Diversion- what are we missing?

Nurses General Nursing

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I am in a Masters program, taking a course on effective leadership, and one of our recent topics has been dealing with a staff member you suspect is abusing narcotics. At the same time, I have a dear friend and fellow nurse who has battled an addiction for several years. I really knew nothing about diversion despite my 7-8 yrs of nursing experience (I know,shame on me) until I befriended this lady and she decided to share her experience. So I am writing a paper for this class on what I think could make this program more effective- or should i say more helpful. I have to say so far what i have read in research articles and heard from my friend is pretty horrible- the BRN's idea of diversion seems to be punitive and nothing else. I would like to ask any of you willing to help me out to please let me know your experiences with this. Anonymous of course, but I want to hear from nurses who have been through or are going through the diversion process nationwide, and what you think could be done differently. I posted on another forum that my friend was pretty much shown the door with no follow-up from anyone in our facility- is this what we nurses do to each other? Aren't we in the business of healing the whole person? Any input would be sincerely appreciated.

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I too have seen people escorted out without follow up. I feel the same way you do, we just dump the nurse with addiction on the street and say have a nice day. The particular nurse I know of has had jobs at 3 other hospitals since termination from our hospital. She was fired from each one for diversion. No one has put her in the road to recovery program : (

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Thanks so much for responding..I'm afriad you are the only one so far who has responded to my post. Maybe no one agrees with us? Or is this still a taboo topic? I would love to get some more input on this subject, because you have confirmed what I suspected- this diversion program is NOT working as it should. Turning our back on the addicted nurse/person is not the fix. They just move on to another facility, and get in trouble all over again.

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

I moved your thread out of the dissertation area to General Nursing discussion.

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I too have seen people escorted out without follow up. I feel the same way you do, we just dump the nurse with addiction on the street and say have a nice day. The particular nurse I know of has had jobs at 3 other hospitals since termination from our hospital. She was fired from each one for diversion. No one has put her in the road to recovery program : (

terminated 3 times for diversion?

and no one has put her on the road to recovery?

just a thought, but do you think the BON might put the welfare and the well-being of the pts, ahead of the impaired nurse?

and while many consider it a disease, do you think that even diseased people know when they need help, and initiate the recovery process themselves?

if employers are basically terminating a nurse for diversion and not reporting it, i'm not understanding this.

but once it's reported and proven, the BON is extremely involved in their recovery process.

it's a long, hard road back to nursing.

but i do not agree that the BON (or anyone else) should be held responsible for taking the first step to getting help.

i'm just not following the logic on that one.

leslie

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I have thought of this very issue quite a bit. In my state for pharmacists there is a peer program that works with the pharmacist and they are not turned into the board for diversion (as long as it is self use). http://www.wvprn.com/

I am very anti drug use. I will be honest, apparently it is a big flaw of mine but I cannot understand addiction. I have tasted alcohol but never had a taste for it, never smoked. There has been several alcoholics in my family. I just honestly cannot comprehend how someone can let something get so out of control. I dont have anything in my life that "I just can't put down" and often I have a hard time with sympathy for these issues.

My beliefs though are challenged. I see good people become addicted, childhood friends become disabled. I read about the struggles on this board. So my stance is definitely changing. Before my belief was that once you were caught diverting that should be permanent suspension of your license.

I just dont believe that destroying someone's lifestyle is helpful though now. I really like that pharmacy program, I think it will be much more successful. If you turn a nurse in right now to the board, that nurse (guilty or not) may very well be permanently affected and despite circumstances, most of us are compassionate and dont want to see anyone's life ruined. I think this makes some people apprehensive about speaking up. The pharmacy program I linked to will cause less guilt to report. Not only are you helping the pharmacist you suspect is diverting (by getting them treatment) but at the same time you are not going to ruin their life.

But why do I suspect us nurses will never have programs like this.

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Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.

