Need some help!

RN1989 · Oct 29, 2007

She's trying to rattle your cage. She is the one who should be scared. You can sue anybody for anything these days. That doesn't mean that they are going to get anywhere. I don't see very many judges or juries that are going to side in her favor unless she is able to produce motive and documentation that you are lying about her. Chances are, it won't even get that far because her license is on the line, and yes, reporting an impaired nurse at home may be a gray area for some, but the law is quite clear about drug use. Chill out. She is the one that is going to lose. And about this qustionable living arrangement - sounds like something is going on. Best you report to APS now, give your suspicions as well as this stealing med info and let them check things out. If you don't report and something happens - you are the one that will be in trouble with your license.

Laurentina1975 · Oct 30, 2007

I consulted a lawyer. I am in the clear. She is a walking time bomb and will eventually hurt someone. Thanks everyone for your support.

ERGirl83 · Oct 30, 2007

Why would someone from the police department be calling you to tell you that this person could be suing you for losing her job? I've never heard of any policeman doing that! That sounds very fishy and not right to me. You shouldn't be talking to any policeman about a criminal case unless they come to you and produce credentials to prove who they are. Do you suppose this "friend" had someone call you posing as a policeman to scare you? She's the one who going to have to explain how she got her hands on your prescription medications, not you.

Yeah this is my thought process as well. Police Officers have no stake in civil investigations...

kanzi monkey · Oct 30, 2007

As a health care worker, we are madated to report nurses who are impaired. A friend of mine was over, stole my ambiem and xanax out of my medicine cabinet, so I told someone who obviously must have reported her to her superivsor. I am sure it was her, she was the only one in my apartment and has asked me to refill my prescriptions for her in the past. Today I get a call from the police department saying she could "sue me" civilly if she loses her job. Can someone please tell me how I can protect myself?? I am a bit nervous.

Did you ever either share or refill for her in the past? Not accusing you--nor asking you to answer on the thread. "Sharing" prescription meds is just so incredibly common--especially in colleges these days. And doing so doesn't necessarily make you a bad person, it just shows poor judgement. Just something to think about if this becomes a big legal to do.

Also, who was the person you told, who then went on to report her? A co-worker? It does seem to me that this information would have been best kept between you and a legal authority as it does not seem to relate directly to your friend's work performance. If she is impaired at work, or diverting meds, that's another story.

Good luck with resolving this!

-Kan

deeDawntee, RN · Oct 30, 2007

I don't know much about the legal implications of this entire situation, but I want to congratulate you for your courage. Good for your for standing up against issues that are clearly not right. Please, just be careful and take good care of yourself.

Laurentina1975 · Oct 30, 2007

Did you ever either share or refill for her in the past? Not accusing you--nor asking you to answer on the thread. "Sharing" prescription meds is just so incredibly common--especially in colleges these days. And doing so doesn't necessarily make you a bad person, it just shows poor judgement. Just something to think about if this becomes a big legal to do.
Also, who was the person you told, who then went on to report her? A co-worker? It does seem to me that this information would have been best kept between you and a legal authority as it does not seem to relate directly to your friend's work performance. If she is impaired at work, or diverting meds, that's another story.
Good luck with resolving this!
-Kan

NO! Never. I hope she doesn't try and accuse me of something like that. She has asked me and I always would say "I have nothing to give you" or "go see a Doc". The problem was she hasn't seen a Doc in over 5 years because she doesn't want the stigma of a mental illness.

I feel pretty confident, I have spoken to an attorney and I believe I did the right thing. Sometimes people need to hit rock bottom to get clean and sober. I just hope she cleans her life up and I am sorry I had her in my life to drag me into this.

