Oncology RN Forced to Resign

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Lucky0220

318 Posts

Specializes in Med/Surg, Acute Rehab.

Did I miss something?? Did they have you take a drug test when this was first brought up?

You said that you took your own store bought test, but what about a test that the facility sets up?

I'm confused:confused:

79Tango

689 Posts

I am confused too.. I am not sure what your "outgoing, bubbly personality" has to do with documentation or lack therof. Typically if they have a suspicion, you get pulled off the floor and made to Pee in a cup on the spot. Once they determine what you are

pumpkinseeds

39 Posts

Your post is very interesting from a statement analysis perspective. I didn't read anything in it that says "I did not take any drugs." Instead, it's a rather rambling account of how you fit the diverter profile, and how there's nothing an "investigator" will find in your "background."

I had a similar problem a few years back. I was new to the pyxis system and I forgot to witness my narcotic wastes. Of course, my boss eventually had to talk to me, but the first words out of my mouth were "I don't take drugs, and I will take drug urine and hair test right this minute."

If you are innocent, then tell them straight out you didn't do it, and prove it any way you can.

If you are guilty, admitting it is the first step to getting help. We are all vunerable to diversion. It's one of nursing's dirty little secrets, how many of us fall prey to addiction.

If you did it, please get help, because it will only get worse. Addiction thrives on secrecy and denial. If you didn't, get a lawyer and clear your name. I wish you all the best.

Specializes in ICU.

I hope this doesn't make oncology nurses afraid to give narcotics. My son suffered cancer for 8 years before he passed away 2 years ago. We had to beg and beg and beg for pain meds. Cancer was in his colon, liver and both lungs, then finally in his brain, but everyone looked at him like he was just a drug-seeker.

Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.
I hope this doesn't make oncology nurses afraid to give narcotics. My son suffered cancer for 8 years before he passed away 2 years ago. We had to beg and beg and beg for pain meds. Cancer was in his colon, liver and both lungs, then finally in his brain, but everyone looked at him like he was just a drug-seeker.

I am so sorry to hear that. I've never had a problem in hospice with being able to get adequate pain control for my patients but that is an integral part of the hospice philosophy.

leslie :-D

11,191 Posts

I am so sorry to hear that. I've never had a problem in hospice with being able to get adequate pain control for my patients but that is an integral part of the hospice philosophy.

one would think it would be part of the 'cancer' philosophy as well.

applewhite, your son's experience was unconscionable.

i'm so sorry for your loss.

leslie

Specializes in Addiction, Psych, Geri, Hospice, MedSurg.
Had one company I was staffing for instruct me to leave all medications in the house after the patient passed and not destroy them with a witness because they had had "problems" Really so leaving them in the families hands until a field nurse can pick them up is a better solution? The field nurse did come before I left counted the medication ( did not ask me to countersign) and left with them.

When I worked hospice, we never took the medications away. They belonged to the patient, and just as if a patient would pass with us not there, it was the families responsibility. We would ask them if they wanted us to destroy them, and they would have to countersign, but it was their decision.

When my father passed away, we had 3 bottles of morphine in the cabinet. Because I was afraid of some of my family misusing it, I dumped it. I don't want them getting into something that could spiral out of control. People aren't educated enough about narcotics and medications.

Hospice is great with eol issues. That is one thing that we ensure is patient comfort. There is no such thing as developing an addiction when you have a death sentence, yanno?

I'm sorry you had to lose you job, but it is a great learning experience. Documentation is the NUMBER ONE thing they stress in nursing school, especially with Narcotics. You cannot CYA enough as far as I am concerned. Please use this to learn everything you can about documentation. As someone said - other people rely on your documentation as well.

Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.
When I worked hospice, we never took the medications away. They belonged to the patient, and just as if a patient would pass with us not there, it was the families responsibility. We would ask them if they wanted us to destroy them, and they would have to countersign, but it was their decision.

This is usually what we do but only with the medications provided by the hospice (basically the only ones that the crisis care nurses use) though often the family will take the opportunity for use to document and destroy everything. Usually I do it with the nurse that comes to do the death call. Never had a problem.

It was just weird that they thought the best solution to avoid misuse was to have one nurse document it and then transport the medication in her own car. I just documented that I received the verbal instructions from x nurse and witnessed her taking them from house. Documenting and destroying them together would have protected both of us. Of course this particular company doesn't have a proper MAR and I have in the past been instructed to "give whatever I like" or "whatever it says on the bottle" even when the bottle has no directions.

