Tricks of the trade: Diversion- stories of the stupid and sly?

Nurses General Nursing

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RN drank a bottle of codeine at night, passed out. I called 911.

RN emptied a vila of MS (RED), replaced it with NS (CLEAR). I sent it to be tested.

LPN wrote oders for oxcodone, over the course of a year. Made sure to be there to receive from pharmacy. POA called from out of state regarding a $5000 bill for oxydocone. Told him, no, patient not taking that. Not in chart, not on MAR, not in cart, no trail. Called pharmacy- they faxed me copies of his bogus orders...AND copies of every receipt he signed. BUSTED! (He even slid the original orders into the huge stack for the MD to sign, knowing that they sign anything without looking at it).

Advice: Like the digital age, the pharmacy has all kinds of checks and balances, every pill can be traced. So don't divert, and also never sign you gave a med that wasn't available- you can be found out. Don't do it.

Speaking of snorting anything. I watched a guy crush and snort a breath mint back in high school because someone "dared him to!"

edit: and I made this face the whole time I watched :bookworm:

And BTW- how do Vicodin addicts EVER poop? Seriously..........

Bahahahahaha!! I have always wondered the same thing!

We had a nurse give a pt. two regular Tylenol instead of Norco. Too bad for her that the pt. was a hospital pharmacy tech and recognized the pills and turned her in. Don't know how many patients she had shortchanged in the past.:mad:

We had a young male patient with pain control issues who didn't agree with his prescribed meds. He broke into the sharps container and a nurse found him sucking on the vials. :wideyed:

We had a nurse give a pt. two regular Tylenol instead of Norco. Too bad for her that the pt. was a hospital pharmacy tech and recognized the pills and turned her in. Don't know how many patients she had shortchanged in the past.:mad:

We had a young male patient with pain control issues who didn't agree with his prescribed meds. He broke into the sharps container and a nurse found him sucking on the vials. :wideyed:

If he's willing to go that far, he may as well lick the bottom of the container, there's sure to be a puddle of a mix of drugs that leak from the needles. (But don't give him any ideas!).

There was a nurse a few years back where I worked that was found dipping into the sharps boxes. Apparently she had been seen wondering into deserted departments after hours, fairly regularly. So security started to keep a closer eye on her through the cameras.

She was busted with her hand down the sharps in a deserted OR. Her reasoning was "I lost my pen in there"!

She was relieved of her duties shortly thereafter; I hope she was able to make a clean, successful start.

Specializes in Psych.
Speaking of snorting anything. I watched a guy crush and snort a breath mint back in high school because someone "dared him to!"

edit: and I made this face the whole time I watched :bookworm:

When I was in high school, I saw a guy snort the stuff from a pixie stick on a dare. Gross LOL. And yeah, weird what people will put up their nose. Don't know anything about Prozac, but I know people get Seroquel on the street. Usually to "come down" from crack.

When I was in high school, I saw a guy snort the stuff from a pixie stick on a dare. Gross LOL. And yeah, weird what people will put up their nose. Don't know anything about Prozac, but I know people get Seroquel on the street. Usually to "come down" from crack.

I haven't evem heard of that one. I must be 'way' out of the loop...

Nurse found in the stairwell with a busters open sharps container. To high to make up any excuses.

Short. Sweet.

When I was in high school, I saw a guy snort the stuff from a pixie stick on a dare. Gross LOL. And yeah, weird what people will put up their nose. Don't know anything about Prozac, but I know people get Seroquel on the street. Usually to "come down" from crack.

I remember it being "cool" when I was younger to snort pixie sticks. I never did, never saw the point in it (it would have to burn!) but many classmates did it. Also know a couple younger kids who both took Seroquel for fun. They both ended up in the hospital, one of them in ICU with blood sugars in the 800's and they didn't think she'd pull through but she did. Thankfully they changed their ways after that.

I had a nursing instructor tell me about one of her coworkers.. She would take the pain patches off of patients stash them in her pocket and soak them in vodka at home.., then drink the vodka.. How disgusting is that?!?!? Your drinking your patient's skin, hair, etc.

Specializes in ICU/CCU/CVICU.
I had a nursing instructor tell me about one of her coworkers.. She would take the pain patches off of patients stash them in her pocket and soak them in vodka at home.. then drink the vodka.. How disgusting is that?!?!? Your drinking your patient's skin, hair, etc.[/quote']

Oh my god. Ew.

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