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 took a box of Morphine PCA, opened the box in front of the patient, flipped off the yellow cap, had a pump that scanned it as Morphine...and because my patient didn't believe I would give them Morphine, they refused to press the button & called in the manager 90 minutes later.
The manager immediately sent the syringe to pharmacy, called me off for that night, & replaced the PCA syringe, pump, & tubing. Patient even told them they saw me open the sealed box & flip off the yellow top. Said they had no idea how I diverted their Morphine for saline, but were sure I did. I also had to do a drug test.
I didn't! I wouldn't! No, I never had any issues with the patient before that. I had only replaced the syringe while a coworker (scheduled RN) was at lunch.
Of course, the syringe was loaded with Morphine. Only mine and the manager'said fingerprints were on the vial. If anyone else had been on there, and it wasn't Morphine, I would have had a case against the company. Weirdest reason to get drug tested!
I came back clean. Never had ANY drug diversion accusations before that or since. I've worked with nurses who diverted them.
I took a box of Morphine PCA, opened the box in front of the patient, flipped off the yellow cap, had a pump that scanned it as Morphine...and because my patient didn't believe I would give them Morphine, they refused to press the button & called in the manager 90 minutes later.
The manager immediately sent the syringe to pharmacy, called me off for that night, & replaced the PCA syringe, pump, & tubing. Patient even told them they saw me open the sealed box & flip off the yellow top. Said they had no idea how I diverted their Morphine for saline, but were sure I did. I also had to do a drug test.
I didn't! I wouldn't! No, I never had any issues with the patient before that. I had only replaced the syringe while a coworker (scheduled RN) was at lunch.
Of course, the syringe was loaded with Morphine. Only mine and the manager'said fingerprints were on the vial. If anyone else had been on there, and it wasn't Morphine, I would have had a case against the company. Weirdest reason to get drug tested!
I came back clean. Never had ANY drug diversion accusations before that or since. I've worked with nurses who diverted them.
That's scary! I hope they paid you for the rest of the shift.
Since that amounted to shift change report, yes. They even paid me to go to get the drug test. I was told at the time it happened that I was the random test of the week. I found out when I came back what the truth was. Glad I had my Union rep when I went in for that conversation! I'm also glad my Union rep was also an RN that day.
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.
I totally agree that being flagged twice probably was a fatal blow. But I still think that as a traveler, one flag was enough anyway.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
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.
Just print out another patient name band, tape it to the bed and scan that.
So sorry this happened to you. I pulled a narc from Pyxis and went straight to room and administered med. Problem was there was a lag or something so it showed that u administered Med 8 seconds before I pulled it. So I get a call when I get home from my manager asking me what happened. considering I was a new hire I figured I would end up peeing in a cup ( which is fine I have nothing to hide) but later I get a call about how I am cleared as Pyxis had a lag time during an update at same time.
long story less long, my manager wanted answers and she actually took the time to find out what happened.
To me it sounds like your manager was looking for an excuse to fire you. I'm truly sorry you went through this.
Well maybe she isn't decent. Because the OP was let go rather quickly & for no valid reason. That is the only thing that explains it.
I beg your pardon? I happen to be very decent. You don't even know me. That is NOT the only thing that explains it. You don't know all the facts. I will say here and now...CYA. I will never take another Travel or Contract position again. I hope this or other things like this never happens to you. I was beyond freaked out when this occured. I have never been in a position, were such blatant mis-handling of a supervisory role such as this could be gotten away with. Even I couldn't BELIEVE it, and yet, IT HAPPENED to me.
Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
I beg your pardon? I happen to be very decent. You don't even know me. That is NOT the only thing that explains it. You don't know all the facts. I will say here and now...CYA. I will never take another Travel or Contract position again. I hope this or other things like this never happens to you. I was beyond freaked out when this occured. I have never been in a position, were such blatant mis-handling of a supervisory role such as this could be gotten away with. Even I couldn't BELIEVE it, and yet, IT HAPPENED to me.
I was referring to your manager, please reread the thread (between morte & I where we talked about your/a manager). Remember, when you assume things you make an ass out of you & me.
