Can anyone tell me?

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Why one of the nurses I work with seems to not want to be on record in the pixis? She always asks someone else to get meds for her patients regardless of how busy we are. I can't quite figure it out, she will let her patient suffer until someone has the time to medicate the patient for her rather than just get the med out herself. It isn't laziness, it is something beyond that, I am sure, I just don't know what.

Specializes in NICU.

something sounds fishy to me as well, it should be reported to your NM

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Geriatric, Hospice.

Hopefully nurse's aren't pulling narc's and letting her just give them.. considering her odd behavior.. right? Goodness! I'd be leery of simply pulling med's for her!

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Specializes in LTC Rehab Med/Surg.

Fishy. Diverting. Report it. If she doesn't document narcotics on the Mar or in NN, then you are the one removing the drug that has no paper trail. You are responsible for a missing drug and your license is at risk.

If I hadn't been involved in a situation where a nurse was diverting, I would not be suspicious. What you describe makes my radar go up.

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If a nurse came up to me as I was getting medications out of the pyxis, and she/he wanted me to sign out medications on their patient I would close it and say, its yours to use now. Im not sure its diversion here, it could be someone who wants others to take responsibility in case something goes wrong.

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Specializes in ICU/ER.

Tell your manager. It may very well be that she was sanctioned. It's either diversion or some kind of sanction, and it probably is the sanction and she's embarrassed to talk about. One of my coworkers was sanctioned and back to work in the ICU and we had to do it for him for 2 years. So don't judge too harshly until you find out. I don't understand why no one just asked her. That seems the easiest thing to do. and by the way, my coworker has been clean for five years and does an excellent job and I wouldn't trade him for the world.

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Specializes in Phase 2, Home Health.

Thanks guys. Yeah, we "noticed" that she asks us to medicate her patients for her. It is pretty casually done..."hey, can you get him something for pain for me?" and of course, we administer it ourselves after a quick assessment. (We are in a small open ward type unit) But it is getting to be a big PITA and we realized her patients weren't getting the pain meds unless we gave it to them for her. I honestly have not noticed whether she gets anything else from the pixis or not. I made it clear yesterday that I am not comfortable with this practice and the other nurses agree we need to put our foot down about it. If she comes clean and it is an access issue then that is different and we can address it. I didn't know access would be restricted like that in cases where there had been past issues. If it wasn't restricted access, how would it indicated diversion? I am unclear how not getting in the pixis is indicative of diversion. Fill me in please. Thanks much.

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Specializes in Adult Oncology.

If she was asking you to pull the meds for her to give, I would suspect diversion. But if she is asking you to GIVE the meds, I wouldn't. It's either an access issue or a sanction would be my guess.

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Agree with the above, first thing I thought of was diversion.. She has others remove the meds and in doing so avoids a paper trail (or computer trail, I guess). However, if she is having you give them also, maybe it is an issue of sanction. The next time she asks, just tell you will be happy to walk her through using the machine if she's having trouble (on the off chance that maybe she is just having trouble with it), or just ask her why she is continually unable..but don't do it for her. And give a heads up to your manager. It probably needs to be addressed.

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Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

"I am unclear how not getting in the pixis is indicative of diversion. Fill me in please. Thanks much."

OK You open the drawer, your name is on the withdrawal slip, if you hand her the syringe, pill whatever how do you know what happens to it? If it goes in her body-that's diversion.

You must be squeaky clean to pass the muster to be allowed in the pyxis. If she is not, does not have a code-she's probably on probation and not allowed to have access. Right now go to your NM and notify her/him that this person is asking others to get into the pyxis. It needs to be handled TODAY!

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See no reason why it would not be disclosed if she were restricted in some manner. More than likely she is either afraid of making mistakes or is actually in "diversion" mode. Would not agree to do this for her and would inform management immediately. Something is just not right here and you don't want to be caught up in whatever her problem is.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Geriatric, Hospice.
Thanks guys. Yeah, we "noticed" that she asks us to medicate her patients for her. It is pretty casually done..."hey, can you get him something for pain for me?" and of course, we administer it ourselves after a quick assessment. (We are in a small open ward type unit) But it is getting to be a big PITA and we realized her patients weren't getting the pain meds unless we gave it to them for her. I honestly have not noticed whether she gets anything else from the pixis or not. I made it clear yesterday that I am not comfortable with this practice and the other nurses agree we need to put our foot down about it. If she comes clean and it is an access issue then that is different and we can address it. I didn't know access would be restricted like that in cases where there had been past issues. If it wasn't restricted access, how would it indicated diversion? I am unclear how not getting in the pixis is indicative of diversion. Fill me in please. Thanks much.

I think many of us thought that she was having you guys PULL the medications from the Pyxis from your own access ID's and then giving the medication (narcotic or not), to her, to then administer to her patient. If you had been pulling narcs and giving them to her, then diversion would have become a suspicion.

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Specializes in Phase 2, Home Health.
"I am unclear how not getting in the pixis is indicative of diversion. Fill me in please. Thanks much."

OK You open the drawer, your name is on the withdrawal slip, if you hand her the syringe, pill whatever how do you know what happens to it? If it goes in her body-that's diversion.

You must be squeaky clean to pass the muster to be allowed in the pyxis. If she is not, does not have a code-she's probably on probation and not allowed to have access. Right now go to your NM and notify her/him that this person is asking others to get into the pyxis. It needs to be handled TODAY!

Yup, I would never do that. When I withdraw a med for a patient, I give that med myself. I never hand off a med, ever. That is part of the irritation...I am doing my work and her work too. I did not realize that is what you all thought I meant was going on...er, absolutely not. She is having us withdraw and medicate for her, not just withdraw meds for her to medicate with (which I am pretty sure none of us is stupid enough to do!)

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