"Hypothetical" situation....

Nurses General Nursing

Published

OK, just want to preface this by saying that this is not about me.

I've been doing some searching around the internet about what types of nursing offenses are required to be reported to the nurses BON, to no avail. I keep finding stuff about "mandatory reporting" in terms of child or elder abuse and the like. But I'm taking about if a nurse is fired from her job, is that automatically reported to the BON, or only if she is fired for certain reasons?

I tried the official site for the Ohio BON, and I didn't really see anything that pertained to this issue. If anyone has any info, or any links to info, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Heather

Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

Found some links, posted and computer froze. will repost tomorrow.

I can only talk about Missouri . . .

Here, anyone can report anything or anyone and the Board will investigate. I've heard of nurses reported (and disciplined) for drunk driving, shoplifting, etc., that didn't even happen while working as a nurse (immoral conduct). Alot of the Nurses Practice Act is very broad and general, so it leaves a lot of room for being reported.

http://www.ded.state.mo.us/regulatorylicensing/professionalregistration/nursing/

Reporting abuse or neglect of the elderly in Missouri falls under another statute, not covered by the BON. In that statute, anyone who works for the elderly in anyway, are classified as mandatory reporters. If you fail to report, it's a criminal offense.

Hope that helps a little.

Why on earth would any nurse take a lasix while at work? :confused: For crying out loud, I have enough problems getting to the bathroom as it is!! :eek: Definitely would be anchoring foley with leg bag just to make it thru the shift!! Otherwise I would probably be charged with pt abandonment because I would be in the bathroom for 2 hrs!!

We do have a stock bottle of just plain Tylenol that the pharmacy gives us for staff use. It is in our manager's office. Otherwise, I just carry my own ibuprofen to work.

I would be scared to take medication such as Valium or Atarax at work for fear of making some mistake. Even if I had a legit script from my own physician, I wouldn't feel safe taking those meds while being responsible for pt care. I am sure other people take those meds routinely and go to work and don't have any problems.

We def wouldnt be popping Valium at work but floor stock tylenol or other otc meds are fine. If you go to pharmacy and ask for sudafed or something like that they also gladly hand it out. That is nuts that someone would get fired for taking lasix... there has to be more to that story!!! Geez...

Specializes in ER.

In my area if you are fired from a hospital for cause the BON says the hospital must report why. My hospital goes along with that but has also given nurses the option to resign voluntarily in some cases.

And I have and will be taking Tylenol and ibuprofen when ill at work- unless someone wants to come in and relieve me at 3am. I can't imagine taking Valium or Atarax though, even if I had my own. Very irresponsible to care for patients while on sedating meds.

I knew a nurse who worked for a cardiac doc; she took lasix (he gave her a prescription, wasn't out of floor meds) when she felt bloated. I think some people use it for "weight loss".

Specializes in NICU.

I know a number of nurses, med students, and interns at a nearby hospital that routinely use hospital supplies to hook themselves up to IV's ranging from fluids to antibiotics gotten (lord knows how...) from pharmacy, as well as using patient supplies of advil and various other medications (from the well-stocked open cart in the ER) for their own purposes. None of them has ever gotten fired or reported for any of this. Another nurse who worked Maternal/Child was fired and reported for mentioning to a new mom (who was giving her child up for adoption) that she was attempting to adopt a child herself. They called it "soliciting", even though no actual soliciting went on and the only witnesses were her and the new mom.

Specializes in Critical Care, Emergency, Infusion.

I admitted a young, female RN one night into ICU. She was in the middle of her shift on a med/surg floor when she went into respiratory distress, later determined caused by Lasix overdose. She was later fired because she had been taking Lasix from patients' med drawers. Taking the Lasix as a way to lose weight. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

Specializes in Corrections, Psych, Med-Surg.

re Lasix: Well, I guess it WOULD help you lose weight. For an hour or two. Thanks for the feedback. What will people think of next?

Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

We had one RN fired for taking 3 of those little half cans of gingerale because she had morning sickness.

Another RN was reported and fired for taking 2 rolls of toilet paper.

Another LPN used other nurses' patients' profiles to take 27 doses of narcotics from the Pyxis in ONE night. The only way he was caught was another (rather lazy) nurse always waited 'til end of shift to document her meds and saw HIS name for HER patients on the printout. He was reported and allowed to resign...he had a relative in the hosp. administration though.

One RN was sent home in a cab after being found high as a kite, with needle marks on her thigh and empty toradol tubexes in the bathroom. They sent her by cab;she took the cab 200 feet, got out and drove her car into a post and went to jail. Never reported, never fired.

If you look at the disciplinary actions on your BON site there are some who are suspended for "minor stuff" major stuff and some who never show up. Guess it's who you know not what you know.

We have floor stock ibuprofen and acetaminophen for the staff. In a pinch, you can usually get the pharmacist to give you an OTC med such as Sudafed or Tums.

I don't feel like I'm running fast enough as it is most days at work. I can't imagine trying to work after taking something like Valium.

A high from toradol?

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