RN stealing from my facility

Nurses General Nursing

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New to the site but wondering if I can get some advice. I am a CNA working towards my RN. I'm working at a nursing home where an employee, an RN has been stealing from the CNA's and possibly the patients. The facility has spoken with her prior but no report has been filed. I left a brand new blood pressure wrist cuff at work and when I went back a few hours later, it was gone. Management claims they have suspiscions but have not confronted her. They told me that she has gone home with things that don't belong to her before. I am appalled and I'm not sure what to do. I don't really have the funds to replace it, I'm fairly new there, but is it just me that thinks if an RN would steal property; medication would not be a stretch? They stated they'll keep an eye on her and see if they catch her using it. Is this how these things are handled elsewhere? Lee.:madface::uhoh3:

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How things are handled usually depends upon the person's standing at the facility and/or the backbone viability of the people in charge. Most of the time they just want to sweep problems under the rug, unless, of course, the employee has stepped on the wrong toes recently.

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.

I have a locker and I use it. There's a bad apple in every bunch so I don't leave anything to chance.

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Specializes in LTC, Disease Management, smoking Cessati.

Wait, what happened to innocent until proven guilty. How do you know this nurse took your BP cuff. Did someone see her take it or see her with it? I wouldn't be too quick to pin on blame, until you know for sure what happened to it. There are many others in a facility that could pick it up, like a confused resident, family member, housekeeping, other co workers. And people question why nurses get a bad rap..... sometimes we give it to ourselves by opening our mouth before we know the whole story.

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Appreciate the input. I am new at this facility and don't know many people, so I wasn't accusing anyone. Management are the ones who said that this nurse has gone home with things that didn't belong to her. I'm assuming that means that they've caught her before. Why this isn't reported, I don't understand. And if you ask me, I would think that stealing property is just a step away from stealing meds. Now I don't know that SHE did it, I don't even know WHO the RN is. My main concern is how the facility is handling it. Read an interesting tidbit on nursemanagement.com's site that said "Small acts of cheating, lying, and stealing are likely to escalate until they are blatantly harmful." Where are the ethics in these places? I would be really concerned about the patients that this person takes care of. The wrist cuff is minor compared to what this says about the caregiver's morals, values and ethics.

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Specializes in LTC, Memory loss, PDN.

I'm so sorry to hear this. How disappointing and frustrating it must be to spend your hard earned money only to have the equipment come up missing. I know it isn't right, but the sad fact is that when you leave your stuff at work, there's a good chance you won't see it again. As far as the other employee in question is concerned - I'm astounded. It's all wrong. Either you are relying on hear say, which is not going to help you in your future career, or, if management indeed shared this information directly with you they are not only way out of line and

completely unprofessional, but also opening the doors for all kinds of trouble. I know you're very upset, but please don't be too quick with accusations. Chances are it won't get your cuff back, but it may reflect negatively on you.

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Specializes in LTC, Memory loss, PDN.

You are so right about being concerned with the way the facility is handling it. Again, please don't follow their (bad) example. Assumptions in this scenario are not a good thing.

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Update on the thief or thieves at this facility. Now a resident's daughter has had $300 dollars stolen from her pocketbook. This is terrible and I'm horrified that this can happen and they don't follow through on finding out who this is and firing them. I spoke with the admininstrator to state how upset I am and questioned about the person who had money stolen from their pocketbook, it was brushed off as she may have had that stolen elsewhere, as she didn't notice it gone until after she had left and gone to her night job. I'm just putting in my time and getting experience (in all the ways of NOT to do things). I don't even care WHO it is anymore, I don't want to be associated with the bad rap this place has. You can't bring in anything you are attached to. They can't even keep thermometers in this place, they keep getting stolen. Imagine that? The items that you need to do your job get stolen. What a world.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

I understand that this does happen, although seldom, in facilities. A few months ago there was an agency nurse that many of our regular staff prized and disappointingly, she had been suspected then caught in the act of stealing. It was a great shock to us.

I have read the comments to your original post and I have to agree that it is not a good idea to go around accusing innocent people of stealing however, it is understood that this is not your dilemma as this is not what you have done. You dilemma is the administrators in your facility brushing this under the rug and not taking action against the employee whom they have stated is thought to be suspected in these events. You may want to read your institution's policies and then meet with them again to inquire about actions being taken to ensure your work environment to be safe for your patients and well as for you.

Advice: If they take back their original incriminating statement, then you do not want to work there because it could be you whom they offer misinformation about and if they stick to what they have said then the institution in which you work, is weak and there is nothing worth your integrity to work there.

Question: had anyone contacted the police regarding the monies stolen from the patient's family member? Often a police report is necessary.

Best of luck to you in your endeavors.

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well now that's odd. i don't know of anyone that would steal a blood pressure cuff lol

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Specializes in L&D, Maternal Fetal Medicine, LTC.
well now that's odd. i don't know of anyone that would steal a blood pressure cuff lol

This isnt related to stealing, I dont think, BUT when I used to work at a LTC facility--the admin bought each nurse a BP cuff and stethoscope of their own for nurse appreciation week. They said it was because they were tired of hearing that the BP cuffs were missing and they couldnt find one. SO---they took care of it and we each got our own....How funny...

Felicia

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Specializes in Home Health, Geriatrics.

Yeah, a blood pressure cuff is kind of a silly thing to steal...especially by an RN. I had a stethoscope come up missing, but the doc who "took" it brought it back. Best to keep things where they can't be picked up by anyone including other residents/patients.

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