RN job in jeopardy please help

[fe3]

Shell shocked. Worked last night, they called today and asked me to come in today early. Administrator there plus managers, still befuddled. I gave an Ambien to a patient at 2100, I remember pulling them out, snapping one off, shutting the drawer. Apparently the rest of the pack is missing now, drawer is empty. We have the Pyxis system with fingerprints, they say I was the last one to access, no other nurse, no techs, they've searched everywhere, floor, trash, shredder.

They were nice about it but I'm placed on leave and they're "going to call me" it's implied that if the 8 Ambien don't turn up I'm fired. I would think someone diverting meds wouldn't pull out all the meds, leave the drawer empty and carry them around for the whole shift and expect to come back the next night. But since I don't have any answers for them and the drugs aren't able to be found, I see their point. What can I do or say? I have no idea on earth what happened, I've worked there several years and I've never had a problem, this is my first nursing job.

I'm scared not only will I get fire I'll lose my license, what should I do?

[busyernurse, BSN, RN]

On the narcotic count, I don't think you do a count every shift. I think the actual count is done every week, and the charge nurse does a discrepency printout every shift or every day. Seems like we had to count every Tuesday in the early am for the pyxis or accudose computers.

To fe 3 -- you go girl!! I have been following your posts, and I was so relieved to see how your situation ended. That is wonderful! I think you deserved more of an apology, but if your directors aren't any better than mine were, that may be all you get. I feel glad for you, because I was in the same situation within the last 6 months, because sort of the same thing happened to me, but the count was not off. One nurse that came in behind me started some BS when she relieved me when a ptient was getting morphine IVP and the pt made the comment that "the morphine was finally helping" when the night RN pushed it. Of course, the night nurse gave it undiluted (I found out after the fact), and the pt was given an Ambien not long before the Morphine. I got the sme phone call you did, but they waited SEVEN days to call, and they called me at 10am, after I had returned to work after a week off. Of course, they pulled me off the floor where I was the only RN on a 28 bed med-surg floor, withe a full load of patients also. Then after I insisted on a witnessed drug screen, they made me call my husband to come pick me up. My husband also works at the same facility, as one of the day nsg sups. We didn't understand how "I was not safe to drive myself home", but they did not have a problem with me working and charging on a busy unit for 4 hours. After a negative drug screen, and 3 weeks of admin. leave, I was terminated. My attorney had a field day with them, but needlless to say I didn't stay at that hospital after that.

Anyway, so much for my ranting, but I am SO glad for your victory. You can close your eyes at night and know you didn't do anything wrong.

Good luck!! Anne

[P_RN, ADN, RN]

I have seen the Pyxis gobble up more than one med. If it is a lightweight package or a large number of meds stuffed in, the pie drawer could very easily snatch the edge of the cardboard and drop it anywhere.

When our ice machine leaked through the wall, the secondary drawer machine was moved and several different meds were found under the machine.

One loose Tylox was caught up in the refrigerator fan. We found it when the ice machine leaked again.

It really sounds as if you were given little recompense for the tribulation they put you through. I believe an apology, a memo to all the staff and one in your professional file, and a formal letter to the board would be the Minimum. As it is, you may become that nurse who they said MAY have taken the ambien.

I am sure this episode will make you more careful in the future, and when you precept a new employee cover this in your teaching.

[INnurse]

re: fingerprints

I think what she means is to log in to the pyxis you use your actual fingerprint. Not that anyone dusted for fingerprints.

[JessicRN]

Well they said something like, "Sorry you went through all that but you understand our position. You can come to work as scheduled next shift"

So that was sort of a halfway apology but I'm just happy they found it, I don't care.

I think I would go to a doctor then call in sick for a few days due to stress and yell for workmans compensation :angryfire

[BSNtobe2009]

THEY FOUND THE AMBIEN. They just called me to say the Director of the Pharmacy opened up the Pyxis today and they had fallen to the back somehow. They are going to pay me for the night I had off and I have my job. I am so freaked out though I'm not sure I'll stay (for a few other reasons having nothing to do with this involving a few individuals who dislike me and nitpick me to death) but at least I'm on good terms. I didn't really get an apology though but that's ok because THEY FOUND THE AMBIEN.

I'm glad they found the Ambien too, but where they found it should have been checked thoroughly before they made the accusation. Didn't they tell you initially that they had checked it thoroughly and it hadn't fallen anywhere?

You have been on my mind so much this week. It is so terrifying that an excellent nurse could lose their job over something this simple, and if they had not found the drugs, how could you have found another job with something like that on your record?

I am so sorry that this happened to you and I am so glad that they found it.

Whatever happened to the days where you could just go to work, do a great job, come home, and not have to worry about winning a popularity contest while you are there?

[Mommy TeleRN, RN]

I can relate to your story..not with meds but with money as I use to be a bank teller. My drawer always always balanced. One day I was working drive thru and my drawer came up over $1100 short! I FREAKED. We counted everything over and over! I went over all my transactions to see if I took a depost for that much that I might could have accidentally sent back out to a customer. Couldn't find a thing. A few days later on my DAY OFF the head teller called and told me they found a $500 strap behind my trash can at my normal window. The rest was never located. It was all VERY mysterious and I hated it because I felt people thought I stole it!

My drawer happened to have a common key # that other tellers could access it when I was not there if they were back in the vault. The vault didn't have cameras so someone could easily unlock my drawer, snatch out some money and relock it. We didn't make a habit of counting our drawer when opening, only when closing. After that I made sure they changed my lock to a non common key. But that is such a bad feeling to feel accused of something you are innocent of I'm glad they found it! What a relief!!