How is it that this can slip through the cracks?

Nurses General Nursing

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I posted a thread a couple of months ago about a co-worker who stole Dilaudid and signed it out under my name, as well as two or three other co-workers. There was an investigation, it was fairly obvious that it was this one particular nurse, and he was fired. There were several other red flags besides the missing Dilaudid, he had diverted drugs from patients' personal bottles, pocketed wastes, etc.

So I found out within a couple of days that while he was let go from our facility, he wasn't fired for stealing the drugs. He was officially fired for giving meds without an order. So, he merely went to another hospital in another state about an hour away and got a job there, and wasn't reported to either BON.

This royally chapped my rump. This person put my job, my license, my reputation, and my livelihood in danger, yet he continued to work with no repercussions.

That was, until last week. I found out through a mutual friend that he has already been caught stealing narcotics at his new job, and is in the nurses' assistance program in that state.

When I went to tell my nurse manager this development, he said, "Oh, yeah. We're still pulling pharmacy records and comparing them to charts to look at discrepancies, and we found many, many more times that he had taken narcotics without an order, and under more peoples' names. Oh, well...I guess since he got caught in (state name) then we don't have to worry about reporting him to the BON here." (which is in another state.)

My question is, WHY THE HELL NOT?!? I think that my manager has a duty to report his behavior to the BON here to ensure that he doesn't just cross state lines again and get another job and do this to someone else!

Can anyone offer me some insight?

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Specializes in ER, Hospice, CCU, PCU.

I know that in our state it is mandatory reporting and the hospital I work for reports quickly. It doesn't take that long to check a couple charts and you only need a couple. One might be a mistake, Two carelessness but 3 is unexplainable. If the employee admits to a problem they are offered employee assistance and placed in a program and on administrative leave. If they deny, they are terminated. In either case the BON is notified.

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You can report him yourself. You don't need to wait for the employer to do it.

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Absolutely you can report this yourself I would for the sake of safety- of coworkers and future pts.

I also thought the hospital was obligated to report?

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Specializes in ICU, ER, HH, NICU, now FNP.

I would bet that she is in violation of the nurse practice by not reporting and therefore SHE could be in trouble too - and so could you if you failed to report.

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Specializes in Acute,Subacute,Long-term Care.

I realize this is an old thread, but I have a question. If a healthcare worker has an addiction and is sent for help to overcome it, does the board of nursing penalize them ex. put on probation, license suspension, etc?

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Specializes in Alzheimer's, Geriatrics, Chem. Dep..

This royally chapped my rump. This person put my job, my license, my reputation, and my livelihood in danger, yet he continued to work with no repercussions.

Seems to me this means he could theoretically come back and practice in your state!!! THAT'S why they should report him!!!

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Darn that nurse manager! She's too slow in doing her job. I just hope there are only few of them.:madface:

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