Ethical question...what would you do?

Sorry Love, but it is still wrong, no matter how you look at it. Go to CVS and buy a $5 bottle of Tylenol and keep it in your bag.

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.

I agree. Although it's really not kosher, this is common practice at a lot of places. It might come back to bite you if you bring this to the charge nurse. Sometimes, you have to pick your battles in nursing

Very unethical behavior. Does your facility have an anonymous whistle blower line? We have one and I think in this case I would seriously think about using it. If she's taking ES Tylenol from pts. that you see, there's probably quite a bit more that you don't. You are too new and do not have the relationship to do this on a one-on-one. This can negatively impact you too. You are in danger of being accused of doing the stealing if this should come out by some other means. Not only is her behavior unethical and immoral, it puts you at risk (and your license) too, especially if narcs are involved. Always protect your license.

I think disallowing nurses to OCCASIONALLY use floor stock maalox or tylenol is stupid. it has been what gotten me thru a shift or two to medicate for these things. (who can stand to work with severe heartburn or a pounding headache and who is gonna replace me if I can't hang with it?) I think that is being ridiculous to fire someone over that and am glad I don't work in a facility like that one. A reprimand would have been sufficient, I would think. Sheesh. :angryfire

i agree with lovelee. it is wrong to take meds - even a vitamin, but i am actually shocked that a nurse could get fired for taking maalox. wow! i've seen a lot of nurses take tylenol - and it never progressed to anything stronger. i just think it is not something i'd want to make waves over. you do have to pick your battles and this just seems like a minor skirmish to me. just my opinion :stone

Taking meds from a patient's medication drawer whether it be Tylenol or Morphine is considered medication diversion and could cost you your license or jail time. Some facilities however overlook the nonnarcotic stuff especially if the patients are Medicare, medicaid or VA. They figure they are paying for it anyway. We had tons of nurses do it all the time and management didn't care. I had an administrator ask me for a percocet once. She didn't get it ...not sure if it was a test or not... but she left me alone after that. On my shift, we took up a monthly collection from the staff and went to Walmart and bought Tylenol, advil, alleve, tampons mallox and all the other goodies... including bandaids, and neosporin. We kept it locked up so that only 11/7 had access to it. We kept a running list of who paid and who didn't. You had to pay to use it or you were out of luck. We gave everybody one chance to have a headache, not pay and still get meds. After that, sorry buddy. Needless to say, we had 100% participation from our staff and no one could accuse us of diversion. TIP: record in a book at home for your eyes only (and that of an atty if you ever need one) these type of incidents. This book will keep you out of court and will carry alot of leverage when the big whigs realize you are keeping notes!!!

Being new... keep quiet, but ask a "stupid question" of your orientor. Like "if I have a headache, can I get some tylenol out of a patient drawer" ... see what she says...

good luck

Many years ago, when I worked at McDonald's, they had a 1st aid cabinet with Tylenol, band-aids, Pepto-Bismol, and even Midol for employees who needed them. I had the impression, not necessarily well-founded, that it was an OSHA requirement.

Getting a Tylenol or a band-aid, etc., from floor stock is widely accepted where I work, though I don't know it is officially approved. Getting meds of any kind from a pts. drawer would be severely disciplined, and I agree, it's flat-out wrong. But I also agree that you have to be pretty careful about making an issue, and CYA even if you don't say anything.

On the other hand, I wouldn't stay long at a place I couldn't feel comfortable about being ethical. I can almost imagine my NM saying she would speak to the offender about it without formally reprimanding her, but I can't conceive of her reprimanding the reporter.

I have seen nurses take from the patient's personal med drawer once in a while. I don't do it. I bring my own meds from home to use in case I need them. I think nurses already know that it is unethical to do this and they continue to do it anyway. If I was a new nurse I would not say anything because the nurses already know it is the wrong thing to do.

It is wrong to take things that are not yours in any situation. It is more wrong when the people who are taken from are dependant on the taker in some way. Why anyone would want to invite doubt about their actions over something as small and cheap as a tylenol in beyond me. Our nursing instructors told us to never even take as much as an alcohol swab from our employers and I abide by this guideline.

Our pharmacy does however bring us tylenol specifically marked for staff use and I would use this supply if I didn't have my own and needed some.

Oh yes...they will get you for taking meds and we have had people fired for taking old nursery blankets (you know the ones that are so gross you can't use anymore). Our security reserves the right to check you bag at anytime. Someone, on another floor, snitched on them and they were fired that night.

It is all about cost containment. Especially the meds...if the patient isn't paying for them, who do you think is? Ultimately it is YOU, right out of your paycheck to the government.

Would I snitch...no, but I would say something to you. Getting fired or having to go to the nursing boards would be a pretty sad day for taking a Tylenol!

Mr. X's Tylenol is stronger?! I take it MrX's is ES and your stock box is merely regular? Or does Mr. X have a specialized morphed version of Tylenol that is Super charged?!

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

You betcha!!! Keep a journal of it all! specific documentation will be your best defense if anything does end up missing etc. COVER your fanny!! and Keep your eyes open for behavioral chanes, etc. that might indicate further indiscretions. Keep your nose clean and document, document, document!