HELP! Big, ethical problem. Need advice, STAT!

[dawngloves, BSN, RN]

From the top. This summer I worked tele at a facility that had a tech watch the monitors. Well they hired one strange bird who we discovered was coming to work drunk!It was obvious one night as they reeked, kept dissapearing and acting even stranger.So we called our supervisor. After a trip down to the ER and a tox screen that tech was never seen again.

Now I work for an agency and tonite was on a tele floor and guess who walked in to sit tele?! The drunken tele tech! Should I let the Floor Manager know? Or do I give this tech the benefit of the doubt that they have gotten help. I don't know if I'll ever work with this person so I can't observe them to make my own judgement, but I would feel terrible if something happened!

Do I Narc? Do I shut up and mind my own Damn business?

[Jenny P]

Boy, you are inbetween a rock and a hard place! If I were you, I'd first discuss this with your agency manager or legal expert, then if appropriate, the floor manager of that tele unit. I would think that if he was still drinking and something happened to a patient because he was under the influence of alcohol, he could (theoretically) put your license in jeopardy for not reporting him. In mentioning this to the floor manager, I would speak to the manager privately and state it the way you did here; that you'd worked with him before and found out he was drinking on the job. You don't know if he still drinks, but at least you have alerted the manager.It is then up to the manager to make sure that he is supervised closely and ther is no harm done to any patients. Good luck.

[prs358]

This is a dilemma, but this person could have sought help for the problem they had. It would be very hurtful to report a problem that is history and cause them undue shame and embarrassment. Certainly, I would watch them for any signs/symptoms of impairment, but I don't know if I would go so far as to report something that had not occurred at this site. Just my two cents.

[mustangsheba]

Ask him. If he's gotten treatment, he won't mind. If he hasn't, tell him about your concerns regarding safety. If he is still using, you may never see him again. The safety of the patients comes first. The dilemma is in how you approach him and/or administration, not whether or not you do. Not fun! Good luck!