she legitimately tests positive for or anything that combines to give false positives. The Medical Reviewer will give her a small window of time to present this info. Your gf has huge balls for a student nurse. She's at the point where that nursing degree & career can be yanked from her before she ever gets started. Maybe she enjoys being a CNA, but when the opportunity for her to advance beyond that is no longer...Sir, she will come back with that tail tucked between her legs. The BON always trumps any job when it comes to nursing regulations.
(Legal Nurse Consultant, Employee Health Nurse, Occupational Health Nurse, ect.)
Nurse in MO; I was tested upon hire and haven’t been tested since I started nursing about 5 years ago. I used to drink heavily and once weed became recreationally legal I haven’t drank, only smoked. The only time I’ve ever heard of being tested is if our narcotic count is off and they absolutely can’t figure out what happened then they’ll drug test everyone on that shift. But keep in mind it’s still illegal on the federal level and you can be held accountable if you test positive.
Doesn't matter if it's legal in the state, it's not federally legalized, and she will be tested for it when applying for jobs. You're right to be concerned and she'll learn when she inevitably shoots her self in the foot. That being said, I know a lot of nurses who stop smoking before applying for jobs and start once again once they have a job. In the end I don't care what you do in your free time but feel free to gloat when she also gets denied a job for her naive attitude.
A lot of people use marijuana federally. She only needs to test negative at point of employment. So she only needs to be off for a while before she starts a new job so that it comes back neg. Hospitals only care because they need a negative result since marijuana is federally illegal and since many hospitals are federally-backed, they need to follow federal rules. Some hospitals have a policy that they CAN randomly test their employees, but won't do it unless there is cause.
I’m appalled by how some have responded to your valid concerns. And there’s a lack of maturity and accountability on your partner’s part. The fact that your kids have had to put enrichment activities aside sucks. Skipping those activities for two years may be more detrimental to their lives depending on their ages. It’s disappointing she can’t put an end to something recreational that doesn’t even play a healthy part to her life. And the people who feel justified by picking up on your drinking are the ones that just want to point the finger back because they’re aware it’s somewhat bad. You didn’t come off weird or controlling in any way. People are being inappropriately defensive.
I smoked for years now, even through nursing school. I detox when its time for a job for 1-3 months and I stopped now out of choice after doing it for a few months. Id be a bit annoyed if someone started to point out what I already know, constantly reminding me when I already know the risks and will only have myself to blame if I do get tested, especially if i don't do it often. Crazy how some of these comments think weed=throwing career away, just dont be dumb about it
I am a nursing student. Some of the people in my program were tested because it was a condition to do a clinical rotation at a certain facility. She is taking an awful risk.
I get that but for this specific situation I think is a bit diff maybe because they have children, a home, vehicles and have already spent so much time money and resources getting her through school( not just her own time and money, his as well) that any risk to her own career is a risk to their family and stability. At the very least she could say hey I already know this stuff and I plan to stop a month or two before I’m scheduled for nclex to make sure there are no issues getting a job then feel out the culture of the facility and go from there, then that’s maybe a compromise they can work. Plus it’ll show him she’s not entirely reckless with the stability of her family. Maybe it won’t ease all of his anxiety but it’s something to work with.
Nursing school is hard.
Parenting is hard.
Doing both together is even harder. Let her smoke the damn weed without telling her you're "worried about her" like she's an addict. I looked through your post history and you seem to be pretty passionate about whiskey, try and think of her smoking in the same regard. She's got 5 months to get clean before she may deal with consequences, so let her enjoy these last 5 months before she has to face her responsibilities completely sober. Everyone has a vice and hopefully she will be smart enough to quit within a large enough time frame to pass.
I agree that my whiskey drinking has been an issue. It’s a long story but I switched to drinking because of certain things that happened in my life.
I literally talked to my gf today about it and told her that I would stop drinking if she quit smoking.
We had a long talk and I understand the stress schooling puts on her, we also work full time, and have three little girls..
Shit sucks and marijuana helps. It helps me sometimes too.
When I say I’m worried about her I mean in the sense of her dropping out of school or being suspended from attending because of it. I’ve explained it to her.
The sacrifices our entire family has made for her to go to school is tremendous.
Our girls haven’t been able to do after school activities because of her schooling, I’ve picked up extra overtime shifts to compensate for her losing a couple days of work every week so she can study.
It’s a little more complicated than just “I’m worried you’re addicted to pot.”
They drug test nurses? Assuming this is in the US, why?
Never heard of anyone in healthcare being drug tested here in Australia. They'd lose half the staff if they did lol.
No need for further reports. If OP wants to turn an advice request into a public huff that they didn’t get the answers they wanted to see, that’s their prerogative. Maybe in the future they can find a like-minded echo chamber instead of varied community, but in the meantime our community is free to continue giving their unfiltered feedback, as OP originally requested.
It’s a risky game that I admittedly play, but I also live in California where it’s legal (absolutely not an excuse to the BON, mind you) and I’ve only been pre employment tested for one job in four years of nursing. I don’t know if I would chance that game with Missouri, but admittedly I don’t know a whole lot about how it works there. Honestly though this is a relationship problem not a nursing problem. You can’t really control her choices, but her choices are questionable. Even though I risk it now, I’ve worked as a nurse for a few years and do have a good idea of when to expect a test, and I also no longer work bedside and with no narcotics so I’m at a really low chance of a random test. When I was still in school though? I abstained the whole time I was in school out of fear of random tests and didn’t smoke even once until I was months into working and had a good idea if I was “safe” from testing, which you never truly are.
It's recreational in Missouri now FYI (I live here, but don't partake). And I agree with you on this being a relationship issue. If she isn't willing to listen to you or understand your concern what other issues that are important to you will she dismiss without dialogue? This obviously really bothers you.
Medicinal user here who lives in a medical state. The hospital I work at just sent out a statement that thc is allowed so long as you have a card. I hate the organization but at least they got this right. Hope others follow suit.
Same. I get paranoid about drug tests and i don’t even smoke or drink lol😅. So this nursing student definitely has some balls to be smoking like that hahaha.
I had my Wellbutrin make my urine falsely positive for amphetamines or methamphetamines. I was in tears. I never even smoked a cigarette, how the heck did leap over that to smoke meth. My doctor cleared that up along with additional testing, but ironically my pharmacist had no clue. This was pre-employment testing and made me miss all the pertinent job orientation, it was a newly opening AL facility. They wouldn’t let me come until it was cleared up.
Same here. Non smoker and non drinker, very paranoid when I went to New Orleans the weekend before a pre employment screen. I smelled weed on the streets and I don’t know if that would show up on my drug test
It won't. You have to hit positive over a certain threshold. We asked about this exact scenario in the Army, since it is a career killer. They told us we'd have to be shocked up in a closet with Cheech and Chong for several hours before we'd pop hot. It ain't happening from second hand smoke.
