Marijuana Use (Research Paper Sample)

Understanding Legal Mandates: Marijuana Use
Although marijuana use is legal in most states in the U.S., it remains a controversial subject due to conflicting reports regarding its health implications. One of the issues at the center of this controversy is the use of marijuana for recreational purposes, suggesting that it is used moderately without presenting serious health risks. Nevertheless, practicing nurses should not use marijuana due to the risk of impairing judgment and leading to errors, thus impacting patient safety.
Considering the implication on patient health, I will seek to find out if the prospective nurse’s usage is habitual or a one-time incident. Research shows that marijuana use by nurses negatively impacts patient safety (Jacob, 2021; Privette, 2020). This risk results from the potential to make medication errors due to impaired judgment. Thus, I would recommend further tests to establish whether the candidate has been using the substance for a long time, which indicates the risk of addition. Considering the occupation hazard implications, my role in the hiring process in this situation is to ensure that the hospital does not hire a potential habitual/addict user of substances that impair effective decision-making in healthcare settings.