Ethical question...what would you do?

i find that a tough call since you're new and this nurse is tight with the charge.

it wouldn't bother me if it was coming from house supply.

i really am not sure how i would handle it.

is the adon approachable?

Right now keep quiet, keep a record, and be sure not to take anything out of the patients drawer for personal use. I would see which way the wind blows before I would stir the pot. This may be a standard practice that even if it is not ethical it keeps a body on the job and off of the supervisors back for a tylenol.

Maybe the nurse and the patient have a friendly relationship? Maybe the patient has told her before to help herself? You never know.

...Jennifer...

Our nursing manager over the unit just excepted a position with another unit, so right now we have no one in charge. What I don't understand is why this LPN wouldn't get Tylenol out of the general box on the cart that's not assigned to any patient. I even made that comment to her last night. She said Mr. X's Tylenol is stronger and that her leg hurt. The other LPN working with us last night even got it out of his cart and handed it to her! I worry that if she does this that she will do the same with narcotics and/or other prescription drugs. I'm watching carefully because I sure don't want a narcotic error on my shift since the two of us are sharing the same key to the cart.

Taking medications out of the patient box just isn't cool. First off, it's the patient's medication. Secondly, it is such a PAIN in the REAR waiting for the pharmacy to to replace that "missing medication".

I must admit to taking Tylenol for headaches out of the stock drug supply drawer. And if I have other joint aches and pains, I simply ask the supervisor for Ibuprofin (which is not regularly stocked). She gives it to me and I continue on with my nightly chores. . .

Ted

This is more than unethical--it's stealing. Someone is paying for those meds and it isn't the LPN. If it were me I would point out to her that the patient is paying for those meds--maybe she hadn't thought of it. If she doesn't quit doing this after it has been pointed out to her you need to go up the chain of command. If the charge nurse is unapproachable maybe you will have to go to the DON.

I am with Ted. I never take from patient's drawers, just from floor stock or ask the pharmacy for an ibu or tylenol. It is stealing from patients to remove meds from their drawers for personal use.

Let me tell you...when my dad was in the NH and someone ripped off his meds and I was paying for it, heads would roll! I know that some patients pay for their own meds and family brings them in. If I saw that I'd probably say...hey I have Tylenol in my bag, do you need it? If it cont then I would have to say something to the DON.

At my facility, even if it is floor stock you can get fired. Last year a nurse on a M/S floor took a swig of Maalox, was seen by the charge nurse and she got busted and then fired the next day. Stealing is stealing.

I don't care if it's even a placebo, taking something that is directed for the pt. is wrong.

Like a prior post said, she should have taken 3 of the regulars out of the house stock.

With all the horrors I experienced working in the dungeon (my first job as an aid in a nursing home) I can't believe we're having this conversation. When she takes something of value then worry about it. Right now, just focus on becoming a good nurse yourself. If that patient ran out of freakin tylenol, there'd be pleanty more.

hello brand new LPN, my name is lovelee and i was reading what you posted and i couldn't help but to instantly reply!

i am a student nurse graduating in the fall of 2004. the questioned you asked was, "would you say something"??????????

my answer is no!! i understand that the nurse is taking medication from the patient that does not belong to her, and im sure she is aware of it. perhaps she will replace it sometime in the near future or not. remember nursing is about team work. the best care you'll ever give or get will be from a staff that holds together. you're right when you said it is not a narcotic!! nor is the pt. going to suffer from a few caps missing, nor will it cause health problems or addictions to the nurse who took it. a season nurse may chuckle at your ethical concern because one day you'll reach out and grab a couple of tylenol's during a splitting headache episode and not think twice about it. i do understand your concern because as a student you're tought the right way to do it all, and not to base your practice on someone else's ways. so in closing, my advise to you is to remind yourself how important team work is, never base your practice on someone elses practice, use your spiritual judgement on whats minor and major!!!

good luck in school

Hi everyone!

I'm a nursing student and brand new LPN working for the VA hospital. I am training with an LPN right now and I'm a little concerned. I have watched two nights now when the LPN I was working with took an extra strength Tylenol out of a patient's medication drawer for herself. It wasn't a narcotic, but I'm still concerned. I work in the nursing home area where there isn't a Pixis; just a medication cart with drawers for each patient. The LPN is tight with the charge nurse. Would you say something? HELP!