Addicted hospital worker exposed hundreds of patients to Hep C

PolandM · Jul 04, 2009, 03:14 AM

Re: Addicted hospital worker exposed hundreds of patients to Hep C

Originally Posted by Cherybaby

I think this man should be charged with attempted murder...

What an embarassment to the nursing community. He should be ashamed of himself.

Which article were you reading?

*oramar* · Jul 04, 2009, 07:11 AM

Re: Addicted hospital worker exposed hundreds of patients to Hep C

Originally Posted by Jarnaes

Just curious how that tech had such easy access to Fentanyl...
I work in the OR and we keep narcotics under tight control. The anesthesia provider will pull what they need for the case from the Pyxis, and the drugs are kept within their reach/eyesight at all times. Nothing is left out.

I wonder at this also.

Paco386 · Jul 04, 2009, 06:03 PM

Re: Addicted hospital worker exposed hundreds of patients to Hep C

Originally Posted by Cherybaby

I think this man should be charged with attempted murder...

What an embarassment to the nursing community. He should be ashamed of himself.

Originally Posted by PolandM

Which article were you reading?

Maybe someone quick to judge that something like this could only be done by a man??

MadisonsMomRN · Jul 04, 2009, 08:49 PM

Re: Addicted hospital worker exposed hundreds of patients to Hep C

I also wonder how she had such easy access to the narcs...

I am so sorry for the people that were exposed.

glendz58 · Jul 05, 2009, 03:59 AM

Re: Addicted hospital worker exposed hundreds of patients to Hep C

So scary......

CPhT2RNstudent · Jul 05, 2009, 12:15 PM

Re: Addicted hospital worker exposed hundreds of patients to Hep C

I work in the OR pharmacy. It is inappropraite for a surg. tech to have access to fent. The anesthesiologist/CRNA will be in trouble as well. Our anes. team keeps their narcs locked in a metal box that is attached to their carts. It is negligent to leave a controlled substance (especially a CII like fent.) out for anyone to have access to. Cases like this need to be brought to the attention of those who have responsibility and/or access to narcs. I am surprised at how careless some people can be. Weren't they clued in that the patients needed more narcs or weren't recieving adequate pain control? I feel horrible for the people affected by this. It makes you afraid to go to surgery. You never know what can happen. This is for sure a very uncommon practice, but all it takes is once and your life is changed.

VVCNurse · Jul 05, 2009, 01:43 PM

Re: Addicted hospital worker exposed hundreds of patients to Hep C

Wow. Such a sad sad story. I don't believe 10 years is enough.

Mana_Tangata · Jul 05, 2009, 04:24 PM

Re: Addicted hospital worker exposed hundreds of patients to Hep C

This story is on the heels of another similar situation at a Hospital in Boulder, CO. http://www.bch.org/quality--patient-...formation.aspx

I live in Boulder and the reaction to the hospital's response has been public outrage. The hospital failed to advise patients that they were at risk for getting/spreading hepatitis, HIV, etc. This was because the nurse/addict initially told the police that he had used clean needles, when in fact he did not. How crazy! Why they would trust this nurse to tell the truth is beyond me.

That patients were initially exposed is bad enough, but if they spread disease to loved ones based on some lame public relations response by the hospital that is even worse.

rph3664 · Jul 06, 2009, 10:58 AM

Re: Addicted hospital worker exposed hundreds of patients to Hep C

Originally Posted by Cherybaby

That's horrible...not just the used needle part which of course is the worst part of this story. Filling those syringes with saline instead of their pain medication is just downright cruel.

I think this man should be charged with attempted murder...

What an embarassment to the nursing community. He should be ashamed of himself.

This nurse is a woman. Edit: Not a nurse. Sorry.

I wonder how often this is actually the case when someone complains that their pain medication isn't working.

*bekindtokittens* · Jul 06, 2009, 12:46 PM

Re: Addicted hospital worker exposed hundreds of patients to Hep C

Here's a link to another article about this surgical tech and her impact at another surgery center in Colorado Springs.

http://www.kktv.com/home/headlines/49986852.html

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Addicted hospital worker exposed hundreds of patients to Hep C

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