Do others follow this practice?

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Specializes in IMC, school nursing.

Having done this career for 28 years, I have certain foundational practices that I don't stray from. The one that I get the most flak from is my refusal to count or witness for another male nurse if there is another option available. My rationale comes from studies that I have read that state males make up less than 10% of the nurse workforce but account for up to 50% of the narcotic thefts. Sadly, that has been my observation, also. What are your thoughts?

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

What on earth does that have to do with doing the count with a coworker? You figure they will point fingers at one of you?

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Specializes in ER, ICU.

Wow, so you are profiling male nurses as drug diverters? That reeks of discrimination, sorry. If you count or witness correctly you would be actually contributing to the safety and security of narcotics.

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Specializes in LTC Rehab Med/Surg.

I wouldn't want to work with you if I had to take my turn, and your turn. at counting narcs.

There are all kinds of minefields in nursing. None of us get to hand pick who we work with, or who we take care of.

What about the nurse who has to take your place? You don't want to be in the position of greater risk with a male co-worker counting narcs, but it's ok to make a female nurse do it?

Besides, what you are proposing is discrimination. At least that's what it sounds like to me.

You're suggesting that every male nurse should be suspected when narcotics go missing.

My male co-workers wouldn't put up with that for one minute.

I've never heard the statistic you cite. Please post that link.

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Specializes in IMC, school nursing.

The way we count takes every staff member, 6 staff for 3 pyxis. I work on a floor that has 2 males working during the shift together. The other males I work with agree that this is probably, in the words of management, best practice. I have seen two males steal during count a handful of times at the one institute I work. As I said in my OP, when possible, not unbendable.

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Specializes in critical care.

OP, A+ for creativity. That's definitely a new one! You do realize, though, that the other 50% of thefts are by females, though, right?

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So basically what your saying is you don't feel you can hold yourself accountable?

Sounds like you need to find a new place to work if this is such a prevalent problem.

So I have to ask, did you report the "handful" of events you observed?

I also wonder where you got these stats from. Any links?

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Specializes in Critical care.

To answer your question, no.

The gender of my fellow RN does not affect my witnessing their counts.

I propose that your patients and their parents should refuse your care, since you're male and studies show "most sex offenders are male".

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Specializes in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.

So, I can't tell if this thread tops the "Males considering nursing?" thread below (in terms of have "insane" thread/question/topic it involves)...but yeah.......lol. I know this is off topic but I just HAD to mention that.

To be on topic, *SMH* @ the OP.

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Specializes in Peri-Op.

Id just ask for a drug test if that was to happen. I have no caveats...

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Where are you getting that statistic from?

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

Am I the only one thinking that NursingAround has re-invented himself?

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