nurse coming to work drunk

Nurses Relations

Published

You are reading page 3 of nurse coming to work drunk

TipToeLPN

61 Posts

I worked at a LTCF were it was a known fact that one of the nurses came to work drunk regularly. The ADON would just let her sleep it off in her office. I worked 3rd shift and never witnessed her for myself. This type of situation will not end good. If the nurse manager is willing to put her licence on the line for her "friend" she is not fit to be NM. If anything happend while this nurse was on the clock, the NM would have to save he own butt by not admitting this nurse was drunk. If she is willing to lie to help a drunk nurse what else is she willing to lie about?

Specializes in HIV, Psych, GI, Hepatology, Research.

This is so scary on so many levels. I hope you let us know what happens.

allnurses Guide

NurseCard, ADN

2,847 Posts

Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.
This was a Nurse Jackie episode.

Any nurse manager who did this in real life is risking jail time.

Yeah.... I enjoy reading some of the wild stories posted on this site;

I also have to wonder how many of them are made up.

TiffyRN, BSN, PhD

2,315 Posts

Specializes in Nurse Scientist-Research.

Someone needs to file an official incident report. There is no need to address that you suspect your co-worker was impaired. Just include the solid objective things you saw; a nurse who was unable to perform her scheduled duties (regardless if it was due to illness or intoxication) and instead of being sent home or to the ER, she was given unordered medical interventions by another nurse, probably using hospital supplies (improperly ordered and probably not properly charged). Your facility was at serious liability from this manager's actions and the risk management staff needs to be aware of this events. It will be hard to ignore and cover up such an event once it is documented in an incident report. Time is of the essence though as risk management needs to be notified in a very timely manner.

Your manager can be the one to explain if your co-worker was intoxicated, ill or whatever and how they justified the actions they took.

nickola

250 Posts

A group of us have gone to our Risk Manager, who wrote it up. If nothing is done, we will report this to the BON, as this is not the first incident w/this particular nurse. I have worked with other nurses who were suspected of coming in intoxicated, and only one was fired, another one was sent to rehab & allowed to come back.

CapeCodMermaid, RN

6,090 Posts

Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

I suspected a nurse was drunk. She'd had a history of issues. I reported her to the DON. We had a policy allowing random drug and or alcohol testing. Someone drove her to the ER for blood tests then drove her home. She was given the number for EAP but never called and quit her job the next day.Letting someone who is impaired stay at work is a serious matter.

KelRN215, BSN, RN

1 Article; 7,349 Posts

Specializes in Pedi.

In my state, nurses are required to report to the board if any other nurse (1) abuses a patient, (2) practices nursing while impaired and (3) diverts controlled substances.

That said, I have seen management turn a blind eye to nurses who were in questionable shape. I never worked a shift with anyone who I thought was drunk or under the influence of drugs but had a colleague who many people suspected had a substance abuse problem. Our manager pulled random staff members into the office to ask them if they thought this nurse was on drugs. When I heard that she was doing that, I was appalled with the way the situation was being handled... if, as a nurse manager, you have a suspicion that one of your staff is on drugs, it's your job to approach that staff member and ask them to submit to drug testing right then and there. As far as I know, nothing like this ever happened and no one actually tried to help this nurse. She was then fired (after close to 20 years on the same floor) several months later.

In the OP's case, the Nurse Manager's actions were beyond inappropriate and the actions of both nurses (the nurse who was intoxicated and the Nurse Manager) are reportable.

Vishwamitr

156 Posts

Specializes in Psychiatry.

It needs to be reported to Risk-management and H.R; being protected by the NM has no relevance.

BSNRNINRI

6 Posts

Wow. That's crazy that the nurse manager decided to start IV fluids on her and give her meds! All on her own! Totally a NO NO. She should be reported and everyone that was on that shift should get together and fill out the report. Stength in numbers. SHe should have sent her home and reprimanded her for not being responsible for her shift duty.

Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.
This was a Nurse Jackie episode.

Any nurse manager who did this in real life is risking jail time.

For a brief pd of time, I worked in a very small rural hospital. During the time I was there, this kind of thing went on - the charge nurse would start an IV on one of our nurses, and admin. IVF as well as antiemetics. She was the only ER nurse on nights, and the charge would put her in one of our 3 ER treatment rooms. This nurse would disconnect her IVF and take care of patient that came in thru the ER during her shift. She wan't seen by the ER doc - and we had NO standing orders for anything like that.

Anne, RNC

DEE S.

36 Posts

Report it to Risk Management Anonymously and then report it to the BON give the date and time of the incidents and the names and titles of the violators. No way would I put up with that, you are putting the hospital and patients at risk. I almost can't believe this is a true story its so bizarre...bizarre meaning so many nurses saw it and they are afraid more for their jobs then the lives of patients.

TiffyRN, BSN, PhD

2,315 Posts

Specializes in Nurse Scientist-Research.
A group of us have gone to our Risk Manager, who wrote it up. If nothing is done, we will report this to the BON, as this is not the first incident w/this particular nurse. I have worked with other nurses who were suspected of coming in intoxicated, and only one was fired, another one was sent to rehab & allowed to come back.

Nickola:

I am glad this incident now has a paper trail. It will be harder (not impossible) to cover it up if/when the BON becomes involved.

+ Add a Comment