Caught stealing drugs

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I work in the ER at my facility. Recently there has been 2-3 nurses that were caught stealing narcotics. Usually my radar is pretty good when I come across someone who might "dabble a little in drugs". Well the last nurse that was caught totally blew me out the water. I never expected her to steal narcs (IV Dilaudid). Another nurse caught her in the act and she was immediately escorted into the DON office with the other Charge Nurses. She was given a choice to leave the ER and go directly to a Rehab facility or be reported to the nursing board and lose her license(the way the rumor was explained). It was told she went to rehab that very day.

Have any of you experienced a large amount of your nurses that you work with getting caught stealing narcs, if so, what drug of choice did they steal?

Specializes in Hospital, med-surg, hospice.

We have some nurses stealing antibiotics (azithromycin) pharmacy told me in our facility that drug along with some other things like inhalers come must constantly be reordered!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

the post says her choices were rehab or license - in my state any nurse who knows of such a situation is bound by law to report it. Nurses are not allowed to make license decisions and the patients are at risk with this employee. However, our nurses' association lobbied for a "middle ground" where impaired nurses could keep their license under specific stipulations, depending on the situation. I have worked with recovered nurses who appreciated a second chance.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ob/gyn med /surg.

we had a nurse steal protonix and PCN and it was reported to the pharmacy and nothing was done... the nurse still works there ....

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Is addiction more common among nurses? Is it an issue of stress plus accessibility?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Is addiction more common among nurses? Is it an issue of stress plus accessibility?

I don't think that addiction is anymore common in nursing than it is with people in other jobs. However, I do think because drugs are more accessible to nurses (depending on where you work), it makes it harder to avoid them....

I have run into a handful of nurses that I worked with over the last 19 years who were terminated, or moved elsewhere due to stealing narcotics. In each case, I never would have suspected that the nurse had a problem.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg, HH, Tele, Geriatrics, Psych.

I worked with a nurse who was diverting Demerol. I had no idea, and I worked with her on a regular basis. She refused rehab and voluntarily surrendered her license. She now works at Walmart.

That experience taught me the "red flags" that I should have seen earlier with this coworker. I am a little less trusting of coworkers now.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Is addiction more common among nurses? Is it an issue of stress plus accessibility?

Right now I'm a bartender and I have a coworker who is just finishing up her master's in counseling psychology. Studies have been done that the two jobs with highest rates of alcoholism are police officers and people in the restaurant industry (mind you- this is all her word, I have never looked up these studies.)

Anyways, they did a study about why people in restaurants abuse alcohol more so than other people.. Thinking that it was accessability. What these studies found that many restaurant workers drink because of the way they were treated by customers. (I can attest to that.) So to answer your question, I would speculate that nurses have a high rate of addiction because of that rather than accessability.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

In the old old days, the nursing homes had an IM drug-Talwin I think was the name of it. I was very concerned because so many bottles of Talwin were missing. I went to the DON and reported it. She told me not to worry and that she would investigate it. A few weeks later, I came to work and the DON was gone. I asked where she went and they said they had to get rid of her because she was caught stealing bottles of Talwin!!!!!:eek:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CNA.

As the daughter of an addict an a person who has highly addictive tendencies I have learned to never let me guard down(both parents actaully, both ETOH and one crack cocaine as well, found out later both were self medicating...one for pain and the other for bi-polar disorder ) I must say a big thank you to those of you who have been honest about your previous problems and the results.(((((HUGS))))))))..it is a reminder to be humble and not judgemental as ANY one of us can become addicted , and then begin behaving like an addict...

As a patient who was given Talwin but never given to me im it was always IV for intractable migraine and suffered unbelievable withdrawl after discharge(I did not realize it was withdrawl at the time I just thought I ws dying )...OMG I was told of the things I would do by my hubby and by the great nurses who took care of me but I could never remember...climbing over the bed rails , falling in the shower, falling in the bathroom or next to bed ...at first my then they gradully realised I was "out of my head " once medicated with Talwin I never once remembered trying to get up ! I CANNOT imagine how that woman was functioning in any capacity as a DON even just using in her "off time " I would lose entire days after doses of that med, it is no wonder she was caught I just hope she got help....

Up Vote Up Vote ×

In Mankato MN a nurse was discovered stealing fentanyl for ????.

Addiction is a horrible illness that harms millions of people worldwide each year. Thanks to everyone who are taking the steps each day to defeat the monster in themself and others.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CNA.
As the daughter of an addict an a person who has highly addictive tendencies I have learned to never let me guard down(both parents actaully, both ETOH and one crack cocaine as well, found out later both were self medicating...one for pain and the other for bi-polar disorder ) I must say a big thank you to those of you who have been honest about your previous problems and the results.(((((HUGS))))))))..it is a reminder to be humble and not judgemental as ANY one of us can become addicted , and then begin behaving like an addict...

As a patient who was given Talwin but never given to me im it was always IV for intractable migraine and suffered unbelievable withdrawl after discharge(I did not realize it was withdrawl at the time I just thought I ws dying )...OMG I was told of the things I would do by my hubby and by the great nurses who took care of me but I could never remember...climbing over the bed rails , falling in the shower, falling in the bathroom or next to bed ...at first my then they gradully realised I was "out of my head " once medicated with Talwin I never once remembered trying to get up ! I CANNOT imagine how that woman was functioning in any capacity as a DON even just using in her "off time " I would lose entire days after doses of that med, it is no wonder she was caught I just hope she got help....

I meant to say at first my nurses were not very happy with me! then after a couple of days they gradually realised I was not myself once I had taken that med...:crying2:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER, ICU, Infusion, peds, informatics.

i inadvertently caught a nurse diverting dilaudid.

i was actually looking into some previous visits on a ff patient i had just triaged, because what he was telling me didn't make any sense.

while doing so, i noticed that someone had pulled some dilaudid on him, which made no sense whatsoever. given the patient's cc and ff history, none of our docs would have given him dilaudid.

i mentioned it to my nm and pharmacy ended up running an audit on the pyxis.

funny thing is, at the time i had no idea someone was diverting -- it never occurred to me that i was getting someone in trouble. i just had a funny feeling about the whole situation. i almost didn't even mention it, but i couldn't stop thinking about it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment