Nurse Diverting Medication from Elementary School

[zinfandelista]

Please help me in any way you can. I'm not sure what to do or what the protocol is in dealing with this very distressing situation.

I am confident that the school nurse is diverting medication, specifically, Adderall, from the elementary school children. I am a parent of an ADHD child and we opted, for the first time, to medicate mid-day at the school. It was the first time doing this so I was very careful in packing everything. I gave the nurse 8 capsules, 8 puddings, and 8 spoons (we had only 8 days left of school before we went on vacation).

Two days before vacation started, she left a message indicating that she had run out of my child's medication. I thought this quite odd. I sent two more capsules, in a plastic bag clearly identified, in the morning with my husband and confirmed they were delivered to the school nurse. I figured I must have miscounted? I didn't miscount.

That same day, both my husband and I volunteered in the classroom. At about 11, when my child goes for medication, my child came up to me and said that they did not have his medication. We went to the nurses office and she was not in. Why she was not present in the middle of the day when most kids need mid-day meds, I don't know. The school secretary came in and said she could not find the medication. She looked in the medicine drawer and found the plastic pill container. It was empty. We looked through the desk. We encountered only one capsule in the plastic bag that had our family's name on it. It was in an unlocked drawer. My husband came into the nurses office.

The school secretary said that she could not administer the medication as it was not in the appropriate plastic pill container. I administered the medication in the presence of the secretary, my husband, and my child. While sprinkling it over the pudding, my child inisted that I stop. He said, "She only gives me half." What??? My child should be getting the full dose as indicated on the paperwork and the container.

Things went downhill from there. I got my child back into class. My husband and I started putting things together. The secretary had the nurse on the phone and had me talk to her. The nurse said that she was not sure where the other capsule was. Perhap, she thought, she may have misplaced it into another student's container!!! She said that she would get back to us in an hour.

About 2 hours later she called us at home and explained what happened to the other capsule. She stated that she had cleaned out the medicine cabinet with a liquid and that it had gotten wet. It was destroyed and not useable. She said that she would save it for us. We then talked to the Principal.

We went to the school in the afternoon to get our child. I went into the nurses station and got the container and the destroyed capsule. It was opened and there was no medication to be seen. She did this explaining in the presence of the Principal. She said that the top on the bottle did not close completed and the capsule fell out and went through the accordian folder and fell into the liquid at the bottom of the drawer. I don't belive this story. The capsule was opened. If it had fallen out and gotten wet, I don't think that it would have been in two pieces. Additionally, when the capsule gets wet, the two halves stick together.

I asked her about the other two capsules. She wondered what I was insinuating and that she could take a drug test. I found this to be an interesting reaction. She then looked at the log to show that there were two days that she had not been there and there were substitute nurses.

The next morning we met with the Principal. He had Human Resources involved but could not give us any details. The school nurse was at the school and assisting children!!! I opted to take my child out of school for the day and start our vacation early.

I have since asked my child if the substitute nurses gave him half. He has said no, only the regular nurse. I asked him why he didn't inisist on all of his medication and he said that he liked having the pudding without the medicine. I have also discovered that on one of the 8 days of supplied capsules, we did not medicate our child at school because we left early for a dental appointment.

Of the 10 capsules delivered to the school, we have 3 unaccounted for, 1 destroyed, and and unknown amount administered. Clearly there is mismanagment of a controlled substance by a person of trust.

The school does not appear to be relieving this nurse of any her duties in any way. I am uncomfortable, to say the least, with having her administer the medication to my child, or any other child for that matter. I am uncomfortable with having a potential addict work with children. I'm confident that the district nurse will make some changes to the tracking of medication. This does not mean that the entire dose will be administered or that the local nurse might fill the capsules with a substitute.

Has anyone ever heard of this type of situation? Any suggestions on what steps to take? I can't possibly trust that this nurse will medicate my child appropriately in the future. How can I get him medicated at school? What steps do you suggest in handling this horribly sad situation?

[FireStarterRN, BSN, RN]

If I were you I would inform the school district that you will be contacting the State Board of Nursing regarding this highly irregular situation.

The nurse in question is either incompetant or diverting...

[jackstem]

The actions of the nurse are indeed suspicious. Her explanations are troubling as well. If you go to the board of nursing web site, there should be information on how to report a nurse. You can find this information at this link:

https://www.ncsbn.org/515.htm

The school may have a policy or protocol for gathering information regarding an employee. I agree with the previous poster, contact the school board and discuss your concerns. Also, document all conversations you have with the people you deal with regarding your concerns...name, dates, what was said. Don't be afraid to let them know you are documenting everything, it may be the motivation they need to actually pursue your concerns in a timely fashion.

As a recovering nurse, I understand the fear, anger, and concern you have, and it's appropriate. Far too many folks have little or no understanding about the disease of addiction. As a profession, we have professional and ethical responsibilities to the people we care for as well as our colleagues practice and well being.

Simply firing a nurse because he/she might be diverting is unacceptable for sseveral reasons. The first is we are allowing this possibly impaired nurse go somewhere else and continue on until they get caught, harm someone, or harm themselves (accidentally or intentionally).

Second, if we suspect our colleague is suffering from a chronic, progressive, eventually fatal disease, we are obligated to advocate for that nurse in the same manner in which we advocate for any other patient. Let me know if I can be of any further assistance.

Jack

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

We can't advise you on this issue. Sounds like you are handling it well. You might wish to think twice before posting so many details on the internet though - especially since there might be legal action.