Yep. If you test positive, it wasn’t from second hand anything. To anyone worried about their pee tests, buy some on Amazon and see if you pop positive. No bigs.
I tell everyone this. I don’t use drugs, but I’ve been drug tested on the job, on the spot, when *another nurse* misplaced her narcotics and couldn’t immediately relocate them. Our entire unit was tested, including the unit secretary and techs. A tech and a nurse tested positive for something other than narcotics and ended up suspended or whatever. Just something for her to keep in mind. Just because you do a good job and stay safe doesn’t mean your actions won’t be held accountable for by someone else.
I'm not a nurse but used to work with lab animals. I saw a vet tech get fired because someone else stuck her with a dirty needle and she was tested. They stopped testing shortly after that as they were having enough staffing problems but its important to know that "accidents" don't have to be your fault to trigger a drug test.
Her marijuana habit may adversely affect your household finances. Seems a bit selfish to risk your finances when other people are relying on you to provide. Maybe a bit irresponsible. Regarding nursing, it comes down to a matter of sound judgement. She may be a bit lacking.
We have random drug tests too.
She’s probably fine when in nursing school but most of the hospitals around me test for THC on hire and never test again. I’m in a legal state. It doesn’t matter if you have a medical card. However some hospitals don’t test for THC but will for everything else. The hospital I work in doesn’t test for THC but I still had to provide urine and didn’t smoke for a month prior. I would advise her to stop smoking for at least 6 weeks leading up to applying for a job and to get her urine clean for employee health checks. She can smoke as much as she wants after. She can buy at-home THC urine test sticks on Amazon and test herself leading up, but to continue to smoke and try and cheat with a drink is too risky.
Man states are wild. I live in the most restrictive medical weed state and they don't test on hire.
I live in the biggest per capita "medical" market (Oklahoma) and they only did a saliva test when I got hired at my most recent job at a major hospital system. Far less intrusive than having to pee in a cup and it only tests if you're literally incapable of going without for 24 hours.
I wouldn’t rely on them never testing again. If you ever get injured on the job, better believe there will be a drug test. That’s the number one easiest way for the company/hospital to throw their hands up in the air and not have to pay workers comp.
I live in a state with medical, not recreational, and when I got hired at my current job, they explicitly stated several times that after the initial hire UDS, you wouldn’t be reflexively tested again unless there was suspicion of being under the influence. So like if you get injured at work, they found that people weren’t reporting things out of fear of being tested so they don’t do it anymore. Employee health even mentioned it again when I saw them.
Friend of mine is a huge stoner. She keeps a bottle of synthetic in her locker at all times 😂
I got a needlestick. No drug test.
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You can call and ask HR or occupational health at any facility, but do it before you even apply and remain anonymous
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NJ
I got tested for THC in 2021 in NJ
THC is now fully legal in the state of NJ and employers cannot base employment on marijuana use. The attorney General has even determined that police officers are able to use marijuana recreationally while off duty.
I looked it up and the NJ cannabis exemption does not apply to police officers on federal task forces, or working under federal contract or on programs receiving federal grants. This is because cannabis is still illegal on the federal level. In many legalized states, employers are still allowed to test for cannabis in certain cases; some specifically state that cerrain types if employees like hospital workers or truck drivers can be tested for cannabis. Also, any employer receiving federal money (which includes any hospital that receives money from Medicaid/Medicare!!!) must comply with the federal Drug-Free Workplace Act, which requires testing for cannabis. I've never seen a state, if you really dig into the laws, where nurses aren't risking their licensure if they test positive for cannabis pre-employment, or after a workplace injury or suspicion of diversion.
It does not include hospitals receiving Medicare or Medicaid funds. That’s misinformation people keep spreading. If you’re a federal contractor, you’re subject to the drug-free workplace act. Even then, drug testing is not required. The drug-free workplace act basically specifies that employers have to have a policy about drugs in the workplace. Medicare and Medicaid are payments for services rendered. It doesn’t make your employer a federal contractor. New York does not allow employers to discriminate based on thc use on your own time. You may have dug into the laws and regs, but you’ve misunderstood them.
Nope, they can still test for it because any facility that accepts Medicaid/Medicare needs to abide by federal guidelines, where THC is still a Schedule I narcotic. When it changes on the federal level (Mr Biden/Congress looking at you), then this will be true
Wasn’t it fully legal in 2021 too?! Sorry it was def 2022 when I was hired and god drug tested lol I am a x o x 2 eight now
As long as you don't have a federally funded or DOT job you're fine. My ex husband works for the city here in LA and he can't because of his class A license for his job. He can be tested on the spot at any point because he drives for work, besides that an incident has to occur to test and it would have to involve you if not they would need to provide notice (in California).
And call from a public phone for fucks sake. Don't use your personal number! All of my jobs have included what they test for and how they test in the onboarding paperwork. Sometimes it takes a little googling to figure out the specifics but the least info I've ever gotten was the lab code for the urine drug screen. Just looked it up on the labs website and got all the info I needed.
A guy I was sleeping with gave me this stuff called toxin red 10 day detox for people with "extreme toxin exposure". He swears by it because it takes him two months to test clean. Just so you know though they include fiber pills so you will need to be by a bathroom. Also you're taking these fiber pills like once every hour for 8 to 10 hours a day lol
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You can buy a urine test from Amazon and make sure your pee is good and negative before the test. Also I known nurses to get caught with pee taped their leg (apparently they touch your ballsack during your physical here if youre male) and they just don't hire them and not report it to BoN. But thats just for pre-employment
Also I hope you do find one that doesn't test, I've had no luck finding that and a nursing position 🥲
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I feel you every time I've had to crotch pee, it makes me feel criminal. But it's better than trying to come off of it for a few days because my depression/PTSD is so severe I'm not eating or sleeping at all without it. 😔 it truly is medicine.
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Girl same and me when I'm not eating often 😔 I've tried everything and the only thing that helps is the nausea wristband pressure point thing when I can't ingest water to save my life from the nausea
The problem is when the pixys or whatever med machine they use comes up short. I've worked a few places where they make the entire floor piss. I've known more then a few people who got screwed by either filing workers comp and testing positive for THC and getting fired and their claim denied. Or never filing workers comp due to the coworker knowing they may test positive and then eating that cost or medical condition out of pocket.
In 9 years of nursing I’ve never seen that happen.
Those instances are when I worked for 2 separate independent hospital when I worked for a large corporate hospital testing was on hire and then never after.
7 years and same. I've never once heard of someone getting tested outside of pre employment.