Laurentina1975 · Oct 30, 2007

Yeah this is my thought process as well. Police Officers have no stake in civil investigations...[/quot
After I got the voicemail, I called back and it was the police department, I spoke with the officer. So it was legit. Who knows what she was telling them.

steelcityrn, RN · Oct 30, 2007

You say she asked you to refill your medications in the past for her...Did you do that? Why would you tell someone that she works with? Did you expect this person to repeat it and get her in trouble? This whole story sounds strange. If your a nurse and take ambien and xanax yourself, why would it be abusive medications for another nurse but not you? And the police calling to say she may sue you.....strange

Laurentina1975 · Oct 30, 2007

You say she asked you to refill your medications in the past for her...Did you do that? Why would you tell someone that she works with? Did you expect this person to repeat it and get her in trouble? This whole story sounds strange. If your a nurse and take ambien and xanax yourself, why would it be abusive medications for another nurse but not you? And the police calling to say she may sue you.....strange

I am not a nurse yet. Yes, she did ask me to refill prescriptions, basically made a sob story about her abusive older man she lives with, that she is under stress, etc. I told her I could NOT do that for her, she is a Nurse and has an obligation to see her pwn physician.

I have a prescription for it because I recently lost my daughter to leukemia. PLease don't be so quick to judge. I rarely use them any longer since my daughter passed almost 6 months ago and I have been dealing well with the loss. Time heals all.

Cattitude · Oct 31, 2007

I am not a nurse yet. Yes, she did ask me to refill prescriptions, basically made a sob story about her abusive older man she lives with, that she is under stress, etc. I told her I could NOT do that for her, she is a Nurse and has an obligation to see her pwn physician.
I have a prescription for it because I recently lost my daughter to leukemia. PLease don't be so quick to judge. I rarely use them any longer since my daughter passed almost 6 months ago and I have been dealing well with the loss. Time heals all.

First off, I'm sorry for your loss and you shouldn't be judged if you are prescribed these meds and using them appropriately.

However, as a recovering addict myself,reading this thread, it doesn't seem like you are telling the entire story. Just bits and pieces and that is being dragged out by each poster that asked. If you knew this chick had a problem, why on earth would you have your meds accessible to her? Keep your controlled meds in a safe place.

And it does seem extremely strange that the cops would be calling YOU for a civil threat. The cops out my way would laugh me out the door if I asked them to call someone for that!

I really hope you get your situation, whatever it may be, resolved and you are able to move on with your life and career. I just think that some of us reading this thread are still left wondering. :uhoh3:

Laurentina1975 · Oct 31, 2007

First off, I'm sorry for your loss and you shouldn't be judged if you are prescribed these meds and using them appropriately.
However, as a recovering addict myself,reading this thread, it doesn't seem like you are telling the entire story. Just bits and pieces and that is being dragged out by each poster that asked. If you knew this chick had a problem, why on earth would you have your meds accessible to her? Keep your controlled meds in a safe place.
And it does seem extremely strange that the cops would be calling YOU for a civil threat. The cops out my way would laugh me out the door if I asked them to call someone for that!
I really hope you get your situation, whatever it may be, resolved and you are able to move on with your life and career. I just think that some of us reading this thread are still left wondering.

It's pretty simple, she took them out of my medicine cabinet in my bathroom and was the only person in my apartment. She seemed to be pretty put together for a good few months and has been supportive in my loss. I think the reason she called the police is because I filed a theft report with my local PD and she asked the cop to call me to rattle my cage/scare me. I am not sure what you think I am leaving out. It's pretty cut and dry, she took them and is nervous because I confronted her.

She had admitted to stealing narcs before at the NH we worked at and when I lost my daughter asked me if I needed something to help me sleep. I told her no and went to my Internist and did it the correct way. This is how I know she had taken medication she said was "left over" from patients discharged. She simply admitted it to me back in August 2006. Shortly thereafter, she lost her job. She told me she lost her job for an incident that had happened way back in March of 2006 where she disagreed with a Doctor about something. At least that is what she told me.

Whenever I would ask her if she had a problem she would deny it and then not talk to me for months. I assumed I was wrongly accusing her. However, I knew when she admitted to taking leftover meds that there may have been a problem. I just decided to let it go and let her deal with it. UNTIL she recently took my own prescribed medication did I realize something was wrong. I confronted her and she got VERY mad. She told me she didn't have a problem and that "maybe they fell out of the bottles into the toilet" or maybe someone else took them. I live alone there is NO WAY anyone else could have broken in and stole them. They disappeared when she was over, the bottles were refilled 10-6, she was over 10-10, I had not needed them so they were FULL.

It's really pretty cut and dry. It didn't hit home till she actually took them from my home.