Addicted Nurses.. Who to blame !

[hoope]

I have often read about nurses that take narcotics. They take advantage of their position. When doctors order a narcotic for a patient , they exchange it with normal saline or whatsoever . Hence , patient don't get the narcotic and the nurses keeps it for them.

They are Addicted ! They take narcotics...

This has been common , not only in nurses but doctors too .

But my issue here is where is the Code of Ethics that we follow . We have resposibility and we should monitor out own reaction .. .... ETHICS is required in any job and in any behaviour we do.

What line in Code of Ethics has been violated in here?

This has to be taken seriously and solved.

Who we have to blame... ?

The nurse who does it , the headnurse for her neglection, the system of the hospital.. or the doctor who don't recheck .. or whom ???

What is to be done.. ?

Can i in certain situation call it malpractice or a crime or even negligent ?

Regards,

Hoope

[jlcole45]

The OP is wrong this is not "common" in American healthcare - perhaps it happens more from the country the OP is from. Yes it occurs here, but they have made so many changes over the years that its pretty difficult to divert drugs. Despite the medias coverage of it, this really doesn't happen that often. I've worked more then 20 years in ED and critical care and I've only known 3 coworkers, and 1 doctor who were eventually discovered to be addicts. And I've worked all over the country, from very large to small rural hospitals. I'd be interested to hear what the numbers are from other experienced nurses.

If someone is diverting controlled substances, once discovered (and they will be) it is dealt with appropriately.

I guess I don't know what it is the OP wanted to say or ask from the post.

[hoope, RN]

The person to blame is the person who is stealing drugs and withholding them from those they were intended. While addiction is a disease the addicted individual is responsible for their actions, just as the HIV person who knowingly has unprotected sex is, or the person with a GI issue is who doesn't wash their hands before lining up at the salad bar.

Of course it is in the best interest of all concerned that we continue to develop safe guards to prevent this from happening.

Obviously addition knows no borders, and does not discriminate. Having said that, I notice you are in Kuwait. Just curious where you have "often read" about this happening.

I haven't read about many conditions - not a common thing .. i don't if the media in Kuwait is covering things..

In the hospital that i intend to work in , there has been cases of nurses that took narcotics and some that sell it outside the hospital.. infact a doctor died in the ICU out of an overdose !

Yea what happen to accountability and responsibility ! What happen to all those people that entrusts us for their health and condition.

Provision of code of ethics:

The nurse is responsible and accountable for each individual nursing practice and determines the appropriate delegation of tasks consistent with the nurse's obligation to obtain optimum patient care .

I agree as some said that its the responsibility of the person who takes the drug . However , i see that the headnurse and anyone that knows that knows it - is responsible for taking an action or at least complaining about that nurse.

And as you all said it is a criminal act.

However i read online about The International Nurses Society for Addictions ( IntNSA ) .. and they help treat those nurses , prevent and find jobs sometimes for them..

They could be victims but i also doubt that .. somehow if they asked forgiveness and try to change there is always place for them ..

Thanks alot everyone for the good ideas and discussion .