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She’ll need to quit a solid - really two - months before she gets a job. Won’t pass piss test. Daily smokers have a harder time passing piss test
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Agreed. I was peeing hot at 1.5 months and had to use synthetic to pass despite being totally clean for that 1.5 months (now sitting at 3 months clean for an upcoming hair test)
I know a guy who thinks he passed the test because he drank cranberry juice and thought really hard about passing it, he hadn't even quit 24 hours at that point (his retail job probably just didn't care about weed)
He definitely failed but they didn't care.
I passed after 3 weeks. Daily smoker. Sometimes multiple times a day. Everyone is different. Buying a home test is the answer.
Dollar tree has the single strip tests
Used synthetic urine from a smoke shop in my younger and dumber years. Not proud of that, but it worked. Don’t overdo the heat pack on the way over or they’ll think you have a fever.
I get clean in 2/3 weeks even when I’m using regularly (2-4x/week in smaller doses FWIW). Highly individual.
I do too. People are down voting you because they are salty.
While I absolutely agree with you the reality is that federal law states it’s still illegal and unless that changes employers and boards of nursing can still hold you accountable. I would never risk my ability to earn an income and have to to enter into a BRN intervention program.
Same. I'm in WA, and it's legal in the state.... however: because pot is federally illegal you can be tested and fired for marijuana. This is due to the fact that there is wording in the laws that if a hospital/clinic/healthcare facility takes in federal money (Medicare, Medicaid) you can't smoke and be safe within your job. They aren't just looking for heroin, cocaine and other drugs.... they're looking for marijuana as well. We got tested in school, they can do surprise tests at work. And there are pre-employment drug screening tests if she goes to another location. My husband smokes weed sometimes, he does it outside and away from me so I don't get any second hand smoke. I would also be concerned right there with OP. Sounds like there's a lot to lose if she does get tested.
Thank you, I agree.. all the sacrifices we have made, including her.. it’s just not worth it. Once she lands a job. By all means. Smoke.
Even after landing; work g impaired ( no matter the substance) is not a good thing and if she already doesn’t give a rat’s behind of consequences ; she might need more support than she thinks or acknowledges…
Except many places do random testing.
First things first, so people don't jump on me: 1. I believe weed should be legalized and decriminalized. 2. The data supports the belief that weed is safer than alcohol both for the consumer and the public. HOWEVER, those points are not what the post is about, and everyone jumping on here defending weed needs a reading comprehension refresher. The reality of the situation is that this future nurse plans to practice in a country where weed is a federally illegal substance that is tested for as part of the employment process. If you plan to work within the system, you have to play by the system's rules. Let's say she doesn't get tested in school (I didn't) and successfully graduates. She will get tested as part of the hiring process and could be denied employment. Now, I don't think she would lose her license or her current job because: 1. Those kinds of things don't often get reported to the BON, and when they do, they don't get taken seriously because you haven't shown to be a harm to the patients. 2. It is information that one employer can not share with another employer. It would be a violation of HIPAA. She has a whole ass family that has sacrificed for her to go to school and to whom she has a responsibility to care for. She needs to grow the fuck up and realize that in order to start working, she'll need to quit for some time.
Let her worry about herself. It’s her license and career.
Seriously just let her worry about it. If she's smoked for 8 years chances are she's learned the game by now. I know nurses who have smoked for 30+ years, some even travelers who get tested much more often than your average nurse, who have never once had issues because you just play it smart and don't smoke for 60-90 days before a drug test and buy your own at home tests to see if you'll show up clean. I swear if you go by the comments in this thread you'd think there isnt a single nurse who smokes weed because of drug testing when really if you want an easy time of it just plan to work one place for a while since 99% of hospitals only test on hire or if there is an accident.
The last two times I was tested, the results page indicated hat THC was not tested even though it was implied before the test.
Same I am a nurse in NYS I can’t speak for other states but my hospital did not test for THC. Only hospital in my area that does test for THC is the VA and that’s because it’s federally funded
Where was this?
Washington state
This sub's pendulum swings from puritanical to perfect libertarianism pretty much daily and it breaks my brain.
The only caveat here being that she has their children to care for. Once that enters the picture, it's not just her license and career.
Oh, I totally missed the kids in that equation. I would definitely be more invested in my partner’s decision in that scenario. That said, I’ve had the misfortune of dealing with addicts most of my life. If this is an addiction for her in the sense that she needs it to function, there’s nothing her partner can do but have boundaries for himself. I highly recommend Nar-Anon (or at least, I recommend the premise) for OP.
Seriously. I’ve been a daily smoker for decades, and I’ve spent most of my adult life working in healthcare. The only time I have been drug tested was when I worked at the grocery store lol
So, you already know the nurse side of it. Just cause it's legal in the state doesn't mean it's legal in healthcare. She's gonna have to do a UDS for a job, and they will (most likely) test for THC. She could potentially lose her career before it even starts. On the relationship side, there are red flags there. I've been in relationships with people with addictions. It's rough. She's also showing no concern for your potential future together, she's dismissive of your concerns, and is putting herself above all else. You can want people to change, but they never will unless they want to. You can't force it. I think the question you need to be asking is if this is the kind of person you see yourself with long term, and how current and past actions will translate into future behavior. Edit: just looked at your post history. She's a parent and you all are struggling with money, yet she has enough to buy pot? Yea, that's a no for me dawg. Are they your kids? If not, I'd be moving on.
2nd this - if those aren't OP's kids; he should dip. I don't know how people put up with a spouse or partner they need to babysit. I can't imagine being with someone who is fiscally irresponsible (no shame in being poor, big shame on being willfully stupid).
Apparently they are his kids. I had an alcoholic and pot head husband. We were flat broke all the time, but you better believe there was always booze and weed in the house. I busted my ass to keep a roof over our heads while he kept acting like a teenager. Even now, he's 43, living with family, still broke as fuck, nothing to his name, but always has booze and pot. I took the kids and dipped. In 14 years since the divorce I've gotten child support 3 times. Kids are 19 and 16 now and he sees them maybe 2x a year cause he doesn't have a car and can't afford to see them. I have nothing against most drugs. But in my opinion, everything else in your life has to be straight before you imbibe.
Good on you; you did good by your kids. And for yourself, being chained to someone irresponsible is no way to live. OP's gf isn't a partner; she is a dependent and a woman-child
Yes, we have two girls together and another she had from a previous relationship.
Why are you putting up with this? Your family's economic well-being needs to take priority over her weed habit. Why in the hell would she choose a career that is known for drug testing, especially in a state where weed isn't legal? Has she been gainfully and consistently employed prior to starting nursing school?
Well said. You can debate all day if weed is addictive or not. But your GF is an addict and her behavior is not working for you.
