Surprise In My Pocket - this ever happen to you?

Sensoria17 · Mar 31, 2012

I work in LTC. Yes, I've done this. I just toss them and don't think about it. You especially can't do anything with them since they are crushed. If you were to return them to the pharmacy, they would simply toss them as well.

Whispera, MSN, RN · Mar 31, 2012

You could call your manager and explain what happened, and as for her input. Surely this happens from time to time, and there might be an official thing that's supposed to be done.

Depending on where you work, if the medication is taken out, the patient is charged for it. Considering how much even an aspirin can cost a patient, I think I'd do my best to return the medication. I don't know that I'd make a special trip to do it though.

It's important to empty all pockets before leaving the work site. That's kept me from taking things home quite a few times. I just make it a habit now.

caliotter3 · Mar 31, 2012

I made a special trip to the facility to talk to a particular nurse about something that I don't remember, but it must have been very important, or so I thought at the time. What cements this in my mind is that the medical records person made a point to walk all the way down the hall to plant herself in our presence at the med cart. Nothing to bring up or talk about, just standing there to listen to what was being said. The medical records person was known to gad about the entire facility and take back tales to the DON and administrator. If it were me, I would wait until the next day on the job and would not make a special trip unless it was a controlled substance. Hope this goes ok and now you know to add a pockets check at the end of your day.

noyesno, MSN, APRN, NP · Mar 31, 2012

I brought 1 mg of dilaudid home once. Drove back to the hospital pronto, freaking out the whole time.

Crushed norvasc? Wouldn't worry about it until my next shift. Maybe a phone call, if anything.

noyesno, MSN, APRN, NP · Mar 31, 2012

To add, now I ALWAYS empty my pockets before leaving the floor. The time I left with dilaudid, I had just felt around my pockets and thought the dilaudid was a pen. YIKES!

sapphire18 · Mar 31, 2012

I wouldn't go in extra to waste a non-controlled substance.

GitanoRN, BSN, MSN, RN · Apr 1, 2012

i'm with you on this one, having said that, this the reason why i no longer wear cargo pants with all those pockets, it's to convenient to place something in them and forget. however, as mentioned previously i wouldn't drive all the back to the facility for a non-controlled medication.

beeker · Apr 1, 2012

In nursing school a very wise nurse preceptor told me to ALWAYS empty your pockets out before going home. You never know what you ahve accumulating in there all day!

Perpetual Student · Apr 1, 2012

I wouldn't worry about it. If you remember next time you go in just credit the patient.

In nursing school a very wise nurse preceptor told me to ALWAYS empty your pockets out before going home. You never know what you ahve accumulating in there all day!

Money! I empty my pockets into my locker every day after my shift. During some down time a few weeks back I gathered all of the money at the bottom of my locker. There was $21 in bills and $113.69 in change.

allnurses Guide · Apr 1, 2012

meh.

Back in the day that we carried narcotic keys around, had 2 sets for the floor. People would run around asking for the keys, and finally someone who had sworn they hadn't seen them since yesterday would find them magically appearing in their pockets. So, I made long, very colorful lanyards for them; too big to just stuff in a pocket but long enough to tuck into a pocket so you could lean over without the keys swinging down from your neck and whacking the patient.

Working evenings, lots of us would occasionally meet at a local bar to relax. I walked in one night, the evening supervisor looked up and mildly said "narcotic keys?". Looked down and went "oh s****!", turned on my heel and sped back to the hospital.

Just take them back the next time you go in, since they are still packaged and usable, return them to the patient's drawer or to pharmacy under his name.

wooh, BSN, RN · Apr 1, 2012

To add, now I ALWAYS empty my pockets before leaving the floor. The time I left with dilaudid, I had just felt around my pockets and thought the dilaudid was a pen. YIKES!

Yup, everything in my pockets goes into my locker, so worst case, I'm leaving a drug in my locker.

Agree, wouldn't worry about non-controlled substance...