Drug Abuse Among Us??

Nurses Safety

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Am I that nieve?? A nurse on my unit was arrested for"drug diversion" Is this rampant among us?? I know we have all taken the occasional tylenol from work, but controlled substances ??

Specializes in Surgical.

I just read all the posts trying to get an idea of the thoughts here. I was most shocked by the post that said it is okay to keep drugs instead of waste them. This is not an area to be thrifty!! Just because the patient is discharged, moved to another floor or doesnt require the full dose doesnt mean that the nurse has the right to use the remainder or whatever she is going to do with it. I dont want to personally attack the person who said that but if you have your license, and enjoy your career, you should re-evaluate your beliefs because that is immoral and illlegal...whew!

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Specializes in cardiac, diabetes, OB/GYN.

Even if I put together a pain med for a patient and it isn't busy I will always always always make sure one of my coworkers sees that it is actually the med ordered and amount, before I ever give it to the pt. With a waste, I am super sure to make sure someone actually witnesses the waste and will NEVER take someones word that they wasted something and just sign....Also, even if I have taken care of the patient numerous times, I lightheartedly say, " I know you're you but I just want to check your arm band." Makes them AND me feel better and leaves no questions for the future. Can't be too careful these days, and my co workers go along with me without complaint......I am not perfect but I AM careful....

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I once worked in a long term care facility and there was a nurse there that took a lot of pills from the narcotics box. She also seemed to be high at other times. She was eventually left go, due to lack of work. At the same place, there was a very nice nurse who seemed to drink a lot. One night one of the other nurses said that she had to send him to the hospital. He eventually lost his license and I heard later that he had died. It was such a shame. Another nurse there was drunk at work. They sent her to rehab twice, but she would start drinking again, so she was eventually fired too. She later got married. I haven't heard from her in years. I hope she's doing well. It's so sad, I hope people can get help. It might seriously compermise pt care if people are in this condition working, and I feel bad for them personaly. Another nurse at the same place we thought was stealing Darvocets for his wife, who was on drugs. He got fired eventually too. What a shame!

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Yea, pretty much. I'm a living example. A nurse (or a ny person ) who is not prepared to handle all of the stressors we are faced with day to day has a good likelyhood of turning to substances for relief. I think nursing schools should address this problem because it's more common than you think. Just look at your newsletters from your state board and see the amount of reprimands, suspensions and terminations. It stinks. :o

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To ITSJUSTMEZOE post 65 = when you leap off your high horse then you can read you own post and see that you place yourself above other humans. Don't forget, we are not perfect, not even you!

To Mother/babyRN post 67 - BRAVO! I couldn't have said it any better. Thank You for your empathy.

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My Last job the DON wreaks of alcohol everyday. The Administrator knows it and it has been reported to him from several nurses, but to this day has done nothing wbout it.

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I have 2 stories to tell in regards to nurses abusing drugs:

When I was in labor with my first daughter I was in excruciating pain but had made my husband promise to not let me talk anyone into giving me anything for pain wanted to do it all natural *young and dumb what can i say* anyway as the labor progressed I finally convinced him that i desperately needed something for pain and the dr. ordered me to have Demerol, well this nurse gives me an injection and I swear to God it didn't do anything for me, a couple of years later this nurse lost her license for replacing Demerol with saline and right there in the med room (caught in the act) shooting her own thigh with the Demerol. Still to this day convinced all I got was saline.

Then when I had just newly graduated from LVN school I went to work at a long term care facility, and one night the other LVN I was working with needed my keys to get into the supply closet (no clue why there was only one key to the supply closet not both sets of keys) but anyway, later that night when the night shift LVN came in and we were counting narcotics, she dumped this resident's Lortab bottle and I just about crapped down both legs, in replacement were 28 Parafon Forte (I'll never forget the medicine nor the number do to that) and I was new didn't know what to do, called the DON, the administrator, and said we should call the sherrif's department, all said "no" to calling them, next day he and I both get the pleasure of doing a drug test, and having to go take a polygraph test. I passed the drug test, he didn't. We both failed the polygraph test. (my failing was because I answered NO to being asked if I had done anything I didn't want anyone to know about.. was told that "Pope John Paul might have picked his nose, but doesn't want all the church to know about it". From that day on I never trusted ANYONE with anything to my license and still don't, never will either. Ok that's all my ramblings for tonight gotta go to work now. Y'all be good and have a great night.

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Let's not forget the Fentanyl patches. This is why you date and intial and have to dispose of as a narcotic with two nurses signing the disposal. Staff are taking off the patches and sucking out the rest of the drug. remember this is time released and still has quite abit of drug left over. To an addict it doesn't matter if it's been on a persons body, clean, dirty or otherwise.... Talk about going to extremes. If you don't date they can take the new patch and leave the old and date the old to cover tracks. Who suffers? Not the staff !!! Also if a Nurse is discovered stealing narcotics as long as they admit they have a problem the Office of Professions has a specific Drug rehab. program that they have to follow to allow them to rejoin the work force. So after multiple drug screenings and counseling, not to mention being displayed on the OP web site as committing this error they can choose to start applying for jobs again in 1-2 years. It is a way to assist our fellow co-workers back into the already shortened work force. Have a great day!!!!

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Specializes in Alzheimer's, Geriatrics, Chem. Dep..

People in chronic pain may OR may not be impaired, and not know it. It is an individual thing. Some may be impaired (like that nurse's mom) and just not know it. Many of these meds give a false sense of security and confidence. It's best to be up front that you're on them and willing to hear someone say, "Er, maybe you need to rethink your working with these meds" when they see you're not doing so hot. Those on it short term OR long term may be deluding themselves as to their abilities.

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Specializes in Alzheimer's, Geriatrics, Chem. Dep..

People in chronic pain may OR may not be impaired, and not know it. It is an individual thing. Some may be impaired (like that nurse's mom) and just not know it. Many of these meds give a false sense of security and confidence. It's best to be up front that you're on them and willing to hear someone say, "Er, maybe you need to rethink your working with these meds" when they see you're not doing so hot. Those on it short term OR long term may be deluding themselves as to their abilities.

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Oh wow!

I never realized it was such a widespread problem! We have some issues where I work (a small LTC unit) and I think I will definitely be taking some more steps to assure the safety of my license!

For istance, our DON informed some of us (one at a time, I guess) that a pts liquid Lortab had been taken (240cc) and replaced with water....to this day, I don't think she has done a thing about it. Narcs are off CONSTANTLY because no one counts with the other....

It is a mess...Yes, I am taking more steps to take care of my license. I worked too hard to get it, and I'm not letting it go!

I think I will INSIST on counting the narcs....and if they don't want to, I shall report it to the administrator.

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Specializes in Alzheimer's, Geriatrics, Chem. Dep..
Originally posted by Julielpn

I will INSIST on counting the narcs....and if they don't want to, I shall report it to the administrator.

I don't get people not counting... everywhere I go we HAVE to, with TWO people.

Otherwise, anyone who was near the cart/cupboard since the last count would be called on the carpet!

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