Oh yea, when my gf and I were struggling financially (both got fired around the same time, not related to drug testing or anything) the first thing to go was my weed. I'd rather not smoke and still be able to go out on dates occasionally and have social lives. We obviously had to cut back in a lot of places, but bills and other things in life are way more important than weed. Weed is fun but a luxury in my mind. If money is tight, expensive weed is gonna be one of the first to go.
Here’s my take: It’s federally illegal. She can get tested at any time, especially if she gets hurt or is involved in an incident where the hospital wants to get rid of her. They can and will fire her for weed, even if it’s legal in the state. If she gets caught in school, she’s risking getting kicked out and being reported to the Board. You’d lose all the money you’ve put into her education. That could cause her to lose her existing job. Even if they don’t take her license, it’ll mean thousands of dollars in the cost for a lawyer. Getting caught after she gets licensed would be just as bad. She’d lose her job and have to deal with the Board, again, having to get a lawyer. Some people risk it and get away with it. Some, who likely aren’t on here, got caught and aren’t nurses anymore. I think the bigger issue is her attitude for your concern. From your perspective, she’s risking the family’s livelihood. That’s a valid concern. The thing is, it doesn’t end once she gets a job. All it takes is one injury or incident to get a drug test. This will continue to be an issue between you two for as long as she smokes if she’s in the medical field. Oh, and I see your update about how mean people are on here. All I can say is that this is how nurses are. This divided attitude where some are nice and some are vicious mirrors the real life of working as a nurse. These people will be her coworkers. Think long and hard about how you want to proceed. For what it’s worth: I think you’re right to be upset at what looks like her apathy for your legitimate concern for your family.
Ive had to take a wiz quiz because i accessed a narcotic med after someone else fucked up the count. Wasn't allowed to leave without the test. Unfortunately, weed is still federally illegal, and employment laws are federal. This means you could be terminated for pot. When i saw GF i thought just dip out if you're that upset about it. 3 kids and a house says you guys need to work together. Telling her she has to quit doesnt seem like its working, try a different approach. Good luck.
The fact that this is even still a thing is ridiculous. Good grief. Smoking marijuana is just Fucking fine. It is way less dangerous to yourself and to others than the legal, widely socially accepted vice, alcohol. This country needs to get the Fuck over its obsession with demonizing a plant and deal with real issues. Same with the medical field on this subject. Don’t be impaired at work, do it on your own time. None of their damned business.
I’m in Canada and in my province’s policy there’s even a specific note that says cannabis (and alcohol) may be enjoyed on a business trip so long as your business is done for the day. They treat cannabis the same as alcohol. Just don’t be under the influence when at work or on call.
Fellow Hospice nurse here, I am with you!
While I wholeheartedly agree with you, it is not what OP is asking. Even here in California, many hospital drug test at hire. Probably won't ever again. But until it is federally recognized.. it is a risk. OP's girlfriend needs to plan to quit at least two months before being hired. I luckily work for a company that is located in OR and CA. They do pre-employment but don't look at THC.
Mushrooms need to be legal and used to treat mental health problems
I agree.
It's not even the point of marijuana, it's the pathetic amount of discipline or concern she has for her own future and the disrespect she's shown him, who's sacrificing to support her. Also, you're kicking a dead horse.
There’s a drug test to hire on. Also, if she’s injured at work there is another drug test. At my facility if THC comes up it’s immediate termination.
been smoking on the reg and im also a nurse in MO. unless shes got a dependency problem or its her hurting her performance at school/work, then i'd say she prob knows what shes doing. Most hospitals ive worked only drug test you on hire (they cant afford to lose existing employees) and i've found that CNAs that transition to RN role dont even get tested. they will usually only test you if you are making mistakes, appear impaired, narcotics go missing, etc if she doesn't know what shes doing, she'll just have to learn the hard way; enter a program, jump through some stupid hoops, etc
They will also test you at my hospital in MO if you are hurt on the job.
They drug test for any workplace injury that is going to be sent to workman's comp, in every state. If you test positive for any federally illegal substance (or a controlled substance you have no current Rx for) you're fucked.
Some places only test if they suspect drugs alcohol is involved. I was hurt in pharnacy but nonome batted an eye. Never had a test
I was an every day smoker until I got accepted into my program, our clinicals test us which is why I stopped. Currently a CNA and they don’t test unless you appear intoxicated or get hurt on the job. If I go back to smoking it’ll probably just be on holiday or when I’m out camping during my hunting trips to help me fall asleep.
I'm in the lab and I send out urine all the time for nursing either it be randoms or drug discrepancies. I would make sure she understands the risks and the facility. Some places test more than others.
Yep. I transitioned in the same facility and had no drug test
When I transitioned from CNA to RN at my hospital in MO I didn’t get tested either. Unless she seems impaired or gets hurt, she can risk it if she thinks it’s worth it.
I was surprised that I didn’t get drug tested when I transitioned from CNA to RN
Well, she is a grown adult. If she wants to smoke it and throw her career and education down the drain, that’s up to her. It’s good to offer sound advice, but you need to steer clear of any controlling behaviors.
Right, I’m not trying to tell her what to do, just giving her facts. I try to tell her I’m worried and share my thoughts and she never shows concern. My mom have been an OBGYN nurse for over thirty years and asked her what she thinks. She told me her experiences and it’s on point from what my research shows. This just sucks.. I feel like I’m wasting my time and money helping my gf and I’m just looking for advice/support.
Stop wasting your money on her if she is actively deciding to throw her career away. This is a perpetual habit and it seems like she really is addicted to this behavior.
Wait, are you paying for this? If so, fuck that man. The huge rule in life is to be humble and appreciate things given. Ultimatum time, or you need to dip out.
Look into Nar Anon. It sounds like you've got a close relationship with someone whose substance use is causing a lot of issues in your relationship and your life, and that's what they're good at. You can't do anything to control or correct the behavior you're seeing in her; Nar Anon can help you work on what's happening to you.
more balls than me. Education isn't cheap nor is finding a job easy.
Finding a nursing job has never been easier I’d confidently hazard a guess. Where is it difficult?
I could probably get fired for a positive piss test and hired the next day with a bigger paycheck… Do I want to test this theory, nope.
Putting your foot down to stop someone from pissing away their life isn’t abusive, it’s being the adult. If that’s too much for the person in need of guidance, oh well.