PinkRocksLikeMe

122 Posts

I am sorry this happend to you but for some reason I feel like there is more to this story than being told. Your personality has nothing to do with determining if you are a drug seeker, diverter, etc. But I do not understand how they would just fire you for documentation errors, seems like they would counsel you about it. Have you ever gotten into any other trouble at work, no other counseling?

Like said before if your not guilty get a lawyer, and you need to ask them what kind of drug test they want, I have never heard of you being able to take a OTC drug test and then show them results, you could have had anyone pee on it, you see what I am saying, that is what they will think to, you need a drug test witnessed through a company not on your own.

Good luck to you, I hope everything turns out well!!

Pink

Done

15 Posts

If the firm represents the hospital then why did they take your case. That would seem to be a conflict of interest!

I was denied by them of course. I sought another counsel just for advise because I later found but that I couldn't bring her. I was limited to my union rep who wasn't successful in fighting for me ( as I wasn't successful in fighting for myself). Fyi, I was fighting it all over over four hours.

Ruby Vee, BSN

17 Articles; 14,030 Posts

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
for my second year of nursing, i was hired to become an oncology nurse. it was not my first choice because of the multiple cancer stricken family members i have in my life right now. eventually, i made peace with it since i needed a job and i thought it was god's way to have me a chance to honor my love ones. i had a great year meeting new co-workers and caring for the patients and meeting their families.

i was not aware of oncology nursing's reputation for the highest nacotic meds access and the other reputation of suspected users in oncology nursing. i regret to be so limited/hard-headed to only think it as chemotherapy, death & dying.

now that i am reading allnurses since i had been audited for the lack of documentation for my controlled substance administration, i am shocked to see that the highest suspected narcotic user/diverter is that of: oncology nurses, that really good nurse, the one with the outgoing personality, and that one that works plenty of shifts, and of course, the one with documentation issues. i am all those!

because of my strongly moral basis for oncology, the kind of care i deliver to patients is heart-felt and personal.

because i come from an artistic background, i tend to be emotional and expressive.

because i am only a sophomore nurse, i am very optimistic in the wonderful world of nursing the sick.

because i am a new grad from 2008, i was tangibly affected by the recession that i:

perform with so much enthusiasm against all odds

worked many additional shifts like back-to-back, and extra days. i was positively enforced about this at work as well.

there will be nothing an investigator will find in my background in relation to narcotic diversion or use. it was purely mis-documentation and my self-bought drug test show negative. but i cannot let go of the thoughts that someone out there thinks that i am a possible suspect.

my director is obligated to report my forced resignation to the board. i hear that there might be times that the director does not do so anymore. does anybody know what happens if my director truly reports me ?

this is so very upsetting. i was almost suicidal and psychotic the day after i wanted to voluntary admit myself as a 5150; but thanks to family, my faith, and nursing knowledge, i was able to get out of that funk immediately.

i not quite sure what type of response i wish by writing a new thread but i'm just taking advantage of the support this type of community offers.

i hope others can learn from your story. narcotic documentation is a really big deal. i hope that you were given warnings that your documentation was subpar and given the opportunity to improve. sadly, you've learned a very big lesson. best of luck in the future.

Ruby Vee, BSN

17 Articles; 14,030 Posts

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
i am sorry this happend to you but for some reason i feel like there is more to this story than being told. your personality has nothing to do with determining if you are a drug seeker, diverter, etc. but i do not understand how they would just fire you for documentation errors, seems like they would counsel you about it. have you ever gotten into any other trouble at work, no other counseling?

like said before if your not guilty get a lawyer, and you need to ask them what kind of drug test they want, i have never heard of you being able to take a otc drug test and then show them results, you could have had anyone pee on it, you see what i am saying, that is what they will think to, you need a drug test witnessed through a company not on your own.

good luck to you, i hope everything turns out well!!

pink

every nurse i've ever known who was fired for drug diversion had "falsification of documentation" or something similar as their official cause of termination. it's concrete. if someone removes a narcotic from pyxis and didn't chart it as given to a patient, wasted or returned within and appropriate time frame, that is concrete. saying someone has "signs of drug use" may be descriptive, but it's subjective.

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