I worked with a nurse who had been fired from 3 different jobs for stealing narcotics. She was reported to the BON all 3 times. After the second offense she was ordered to go into therapy and she refused. Nothing was done and she went on to get fired from yet another job for stealing drugs. Her employers did not check on the status of her license. :nono: All of this info is on the BON website for anyone who knows her name to read. I wonder what is wrong with #1 the BON. Someone is ordered to go for counseling, refuses and nothing happens. #2 Stealing drugs x 3 and getting fired and still have a valid license? Still able to work and steal more drugs, still able to steal a patients drugs by giving them a placebo injection? Can the police not get involved because it is a theft? I am not understanding the BON's lax attitude. If a nurse like this were taking care of their Mom, Dad, Child, Spouse, Sister....how would they feel?

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Specializes in ICU, CCU,Wound Care,LTC, Hospice, MDS.
I worked with a nurse who had been fired from 3 different jobs for stealing narcotics. She was reported to the BON all 3 times. After the second offense she was ordered to go into therapy and she refused. Nothing was done and she went on to get fired from yet another job for stealing drugs. Her employers did not check on the status of her license. :nono: All of this info is on the BON website for anyone who knows her name to read. I wonder what is wrong with #1 the BON. Someone is ordered to go for counseling, refuses and nothing happens. #2 Stealing drugs x 3 and getting fired and still have a valid license? Still able to work and steal more drugs, still able to steal a patients drugs by giving them a placebo injection? Can the police not get involved because it is a theft? I am not understanding the BON's lax attitude. If a nurse like this were taking care of their Mom, Dad, Child, Spouse, Sister....how would they feel?

Each state must be different. I worked with nurses in two states who lost their license for one incident!

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Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.
Each state must be different. I worked with nurses in two states who lost their license for one incident!

That's encouraging. My state must be awfully lienient :o

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I have thought of this very issue quite a bit. In my state for pharmacists there is a peer program that works with the pharmacist and they are not turned into the board for diversion (as long as it is self use). http://www.wvprn.com/

I am very anti drug use. I will be honest, apparently it is a big flaw of mine but I cannot understand addiction. I have tasted alcohol but never had a taste for it, never smoked. There has been several alcoholics in my family. I just honestly cannot comprehend how someone can let something get so out of control. I dont have anything in my life that "I just can't put down" and often I have a hard time with sympathy for these issues.

My beliefs though are challenged. I see good people become addicted, childhood friends become disabled. I read about the struggles on this board. So my stance is definitely changing. Before my belief was that once you were caught diverting that should be permanent suspension of your license.

I just dont believe that destroying someone's lifestyle is helpful though now. I really like that pharmacy program, I think it will be much more successful. If you turn a nurse in right now to the board, that nurse (guilty or not) may very well be permanently affected and despite circumstances, most of us are compassionate and dont want to see anyone's life ruined. I think this makes some people apprehensive about speaking up. The pharmacy program I linked to will cause less guilt to report. Not only are you helping the pharmacist you suspect is diverting (by getting them treatment) but at the same time you are not going to ruin their life.

But why do I suspect us nurses will never have programs like this.

Actually, CA does have a diversion program. It is sanctioned by the BON and if completed successfully results in NO record of report or participation. Is it a good one? I don't think so. I participated in that and failed because of a paperwork problem, and ended up going through probation by the BON for 3 years. When first confronted by the BON the nurse is given the option of probation (public) or diversion (private). Because of the shame involved most nurses new in recovery will choose the private route. If I had known in the beginning what I knew when I failed the diversion program, I would have opted for probation.

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Specializes in Psych/Rehab/Family practice/Oncology.

I am curious. How does one fail a diversion program because of a paperwork problem?

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Specializes in Cardiac x3 years, PACU x1 year.

Just my opinion

I don't believe that addiction is a disease. So, I think if you steal or divert drugs, you are not only committing a crime, but putting patient's lives in danger. I have no compassion in that respect. None whatsoever.

Zero tolerance is the only way to fix that. I don't want to work with drug addicts.

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