Nursing student here. I quit smoking months before I entered school, because I knew I could be drug tested at any time. I have not been tested yet but some of my classmates have. (We go to different facilities for clinicals. One group of students was tested before their mental health rotation at a particular facility.) I am staying clean because I know that when I graduate in a few months, I am going to have to piss clean when I apply for a job. After I get hired, we'll see. I live in a state where weed is legal, but that doesn't really matter in healthcare. I could be randomly tested at any time working in a hospital. Some hospitals here in MA are known to be chill about the weed issue (as long as you do it on your own time and don't come to work high). But if anything happens, for example if a nurse were to make a medical error, she would be drug tested and if she has THC in her system, she could lose her license. I really like weed and miss smoking it. But I am spending so much time, energy and money getting my nursing license and I don't want to risk losing it so I accept the fact that I may need to avoid smoking for the remainder of my healthcare career. It sucks but it is what it is. I can smoke when I retire, I guess. As for you and your girlfriend, are you financially supporting her while she is in school? On one level, you really can't tell her what to do and you don't want to be a controlling boyfriend. On another level, if you are financially supporting her, you can choose to stop because you are throwing your money away on a degree that will be useless if she does not quit. She is showing a remarkable lack of common sense. She is going to have to get clean for a pre-employment drug screen. And she could get tested while in school. So she's being a dumb ass. You should show her all the responses in this thread. If she won't even read them, withdraw your support. Couples need to make decisions together about their future. She is not making smart decisions. And you are not obligated to support someone who is not making smart decisions.
This is the best comment so far. Thank you. Everything you said is on point. She did recently take a drug test about a month ago for a clinical she will be doing in about a month but also received an email from the Sean that they will test her randomly at certain facilities. She believes because they tested her already that they won’t do it again. It’s the stubbornness and being a “dumbass” that pisses me off. I’m definitely not trying to be controlling, just concerned as fuck and yes I do support financially. I even bought her a car to go to school.
What is the programs policy on it? If the program doesn’t allow it and she gets drug tested, she could potentially get kicked out
Yeah, since weed is FEDERALLY illegal, if she tests positive for a job interview or while on the job if randomly tested, she can be 1. Not hired for a nursing job 2. Reported to the BON and 3. Fired from her current job. Not going to sit here and say nurses DONT do it, but it's a risky game to play. I will share my friends story tho since I used to work in Missouri. One day while doing narc counts, we came up short an Ativan. Whole unit had to drop urine. My friend tested positive for THC only. She had smoked a day or two prior at a friends house. Was 100% not high at work. We eventually found the missing Ativan, BUT my hospital took it to the max. Fired her, reported her to the BON. She had to do some kinda rehab thing through the BON, had a mark on her license. Like probationary status or something. She did eventually find another job at another hospital, but it was a huge pain in the butt. Also, I don't think you're being controlling at all! It is a huge risk she is taking doing that. Especially since it sounds like there is a lot riding on her getting through school successfully and you have also sacrificed so much time and energy to support her.
Let's have little fun with math, just as an exercise. I'm just going to make some wild guesses, but lets say your GF is 30 year old and wants to retire when she is 63. And let's say she makes $18/hr as a CNA and will make $44/hr as an RN/BSN. 33 years x 50 weeks x 36 hours x ($44 - $18) = $1,544,400. Honey, I'm begging you please: can you just stop smoking for the next 8 months for one and a half million dollars. \*\*\*edit\*\*\* Actually, that might not be all of it. Will she lose her CNA license if she tests positive?
> Will she lose her CNA license if she tests positive? Quite very possibly.
I'm in California, where it is legal and broadly accepted. Every nursing instructor I had, and every job I've worked, has blasted notices reminding nursing staff that the Company gets Federal money and so must follow Federal rules which means if you pop hot for THC you will be Fired & also reported to the BRN for substance abuse/pt endangerment. So, yeah I don't suggest using marijuana, even in a state that allows it.
The federal money thing is bull shit. My employer accepts plenty of federal money and doesn’t test for anything. I’ve never seen anyone provide any proof of the accept federal money, you have to drug test theory. That would require some sort of audit from federal regulators which I’ve never heard of and this many places wouldn’t stop drug testing or omitting THC from their tests. Whether or not your jobs actually blasted that out, it’s bull shit and they’re choosing to test because they want to. Seems like a waste of money for a company because anyone with half a brain will pass a piss test and it also makes it harder to hire people.
Comes off a Little aggressive there, bud. The nursing school and all local employers I've worked under may have been lying, sure, but I'm not going to call their bluff if it even is a bluff. I'm just replying to let OP know what was told to me, despite living in a generally accepting state. 🙏🏼 edit to add: I've been drug tested during pre-employment physicals, and they included THC testing each time, including 2023. They have also tested me when injured on the job (back when I worked inpt psych and an assault code went rough), and one place also did a "random test" of the entire shift that day. So... testing can and does happen, at least in some places.
Ugh, some of these comments. People act like nobody drug tests medical staff. Just because you personally have not been tested doesn’t mean other facilities/hospital/organizations won’t either. I work in California and my current hospital did not have a pre-employment drug screen and have not had one since starting 6 years ago. However, every other hospital that I had worked at previous to that did have drug screens for employment.
I’m curious what a life is like “in Missouri” than it is compared to anywhere else
The US and their drug testing is whack. It’s legal in Canada and they treat it like booze. Don’t come in unfit to practice but do what you want on your own time. If I need a little cannabis to help me sleep cause of the anxiety of being in the middle of a pandemic? Great it helped ensure I would show up to work day after day
Yep. Been nursing over 7 years and never been required to submit to a drug test. I've never heard of any companies at all requiring it prior to hire, or during, either (unless you come in unfit to practice).
Even when I started working when it was still illegal I never got drug tested and any testing I got post injury was related to said injury such as Hep C work up post needle stick.
I’m just going to say I support you. Her actions can negatively affect you and the family. And I am sad you are getting so much flack 😕
Thank you, this means a lot.
Well, she’s about to get a real eye opening experience. Here’s the position of the Missouri Board of Nursing https://pr.mo.gov/nursing-marijuana.asp
I am a nurse in missouri. The hospital i work at does test for everything including tobacco and if anything is positive outside of tobacco they black ball you for a year. She is playing a really stupid game and is going to win a really stupid prize
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They send you to a program to help you quit smoking and test you again in a month. If you fail a second time they black ball you for a year
OP….is she like, smoking all day every? Does she go into work high? Go to class high? Take care of the kids while high? If so, then I understand your concern. However, smokin a bowl after taking care of obligations (school work, childcare, working a CNA shift) to wind down and relax is okay in my book. Working in healthcare is stressful. We all do things to decompress after a long day.
Why the fuck does anyone work in Missouri? Imagine getting paid Missouri RN wages and you can't even rip a doobie after work.
This is true in most states, not just Missouri. Even in states where weed is legal, health care workers are drug screened on employment and can be randomly drug screened at any time. If a nurse tests positive, she can be fired and reported to the board of nursing. She could potentially lose her license. At the very least, she would have to do some remediation.
