Hi. I was wondering if anyone has any experience of being falsely accused of med diversion due to giving meds 1-2 hours after pulling them out of the pyxis.
I am so upset and frustrated since my manager recently told me that the pharmacy put me on an alert list for possible medication diversion. The only reason for this is because I have pulled out morphine at times and not given it until 1-2 hours later. There isn't any medication missing. No accusations from patients. NOTHING else.
I am so upset that this is happening. I work on a really busy floor and I often have pulled out a pain med in expectation that the patient will ask for it, though when I go into their room, they are sleeping or don't want it at that time. Rather than return the med immediately, I hold onto it until they need it so I am prepared for the next time. I am on a floor where there aren't any CNAs at times, nor a resource RN and sometimes no unit clerk and every minute counts. I have been beyond frustrated with the work environment and now I am being falsely accused of this. I am trying not to get upset but it's truly difficult.
I get it. I'm a traveler also. Your friend who found the discrepancy with the time stamps should have taken that information to the manager who let you go, in your defense. You should at least get an apology from the manager. However, be grateful if that was all that happened. They could have involved the board, and made you go through monitoring for several years. That would truly be an injustice.
When I initially read this post, I interpreted it as her as dismissing your explanation- not the entire issue, itself. I understand what you're saying, now ....doesn't sound like you were treated fairly.
Thank you! It get's confusing. trying to just make a quick response to the OP using my example, and then I start getting comments on my issue...shouldn't have posted that here.
Just follow policy. I've also been "flagged" by pharmacy in the past ...for scanning a patients' labels (instead of their arm bands) too often when giving IV piggybacks late at night. The patients were well-known to me and would have had to be woken up over and over to be scanned. I thought I was being nice, but it wasn't the safest practice.
They told me to cut it out, and I did. Problem solved.
Even though I get that its policy. I feel bad for you getting flagged by the pharmacy. You were just trying to do what was best for your pt. by not constantly waking them up. We are allowed to scan the bed label instead of the armband if we choose to. But after reading your post I think I'll be a bit more cautious about doing so. Thanks for your post!
Thank you! It get's confusing. trying to just make a quick response to the OP using my example, and then I start getting comments on my issue...shouldn't have posted that here.
Well, I posted my issue, too! And they are both related, so no harm IMO.
Even though I get that its policy. I feel bad for you getting flagged by the pharmacy. You were just trying to do what was best for your pt. by not constantly waking them up. We are allowed to scan the bed label instead of the armband if we choose to. But after reading your post I think I'll be a bit more cautious about doing so. Thanks for your post!
Yeah, I was trying to "help", but bypassing the scanning did create extra risk for the patients. It's inconvenient to be woken up, but safer. I do encourage people with lots of overnight antibiotics to sleep with their arm outside the covers so I can try to scan them without too much disturbance.
Wrong or not I'm sure she still thought it was weird you were flagged TWICE. I think you are missing what I'm saying, had you been flagged once, I'm sure you would still have a job.[/QUOTe
She was flagged in ERROR. I get it. If she were an employee of the hospital, she could have gotten a lawyer and kept her job because SHE didn't do anything wrong.. the NM did something wrong. I am always suspect of travelers because of from a higher rate of drug problems, BUT to fire tho person because of the system's errors was just stupid. Listen up, nurses. When you are unjust we accused of drug diversion, demand an immediate drug screen. If it becomes a legal issue, at least you have that. The large majority of nurses who divert drugs do it for their own use. But the rare few will steal to sell or give to S.O.
Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
Wrong or not I'm sure she still thought it was weird you were flagged TWICE. I think you are missing what I'm saying, had you been flagged once, I'm sure you would still have a job.[/QUOTe
She was flagged in ERROR. I get it. If she were an employee of the hospital, she could have gotten a lawyer and kept her job because SHE didn't do anything wrong.. the NM did something wrong. I am always suspect of travelers because of from a higher rate of drug problems, BUT to fire tho person because of the system's errors was just stupid. Listen up, nurses. When you are unjust we accused of drug diversion, demand an immediate drug screen. If it becomes a legal issue, at least you have that. The large majority of nurses who divert drugs do it for their own use. But the rare few will steal to sell or give to S.O.
Did I ever say it was right? No. I said that is probably what happened. Right, wrong or indifferent.
Ah, yes...busy nurse who knows their patients and tries to be efficient and anticipate their needs. Managing time well and busting butt, giving your all. However, from a pharmacy standpoint they run reports of Pyxis removal time vs.administration time (MediMAR? EHR?) It's an FDA (or DEA?) requirement. Anything over a few minutes leeway generates red flags. Sorry to hear about diversion accusations, but meds should be removed from Pyxis and administered then. I do understand where you are coming from, but I teach MediMAR and Lydia competencies. "Floating" meds, either narcs or non-classed are always questioned. Pre-setting meds is frowned upon and a lot of facilities are really cracking down.
What? It wasn't fresh in her mind but yet were brought up at the same time? So then it would be correct to say they WERE fresh in her mind. You got flagged by the pharmacy twice, I'm sure she thought it was rather bizarre.
I get it. But there was still an error & a flag raised by the pharmacy. Again, I said the fact that there was TWO flags raised by pharmacy is what I'm talking about. Not the errors themselves. You are missing that point.
sdsrn42
5 Posts
I get it. I'm a traveler also. Your friend who found the discrepancy with the time stamps should have taken that information to the manager who let you go, in your defense. You should at least get an apology from the manager. However, be grateful if that was all that happened. They could have involved the board, and made you go through monitoring for several years. That would truly be an injustice.