Clearly you feel the same way about the manager as I am stating.
BT2012 said there had been two perfectly explainable discrepancies and that she was dismissed without a sufficient investigation to obtain the facts.
My experiences in life and nursing have destroyed my ability to have blind faith that management make reasonable, rational decisions. Sure it's possible that they're a raging drug addict thief, but there's absolutely nothing in their actual words that leads me to believe that.
Thank you! I am not a raging drug addict thief. Hand to God! I feel like Im reliving this whole nightmare again when I read all these quick to judge comments.
Yes, the situation was so ridiculous that I can see why it is hard to believe. What benefit would I get out of posting my story, especially anonymously, if I were covering something up? What? What on earth would be the point? I wasn't asking for advice or trying to figure out a way to get "out of this". I told my story as it seemed pertinent to the OP subject matter. And, more importantly...
I want nurses to protect themselves and know that, in this day and age of narcotic abuse, high rates of diversion in the medical profession as a whole and with managers, corporate administrators, risk mangers etc., all pressured to do whatever they can to eradicate diversion from their hospitals, some are actually downright paranoid and also very heavy-handed in the ways they handle this problem. I have heard of and read about many stories of people who have been wrongly accused. Not necessarily wrongly procecuted, as it is possible to show mishandling and use of narcotics by lab work, and often catching folks red-handed etc....However, after going through what I went through, I wouldn't be surprised if an occasional one of those may even be wrongfully prosecuted...At some point, I made it clear to the OP and others have as well, that NO MATTER WHAT, when it comes to narcotics, FOLLOW EVERY P AND P as if your life depended on it. I did, and I still got flagged, but...If I had been a regular/permanent employee, and/or had some union back-up, I could have easily shown the explanations for the flags and been vindicated, and still have the job. (Not that I'd want to work for that manager knowing how arbitrary and unfair she is.)
After all the fuss over my story, which wasn't even the Op, You can see how quickly ANYONE may jump to a conclusion, and unfairly assume guilt.
Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
Thank you! I am not a raging drug addict thief. Hand to God! I feel like Im reliving this whole nightmare again when I read all these quick to judge comments.
I never called you a drug addict nor said you were responsible. I was always talking about your manager.
Lmao. Where did I say she was a drug addict?! I said this is why I BELIEVE she got let go. It confirms my thought with the fact that the NM didn't do anything to get the facts. After working for a lot of DONs & NMs I know for a fact this would happen & wouldn't be surprised. It also doesn't help that she was a travel nurse. Had she been on staff, maybe it would've been different. But she was let go so quickly, it's as if the NM was upset with her for some reason.
Yes, it turned out she did have "something" against me (which I also found out about later). However, it had nothing to do with my nursing practice nor my relationships with other staff and doctors, etc.....I think if you knew the whole story, you may stop trying to find blame with me.
It's like once a person gets an idea in their head, they cannot be re-directed, no matter the evidence to suggest otherwise. This is not about me, nor should I need to explain myself, but I find your comments and decisive opinion on this very upsetting.
Angelicpurl
99 Posts
I took a box of Morphine PCA, opened the box in front of the patient, flipped off the yellow cap, had a pump that scanned it as Morphine...and because my patient didn't believe I would give them Morphine, they refused to press the button & called in the manager 90 minutes later.
The manager immediately sent the syringe to pharmacy, called me off for that night, & replaced the PCA syringe, pump, & tubing. Patient even told them they saw me open the sealed box & flip off the yellow top. Said they had no idea how I diverted their Morphine for saline, but were sure I did. I also had to do a drug test.
I didn't! I wouldn't! No, I never had any issues with the patient before that. I had only replaced the syringe while a coworker (scheduled RN) was at lunch.
Of course, the syringe was loaded with Morphine. Only mine and the manager'said fingerprints were on the vial. If anyone else had been on there, and it wasn't Morphine, I would have had a case against the company. Weirdest reason to get drug tested!
I came back clean. Never had ANY drug diversion accusations before that or since. I've worked with nurses who diverted them.