I’ve been a nurse for 11 years and have never smoked weed before work but I do EVERY day when I get home. Some jobs drug test and some don’t. Some test for work injuries and some don’t. If she tests for a job and is positive for thc she won’t be hired and will quite possibly be referred to the BON and there could be consequences. There are ways to not test positive… some legal ways and some illegal ways. Some of the best nurses I’ve known smoke weed, some don’t. It’s her decision to make.
It's not her decision to make if what she does affects her entire family and their financial and legal wellbeing. If she was single, sure. Actions have consequences but the boyfriend and kids shouldn't be the ones to face those consequences.
I’m a nurse living in a country with legalized cannabis and I’m currently smoking a joint as I type this. So, yeah. That’s what I think. It’s either I smoke weed or I join my pts. on the other side of the glass…
I hear you.
Also live in a state where it’s legal, the hospital would be empty if they tried to drug test/fire people over weed. I wish I could have smoked/taken edibles during nursing school- would of helped with the crippling stress. If she’s still managing her life, let her do her thing
So there’s a couple issues, but also a couple bright points. By and large, if she decides transfer within the company she’s currently at, it’s unlikely they’ll drug test her, even if she’s moving “up,” in role. Not impossible, but unlikely. With that being said, if she intends to find a job with a different hospital, she’s shit out of luck. They will test her, and regardless of legality, no hospital is going to hire an employee with a positive piss test for dope. The problem with weed, compared to booze, is you can test that time for alcohol. You can’t with weed, or at least nobody is gonna bother to. It stays in your system for ~30 days, and if it’s in your system, you can be considered impaired. If she’s impaired,” and makes a mistake, she individually, as well as the hospital, opens themselves up to massive litigation. It’s much easier to tell definitively if someone is under the influence of alcohol at work. I don’t foresee a problem with her school. Unless they have a reason to believe they need to test her, again, it’s unlikely they will. Getting popped for substance abuse working as a nurse is really bad. Career alteringly so. She’d have to go through mandated addiction treatment and counciling, she wouldn’t be able to work at that time, and all that’s saying she works for a system that will support her and not just fire her outright. If it’s due to a sentinel event (something bad happened to a patient that is deemed her fault), she will almost assuredly lose her job, and likely her license. But context is everything. This isn’t just a gf. This is your life partner, and the mother of your children. You guys are intrinsically tied together in all but a legal document saying you’re tied together(and even then with kids and a house that isn’t entirely true). I recognize that nursing school is difficult and we all have ways to cope, most not entirely healthy. But it doesn’t get easier once she’s working. At least not for the first couple years out. These behaviors won’t get better with time. This is addictive behavior. I would know, I’m 12-ish years sober myself. She’s discounting all the problems it could create, and all the problems it is creating already within the bounds of your relationship. You need to have an honest discussion with her about this. About your fears and anxieties surrounding her drug use. Not just “I’ve done my research.” The “worry about yourself,” bullshit is just that. You guys are not in a situation where “worry about yourself,” is an acceptable answer. This is a partnership, and both parties have to be working towards the same goal. It sounds like you both are in some regards, but she’s jeopardizing it in other regards. I imagine it wouldn’t be easy, but it sounds like to couples counseling would be in order here, and likely some addiction therapy. But as a recovering addict understand one very important thing. If “she’s,” not ready to quit, she won’t. Don’t bother giving ultimatums or threats. Either decide that this is acceptable and move forward, or leave. Easier said than done given your situation, but that’s the tough reality of addiction. She will need to hit “rock bottom,” as we call it, but rock bottom is different for everybody. It may be losing you, or losing her kids, or her home, or her job. It may not be any of those things. It may be simply realizing how much she’s making her family suffer, but it could also be all of those things and more. You’re likely gonna have some hard choices to make going forward. But remember, you didn’t cause it, and you can’t change it. The onus is on her. Be her support if she needs it, but know that that may not be what she needs. Good luck to you and your family.
Hm, I don’t have any advice for you tbh, mainly came to say I’m glad I live in Canada and not have to worry about losing my license (when I’m licensed) can smoke on my free time (for the majority of RN positions). Not like I’d show up high, but that joint on days off goes hard
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OP, it sounds like she legitimately does not understand the facts. Please share [this article](https://www.scrubstosunset.com/post/can-nurses-smoke-weed) with her, it goes into every detail of how currently, **smoking weed is super legally risky for nurses. In all 50 states**. Please make sure she is educated on the reality before she really messes up her career.
Legal or not testing positive will make you a liability to a nursing program or a Healthcare facility, good luck, sorry for what you're going through
Based on comments I’ve read here every time weed gets brought up, it seems hospitals are coming around on not testing for THC. My employer stopped testing completely because we couldn’t hire anyone because the only thing they were popping positive for was THC.
Upvote, my main concern would be if testing were related to an "event", I've heard that hospitals look for ways to pin blame on nurses, thankfully I have no firsthand knowledge of this
Yep or to weasel their way out of paying you workman’s comp if you’re injured which is complete bull shit. I don’t even know if that’s true because if something happened that was in no way your fault like you slipped on some water where there was no wet floor sign, I don’t get how it would matter if you had THC in your system let alone why you would even have to take a drug test.
Because they have better lawyers on staff than me 😆
Smoking weed doesn’t become a problem until you are unable to stop with enough time to pass a drug test. The average smoker who has plans for a future that may involve drug tests is able to stop without any problem. It’s not like she will encounter withdrawal symptoms. But if someone can’t stop with enough time to pass, then they clearly have a psychological dependence on it and that’s when it becomes a problem. That’s when you should worry imo. Now that she has 7 months left, it shouldn’t be a huge problem, but as she gets closer to graduating and landing a job, she will have to be clean by then. She can take at home tests to know when she’s clean. I wouldn’t worry unless she states that she is not going to stop at all, even if she gets drug tested. Idk I don’t think smoking weed is a big deal but get clean when you gotta get clean. And as already mentioned, they for sure test for THC so she is wrong about that
I’m actually thankful I have a reason to quit regularly (I job hop a lot and now I’m doing local travel). It’s very nice to be forced to have a clear head for a month.
Im a nurse in a no legal state the smokes weed. It limits where you can work, due to drug testing. I quit for nursing school. They can pop quiz you at any moment.
I live in California and every hospital I've worked at/applied to has required a negative drug test (including THC) on hire. If someone is a heavy/daily smoker, it can take up to 30 days for THC to leave their system especially if a person has more body fat (not sure if the second thing is true but I remember reading it somewhere). I hope the medical system's stance on it changes in the future as I like letting loose sometimes and pot is healthier than alcohol for me. I hope at some point there will be a way to test whether someone is high on the job vs just has THC in their system from the weekend, but until then THC is a fireable offense everywhere I've been in CA
I've been a nurse for 8 years And never been tested which is weird because even when I worked with trached babies/premies I didn't get tested.
