Caught diverting methadone.

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I'm an LPN at a methadone clinic and was recently caught diverting methadone from a hidden stash of extra medication that was kept from being over. The nurses kept the stash for that just in case moment when we run low on inventory. The stash was hidden and our supervisor was unaware of it. A few days ago I had a weak moment and took the medication out of the pharmacy. The other nurse went to grab from the inventory and realized it was gone. She asked me but of course initially I denied it because I was ashamed and embarrassed. Well needless to say we all had to submit a drug test and I eventually admitted to diverting it. My supervisor has told me to go in next week and work triage until final determination is made but that I'm going to be losing my job and reported. Ok am seeking advice of other nurses who have been through tbis and if I can avoid going to jail if I self report and agree to entering a rehab program. I know what I did was wrong and inexcusable however i feel I deserve a chance to fight and get help. Please anyone with advice on this. I am so scared of what is ahead of me. 😢

Best wishes, Mdurant624. Take care of yourself.

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Thank you abbnurse.

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Specializes in Med/surg/ortho.

Best thing to do here is just to surrender and self report. If you don't, they will. I doubt that any legal issues will come from this but it's possible of coorifice. But you wouldn't hear anything for months at least or possibly a year or longer. I've known many in your situation myself included. Most places wouldn't want that kind of attention tho which is why u rarely here of such things. As hard as it is just try not to worry. Whatever happens is out of your control at this point. The only thing left to do here is report to the states assistance program and do what they tell you. If you want to remain a nurse then u will At least try.

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Specializes in ICU; Telephone Triage Nurse.

I want to just say first and foremost that to err is human. There will be weak moments, so sometimes we as humans can make some really whoopers of a dumb, rash decision and a relapse can occur. The fact that you admit this is so, and are not making excuses for what happened really moves you further along to being back on track again than you probably realize in this moment of anxiety and stress.

My experience was more than 23 years ago, so unfortunately this is all I have to draw from, but what I witnessed was that self reporting and taking the necessary steps to get into the diversionary program your SBON offers (if you don't already have a decree of censure in place on your license) will be viewed in your favor and many employers won't press charges. Some may even want to keep you on staff.

I understand all about making rash, dumb decisions, as well as feeling embarrassed: I was a new grad at the time (can you believe after all that I had just went through to graduate and pass the NCLEX that I did that within 6-8 weeks of being off of orientation?). I had just had my only baby too.

Yeah, boy howdy do I get it: at the time I just wanted to crawl in a hole, curl up and die. It was a huge medical center too, and EVERYONE knew about it. I was so ashamed that I quit.

Sadly, my husband wasn't the forgiving sort. Not. At. All. But he sure helped me to heap those proverbial burning coals upon my head (apparently I hadn't already placed enough there myself) wasn't that nice of him?

A little compassion in this type of situation sure goes a long way, does it not?

{Ahhhh ... Where is a DeLorean and 1.21 gigawatts when a girl needs one!?}

Okay, that ain't happening ... can't undo it - the only option is to move forward then ...

I wasn't the only one in that first year of my nursing career either who fell on my unit - there were 2 others - and as I was rehired I saw both. Of the 3 of us there was only one incidence that the police were called - it was for a travel nurse whom had a relapse on a major holiday (2 weeks after I returned on night shift instead of day shift). She used what she had diverted on duty, and couldn't conceal it because it was a lot. As in multiple doses of a variety of things. Her behavior began to change until finally she was nodding out. My heart clenched for her. I think the circumstances and the fact she wasn't staff are the reason the police were called.

I think if your employer planned to file a police report that they would already have done so on the day of diversion. That fact you are still working there says a lot in your favor. Even if they really do terminate you they may want to rehire you once you get settled into your program - my employer told me upon rehire a couple months later that at least they knew I was clean because I was doing random urine drug screens (it was everyone else that were unknowns). But it would probably be better for you to find a nursing job that won't expose you to narcotics on the job if possible.

Our state's diversion option is called the CANDO Program:

CANDO is the Board of Nursing's non-disciplinary, confidential monitoring program for chemically dependent nurses, who meet the eligibility/admission criteria into CANDO, and who voluntarily enter into the program.

A couple of people mentioned seeking legal counsel: this advice is pure gold. If you haven't already spoken to the SBON do this first.

