i dont know what to do, please help.

wow. that's crazy. Does your state board have a program for addicted nurses? Arizona has the CANDO program if you volunteer for treatment you don't loose your license, and they put you through rehab type program and then monitor you after and you can eventually work again.....Are you able to approach this nurse and ask her to turn herself in and let her know otherwise you will have to turn her in? Other than that I would think reporting her to the board would cause them to look into it. But then again you could annonmously report her to the hospital.. . . maybe ask an instructor what she would do? Patient safety is our #1 concern and what she is doing is NOT safe, ethical and will reflect poorly on her hospital. . . And as for these other nurses that know about it and do nothing...shame on them. Very tough situation....I am sorry! Good luck!

Without something substantial besides gossip I'd do nothing. Do you have any idea of the ramifications of accusing her of something like diverting drugs??

If she's actually stealing narcotics she won't be able to hide it for long before she's found out.

i really dont have anyway of confronting her myself right now. and as for worrying about what happens to her if i am wrong, well i used to work in a rehab that she was a pt in a few years ago. i know that she has a history of drug addiction and she was clean and sober for about 2 years and has recently fallen off the wagon. those are things that i do know for sure. after working in a rehab, i know not to put it past an addict to steal drugs regardless of the consequences. this is not someone with a clean history so its not like these are unfounded rumors. and the ppl who told me are her close friends, not co-workers or even nurses.

I am also in nursing school, and I suggest you talk with your faculty mentor about what to do. Remember that you are a representative of your school, and your instructors have a right to know what actions you are planning, if any. As of right now, you don't have any concrete evidence that the "suspect" is actually commiting the crime.

I used to work in the hospital pharmacy, and I was involved in auditing reports to watch for narcotic mishandling. Your instructors may indicate that beginning this investigation on a local level might be best. If she gets caught, the offender will still get the help she needs, and the nursing board will still be involved. However, if the investigation does not uncover incriminating evidence, her career will be intact.

Most nurses think that the nursing board is responsible for investigating narcotic fraud in the hospital, but it really managed by the Director of Pharmacy, who collaborates witht the Nurse Managers when evidence suggests wrongdoings. You may mention this to your faculty mentor. If your school does not have a mentor program, seek out the instructor with whom you feel most comfortable. There's a chain of command involved that should be followed so you keep yourself out of a questionable situation.

Student > Faculty > Nursing program director > Pharmacy director & Nurse Manager > HR > board of nursing.

Good luck.

Just because she has a history of drug use does NOT mean she is guilty of such accusations. People have tendencies of "once a drug addict, always a drug addict". I would tread lightly with this one. How would you feel if you had a past and was then innocently accused of such a thing. Gossip is just that..gossip. Dont destroy a woman's reputation over a rumor, thats just wrong and unprofessional.

i really dont have anyway of confronting her myself right now. and as for worrying about what happens to her if i am wrong, well i used to work in a rehab that she was a pt in a few years ago. i know that she has a history of drug addiction and she was clean and sober for about 2 years and has recently fallen off the wagon. those are things that i do know for sure. after working in a rehab, i know not to put it past an addict to steal drugs regardless of the consequences. this is not someone with a clean history so its not like these are unfounded rumors. and the ppl who told me are her close friends, not co-workers or even nurses.

Then you're aware of HIPAA.

You may "know" that she recently fell off the wagon, although I'm wondering how you'd know that for sure, but you have NO proof that she's diverting at work. All you have are assumptions and gossip.

They ARE unfounded rumors because YOU DON'T KNOW. And in my book, that's reason to not falsely accuse somebody.

I'm sorry, but I just had a friend that was a terrific nurse that was falsely accused of diverting and was under investigation. He was exonerated by the BON, but he quit nursing because of the experience. Nursing lost a caring and compassionate person that was smart, strived for excellence, and has aspirations to be a CRNA. FOR NOTHING!!

i really dont have anyway of confronting her myself right now. and as for worrying about what happens to her if i am wrong, well i used to work in a rehab that she was a pt in a few years ago. i know that she has a history of drug addiction and she was clean and sober for about 2 years and has recently fallen off the wagon. those are things that i do know for sure. after working in a rehab, i know not to put it past an addict to steal drugs regardless of the consequences. this is not someone with a clean history so its not like these are unfounded rumors. and the ppl who told me are her close friends, not co-workers or even nurses.

I beg to differ. These are strong accusations you are making. If she is really diverting narcotics, they will catch her. There is no way that you can know since you don't work there. And since the other girls that told you this ALSO do not work there, this is all just gossip, or hearsay. If it is not true, you could be subject to a nasty lawsuit for slandering someone.

And before you go make broad generalizations about recovering addicts, maybe you should realize that recovering nurses have much more to lose than you think. I know many recovering addicts, including myself that would NEVER STEALor DO DRUGS BECAUSE OF THE CONSEQUENCES. Losing my life is not something that I am willing to do for a HIGH.

Just because she has a history of drug use does NOT mean she is guilty of such accusations. People have tendencies of "once a drug addict, always a drug addict". I would tread lightly with this one. How would you feel if you had a past and was then innocently accused of such a thing. Gossip is just that..gossip. Dont destroy a woman's reputation over a rumor, thats just wrong and unprofessional.

ok i know for a fact she is using drugs. the part that i have no proof of is her taking pt meds. isnt being on drugs while working in an icu a BAD THING? like i said i used to work in a rehab, i know ppl can get clean, but i know the chances of relapse are high. her past is her past, and that had nothing to do with this. its what i KNOW she is doing now!

tread lightly sister.... everyone here has a valid point. I didn't realize that the people who told you she was stealing didn't work with her. I definately think you should talk to a faculty member...get some serious insight before you proceed.

You still don't have any proof she is high at work and using drugs at work. It would be a terrible thing for you if you said something and you couldn't prove it. Think about it. It would ruin her career. And no matter if you know in your heart and swear on a bible, if you can't prove it, then she can sue you for damages.

SO, unless you have proof... like a picture of her snorting coke or taking a hit off a bong, then I wouldn't say anything.

ok i know for a fact she is using drugs. the part that i have no proof of is her taking pt meds. isnt being on drugs while working in an icu a BAD THING? like i said i used to work in a rehab, i know ppl can get clean, but i know the chances of relapse are high. her past is her past, and that had nothing to do with this. its what i KNOW she is doing now!

How?? Did you see her?? Where you there??

If not, then you don't know.

Unless you work with her, have seen her actually taking the drugs, etc. STAY OUT of it. If she is doing it, she will get caught. Just because she has a history doesn't make her guilty. As others have said, pharmacy is watching, managers are watching. Was she an RN when she was in rehab in the past? It is frustrating and of course patient safety is and always should be our number one concern. If you suspect then you should go and talk to HER, tell her what you are hearing, be her friend..encourage her to get help if she needs it. Good Luck