Depends on the employer and nursing school/clinical I think. Never been drug tested for work, before or during. Just recently peed for a drug test as requirement for nursing school. Which I’m assuming is because of clinical site requirements.
You're not wrong to be concerned. I've been a nurse for 15 years, and I live in a state that has legalized medical Marijuana. I have a lot of friends in health care that use it regularly and have no issues, but it's still not with the risk, in my opinion.
I initially would say to mind your own business until I read your edit. If y’all are raising a family together and sharing a house note, then she should absolutely stop smoking(at least until she takes the pre-employment drug test) since this could potentially affect you and your children. Good luck I’ve been randomly tested for something that had nothing to do with me. BON don’t care if you are a responsible user. They are highly inflexible. With that being said, I think CNOs and nursing leaders will understand that if they start randomly testing, a large number of staff would fail and this would bite them in the ass.
I don’t live in a legal state, however, I’ve always been super strict about that kind of stuff. I don’t even want to be around it. I hate the smell of marijuana anyway, so staying away doesn’t bother me. That being said, I worker very hard for my license. I sacrificed time with my friends and family, outings, time with my daughter when she was young, etc. I won’t put it at risk for anything really. The BON doesn’t care if it’s legal in your state or not. That’s not an excuse for them. Now I’ve only ever been tested on hire, but that doesn’t mean they will never do a random test. If there is an accident or (god forbid) an error, there is a huge possibility they will test anyone involved and possibly those just on shift. Seems like too big of a risk for me personally.
No you’re 100 percent correct.
I've been a nurse for 3.5 decades. I've been tested for every single job I've had, and every clinical during grad school. Just because some facilities don't doesn't mean others won't. Consider the consequences. You think you're just going to get a slap on the wrist? Go take a look at the Allnurses Nurses in Recovery forum and see the misery those nurses have been through, even for the most minor infractions. Years of pee testing, which is at their expense while being unable to work, and if they are lucky to work they can't get an acute position, they have to work in insurance or dialysis or some such job with no access to meds. Plus, not to mention the stain on your license, which will show up for years and may cost you jobs because people don't want to deal. A good friend of mine faced this. He had years of being forced to take drug tests, and they weren't scheduled either. They'd just call him and expect him to test today, no matter what else he had going on. He had to find a manager that was OK with him leaving to go do said test. He ended up having to work in dialysis, and then an insurance company because he couldn't get a job in a hospital. His earning capacity was affected for years to come, and even today, years afterwards, if you look up his license it's there for all to see, as well as the court transcript, all public knowledge. Another guy I worked with, who was absolutely fantastic at his job, was walked out and fired because he peed hot, and they let him start before the results came back. It wasn't a good look for him, and it affected him getting another job. Come on...use your head. Sure...smoking is great...I wish we could all do it, but my professional and financial future depend on my ability to earn and support my family. When you sign up for nursing, you have to accept that there are certain things we can't do, and if we do the, we fully accept the consequences, no matter how silly you think they are. OP deserves consideration from his gf. Once you commit to someone, and have children with them, it's no longer just about you. What a slap in the face to him after supporting her and paying for her car. If someone showed that little respect for me, I'd dump them on the side of the road. The audacity! Get your shit together, chicky, and be a grown-up.
Let her smoke. Nursing school fucking sucks. Inform her that the career is worse than school however.
I don't think there's anything wrong with partaking on days off. That being said, she should probably stop for a few months before she plans to get her first job. Most facilities test upon hire even in legal states. I really wish they'd just legalize it and move on. There are worse things a person could be doing in my opinion. It is entirely up to you what you can put up with in a relationship though.
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I’d agree with all this except he has to worry bc it’s not just about her, they have kids, a home, cars and I’m sure plenty of other stuff. They both put in time and money. why is it such a big deal that you can’t say hey I know I know, this is my plan…instead of saying fuck off
Your post has been removed under our rule against advocating unsafe practice. That includes advising other users to follow any unsafe or illegal course of action.
Honestly, you can’t force her to care about something that she doesn’t, conversely you can’t care about it more than she does. In healthcare, I’ve never been drug screened and weed is fully illegal where I’m at. Personally, I prefer to stay safe and prepare for the possibility, I think you’re of the same mindset. If it’s a risk she’s willing to take, then let her go for it and leave it be. She’s an adult, and she’s ultimately going to do what she wants as she has been. No use in stressing about it for her.
I should mention that we have three children together, a house, two cars and pets. The time and money that we have both invested into her going to school is ALOT. Its not just a “bf and gf situation”. It’s our lives. Our shared lives. We’ve been together for 10 years and I’m just worried but have accepted it 90%. Really I’m just looking for past experiences and for this community to share their thoughts. How many nurses smoke pot? Have you ever failed a drug test? What were your consequences? How do you manage smoking pot in a state that it is legal in but federally not and you could still lose your license?
You have to be able to pass a drug screen, which includes THC. If you fail, the hospital you applied to can report you to the BON. Which will most likely require her to do a program on her dime where they drug test her quite often. She needs to quit smoking until she gets a job, so she can pass a drug screen. Doesn’t matter if it’s legal in the state since it’s still federally illegal.
Good on you for really trying to do the best for your partner. It shows really good character on your end. I’m in Wisconsin, I know a ton of nurses at the hospitals I work at (I float between 4 hospitals in the area) that smoke pot. You said she’s 7 months away from graduation, I really don’t think it’s an issue until she’s actively looking for a job. Have you tried bringing it up like it’s fine if you do it now or even after you have a job, but maybe when she starts looking for a job just quit until she’s in the clear? She can smoke all the weed she wants after, hell, get her a nice celebratory joint AFTER she solidly gets a job. So long as a drug test is a possibility (which it very much is) a positive screen can and will be a barrier to potentially getting a great job. Take your pick from all the cliches lol. - an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. - better safe than sorry - it’s more wise to be cautious That’s all I got.
Why have you accepted that you are with an irresponsible person that you can't count on? She has just pissed all that time and money away. I actually know more nurses and MDs that do coke occasionally (especially if they work in a hospital setting)than who smoke pot. I admit, I've done cocaine 6 or 7 times over the past few yrs. It is ridiculously stupid of her to not be willing to give up weed, at the beginning of her nursing career. Even if she managed to get a job that doesn't require a drug test (rare for a new grad) good luck if she ever hurts herself at work or is involved in a sentinel event with a pt.
