University and specified in the Drug Free Work
Place (6/91), Drug Free Schools and
Communities Act (9/90), and the Drug and
Alcohol Prevention Program (9/90).
In accordance with Valdosta State University’s
Drug Free Work Place Policy (see VSU Faculty
Handbook), the School of Nursing has a
responsibility to provide a safe and healthy
environment for faculty, staff members, and
students. Faculty, staff members and students
are prohibited from the use, distribution, sale,
personal possession, manufacture, or purchase
of illegal drugs or alcohol while at work, or in
class on the University premises, or while at
clinical experience sites.
The Valdosta State University College of
Nursing and Health Sciences is dedicated to
maintaining a drug free work place and learning
environment. An impaired faculty member, staff
member, or student constitutes a potential threat
to faculty, staff member, or student constitutes a
potential threat to faculty, staff, student, and
client safety. Faculty, staff members, and
students who are suspected to be drug
dependent or have an addiction problem are
encouraged to seek diagnosis, counseling, and
treatment from qualified professionals.
The VSU Counseling Center will treat
requests for evaluation or therapy confidentially
and will provide short- term assistance (5
sessions). Long-term counseling, or therapy, is
the individual’s responsibility. An impaired
faculty member’s, staff member’s, or student’s
completion of a program for rehabilitation and
treatment facilitates the possibility of return to
work, or class, following release from treatment.
The inappropriate use of drugs or alcohol is
not condoned. Any faculty member, staff
member, or student reporting to work, or class,
or to clinical experience sites exhibiting
signs/symptoms of alcohol or substance abuse
will be requested to submit to a blood and/or
urine test for chemical analysis to determine the
presence of toxic, hazardous, illegal, or foreign
substances.
Any faculty, staff member, or student who
declines to submit to testing (for reasonable
cause) will be subject to disciplinary action up
to, and including, discharge or expulsion.
1. Reasonable suspicion of inappropriate use
of drugs or alcohol may come from
supervisory observation, co-worker or
classmate reports, performance decline,
attendance or behavioral changes, or
involvement in a workplace, classroom,
clinical or vehicular accident. Suspicion
must be verified by at least two witnesses.
2. A faculty member, staff member, or student
suspected of inappropriate use of drugs or
alcohol will be escorted to the University
student health center, if on campus, or to
the hospital or agency laboratory, if at a
clinical site, where testing will be done
according to established protocol. Such
testing will be done at the expense of the
individual.
3. Faculty, staff members, and students
charged with a drug violation by law
enforcement authorities will be suspended
from employment, class and clinical
experience sites. If the charges are dropped
or the involved individual is rules innocent,
the individual may return to employment,
class and clinical experience sites as
appropriate.
4. If an individual is convicted of a drug
violation, he/she is subject to termination of
expulsion. If a faculty member or staff
member is convicted of violating any
criminal drug statutes the faculty or staff
member must notify the Personnel Office
within five calendar days or conviction.
Students convicted of violating any
criminal drug statues must notify the Dean,
College of Nursing and Health Sciences,
within five calendar days.
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