Please don't be too hard on yourself, and accept that we as humans all make mistakes. No one is perfect, it's just not attainable. You aren't the first to weaken and succumb to temptation - and you certainly won't be the last.

Dust yourself off and take a deep breath. I'm rooting for you from afar!

Hugs!

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Specializes in EMS, LTC, Sub-acute Rehab.

Self report like everyone else advises. I doubt you'll face any charges. Also change your screen name to something anonymous which cannot be linked to you.

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Thank you so much 3ringnursing. I've been being so hard in myself. I go into work and feel so embarrased cause I'm afraid everyone looks at me differently. I really don't want to lose my job there as u love it but I think once our big boss comes back from vacation at the end of this week is when the final determination will be made. I'm afraid of the worst , doing time. I also don't want to lose my license. But I understand I brought this upon myself. I just don't like the judgments from people who don't understand the struggle. I'm just trying to stay positive, but it's hard not knowing what's going to happen

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I'm in the Florida IPN peer assistance program....please, please self report to IPN asap!!! You have a chance if you are being evaluated by IPN before they report you to the board. You are in hot water if the board gets you first. But understand that as soon as you report to IPN, you are almost 100% guaranteed to be in the program, and more than likely you can prepare for inpatient rehab. They have standard 5 year contracts with 1 year narcotic restrictions that can be worked off through volunteer work. It is a long and hard process, but it is doable! Just remember to be extremely careful, and don't volunteer anything more than they ask! Play by their rules, and at the end of your contract this will go away like it never happened.

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Today was my last day at work. My supervisor was very kind and forgiving . The owner of the company was jusy as forgiving. She told me she doesn't want the DEA involved and doesn't want to ruin my career. She told me to wait til Monday because she needs to see what the law is and what the right thing to Do is.bjt she said she may be advising me to self report. She told me to call her on Monday but should I call to self report before Monday or wait to see what she says on Monday? I want to save my license and even more avoid going to jail

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If it were me I would wait and call her Monday. Hopefully she will give you the chance to self report. Even if they report you, you can self enroll too, call as soon as you get off the phone with her. I was told many times here and by other friends I met who were also in monitoring that it's so much better to self report, and you need to do that before the employer reports you. Well, for me it didn't really make any difference at all. My employers (that hired me after I was in monitoring) just knew I was in TPAPN, they never knew whether I was reported or if I self reported. None of the paperwork they get says anything about that. I was enrolled originally as a self report. However several weeks later my previous employer (where I'd been caught diverting) ended up reporting me to TPAPN. I don't know why, they'd already fired me, and I'd already enrolled. However, I guess they needed to assure themselves that I really did go to TPAPN. So TPAPN changed my status from self report to third party report, even though I self reported first! Weeks earlier! And in the end it didn't change anything. So I'd wait and see what your employer is going to do, then self report if you have to. If by some strange fluke they decided just to fire you but not report you, (I know that's unlikely but heck, you never know) then you don't want to have already enrolled!

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I don't know if you both are from the same state, but I know it depends on the state as far as self reporting. In Illinois, as long as you self report even 1 minute before being reported, the self report remains on the record (the other report will be there too) but the self report is a requirement to getting a deal where there's no public discipline. It does sound like they are willing to work with her or at least give her a chance to self report first so waiting until Monday might not be a bad idea. I would advise the OP to call nurse lawyers ASAP and find out about the specifics for her state as far as self reporting.

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Specializes in ER, ICU/CCU, Open Heart OR Recovery, Etc.

Get a lawyer pronto, one that has experience dealing with the FL Board of Nursing and IPN. Lawyer up, do not admit to anything. Talk with your doctor, get an evaluation, and start attending meetings if you honestly believe you have issues. Only you will know that. If you do and you are an addict, the sooner you're able to be honest about that, the sooner you can get help. Self reporting is better than waiting until someone does it for you.

I do think it is odd that they're allowing you to continue to work if they're going to fire you. Usually they escort you from the premises and you wait out the internal investigation at home.

Good luck to you. Many of us have been where you are and come out on the other side.You can get through this.

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Specializes in ICU; Telephone Triage Nurse.
Good luck to you. Many of us have been where you are and come out on the other side. You can get through this.

Amen Sista Sledge, amen ...

... this too shall pass ...

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