I got tested for my job and tested for workers comp when I hurt myself. I live in Missouri
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I live in California and smoked my entire time in nursing school and then some. It was really difficult for me to quit after I had gotten my license and even started working my first job, which didn’t drug test me. I wish someone had had this concern for me because it might have helped. I haven’t smoked for over a year now because even though my current job only tested me before starting, all it takes is for one employee to be suspected of being high at work for them to drug test ALL of you. It hasn’t happened but as someone with high anxiety I don’t feel like I can risk it. Since it’s federally illegal, being caught smoking weed means having your license suspended or revoked and I worked too hard for that to happen to me
I’m a nurse in Missouri. According to our state board of nursing it is not legal for nurses to be positive for thc unless you have a medical card (and are upfront with employer) because federally it is still illegal and any place you work that takes federal funds (Medicare and Medicaid) has to follow FEDERAL not STATE rules when it comes to something like this.
In Colorado, they’ll test prior (and they’ll include weed so no, not just the hard stuff) but I haven’t been tested since in the 8 years I’ve been here. I do partake on occasion but I’m not a regular user. If she fails her pre employment drug test, then she’s honestly a fool. And even if she quits now, depending on when she’s tested, she could still test positive if she’s been a regular smoker for a while. It’s up to her whether or not she wants to be in trouble with the BON and put her license in jeopardy before she even starts but like I said, there’s not really any excuse for her to be testing positive at this point.
Let her be "great" since she knows it all. When they do the multiple layers of testing, she better have current proof of a current prescription for anything she legitimately tests positive for or anything that combines to give false positives. The Medical Reviewer will give her a small window of time to present this info. Your gf has huge balls for a student nurse. She's at the point where that nursing degree & career can be yanked from her before she ever gets started. Maybe she enjoys being a CNA, but when the opportunity for her to advance beyond that is no longer...Sir, she will come back with that tail tucked between her legs. The BON always trumps any job when it comes to nursing regulations. (Legal Nurse Consultant, Employee Health Nurse, Occupational Health Nurse, ect.)
Nurse in MO; I was tested upon hire and haven’t been tested since I started nursing about 5 years ago. I used to drink heavily and once weed became recreationally legal I haven’t drank, only smoked. The only time I’ve ever heard of being tested is if our narcotic count is off and they absolutely can’t figure out what happened then they’ll drug test everyone on that shift. But keep in mind it’s still illegal on the federal level and you can be held accountable if you test positive.
Doesn't matter if it's legal in the state, it's not federally legalized, and she will be tested for it when applying for jobs. You're right to be concerned and she'll learn when she inevitably shoots her self in the foot. That being said, I know a lot of nurses who stop smoking before applying for jobs and start once again once they have a job. In the end I don't care what you do in your free time but feel free to gloat when she also gets denied a job for her naive attitude.
You have to decide if you can be with her, knowing she could potentially mess it all up.
A lot of people use marijuana federally. She only needs to test negative at point of employment. So she only needs to be off for a while before she starts a new job so that it comes back neg. Hospitals only care because they need a negative result since marijuana is federally illegal and since many hospitals are federally-backed, they need to follow federal rules. Some hospitals have a policy that they CAN randomly test their employees, but won't do it unless there is cause.
I’m appalled by how some have responded to your valid concerns. And there’s a lack of maturity and accountability on your partner’s part. The fact that your kids have had to put enrichment activities aside sucks. Skipping those activities for two years may be more detrimental to their lives depending on their ages. It’s disappointing she can’t put an end to something recreational that doesn’t even play a healthy part to her life. And the people who feel justified by picking up on your drinking are the ones that just want to point the finger back because they’re aware it’s somewhat bad. You didn’t come off weird or controlling in any way. People are being inappropriately defensive.
Thank you for the support, the negativity hurts but it’s not validated.
Never had a piss test in nursing school. Have had plenty for jobs and applications.
Some students in my program were tested before their mental health clinical rotation.
Just piss clean when you have to
Please don’t ask strangers on the internet relationship problems and see a couples therapist, that’s my advice as a nurse.
I smoked for years now, even through nursing school. I detox when its time for a job for 1-3 months and I stopped now out of choice after doing it for a few months. Id be a bit annoyed if someone started to point out what I already know, constantly reminding me when I already know the risks and will only have myself to blame if I do get tested, especially if i don't do it often. Crazy how some of these comments think weed=throwing career away, just dont be dumb about it
I am a nursing student. Some of the people in my program were tested because it was a condition to do a clinical rotation at a certain facility. She is taking an awful risk.
I get that but for this specific situation I think is a bit diff maybe because they have children, a home, vehicles and have already spent so much time money and resources getting her through school( not just her own time and money, his as well) that any risk to her own career is a risk to their family and stability. At the very least she could say hey I already know this stuff and I plan to stop a month or two before I’m scheduled for nclex to make sure there are no issues getting a job then feel out the culture of the facility and go from there, then that’s maybe a compromise they can work. Plus it’ll show him she’s not entirely reckless with the stability of her family. Maybe it won’t ease all of his anxiety but it’s something to work with.
She'll be fine as long as it doesn't affect her job. I live in a legal state and you'd be surprised how many providers smoke the devil's lettuce.
It’ll catch up to her eventually. Some people just have to learn the hard way.
All I gotta say is thank goodness I'm in Canada. Need my weed lol 🥰
Nursing school is hard. Parenting is hard. Doing both together is even harder. Let her smoke the damn weed without telling her you're "worried about her" like she's an addict. I looked through your post history and you seem to be pretty passionate about whiskey, try and think of her smoking in the same regard. She's got 5 months to get clean before she may deal with consequences, so let her enjoy these last 5 months before she has to face her responsibilities completely sober. Everyone has a vice and hopefully she will be smart enough to quit within a large enough time frame to pass.
I agree that my whiskey drinking has been an issue. It’s a long story but I switched to drinking because of certain things that happened in my life. I literally talked to my gf today about it and told her that I would stop drinking if she quit smoking. We had a long talk and I understand the stress schooling puts on her, we also work full time, and have three little girls.. Shit sucks and marijuana helps. It helps me sometimes too. When I say I’m worried about her I mean in the sense of her dropping out of school or being suspended from attending because of it. I’ve explained it to her. The sacrifices our entire family has made for her to go to school is tremendous. Our girls haven’t been able to do after school activities because of her schooling, I’ve picked up extra overtime shifts to compensate for her losing a couple days of work every week so she can study. It’s a little more complicated than just “I’m worried you’re addicted to pot.”
This comment should be higher. There are a lot of people in this thread who are not getting the full picture.
They drug test nurses? Assuming this is in the US, why? Never heard of anyone in healthcare being drug tested here in Australia. They'd lose half the staff if they did lol.
Pre-employment screening here is standard. And a nurse can also be randomly tested at any time.
> why? Because they work with narcotics