What to do when the person diverting drugs is parent of terminally ill child.

[oramar]

Mother accused of unhooking son's IV, injecting herself

[kcochrane]

This is not any better in my mind. You are taking your OWN son's meds? Sad all around.

Forgot to add that I'm not sure what you do in that case? The child still needs the mom - probably a 1:1 until after the child dies so mom can still visit but not divert. After that they can deal with her.

[evolvingrn, BSN, RN]

Sad all around.

[Ruthiegal]

This is not any better in my mind. You are taking your OWN son's meds? Sad all around.

Forgot to add that I'm not sure what you do in that case? The child still needs the mom - probably a 1:1 until after the child dies so mom can still visit but not divert. After that they can deal with her.

Wait, the child needs a Mom who takes his medications from him for her own selfish need???? I hardly think so... sad for the child.

[TDCHIM]

I feel really, really sick after reading that story. It must be agony to watch your child die - but to steal the medications easing the pain of his illness?? How could any parent justify such an action? How horrible for everyone involved.

[oramar]

Wait, the child needs a Mom who takes his medications from him for her own selfish need???? I hardly think so... sad for the child.

It is going to take a judge with the a lot of wisdom to figure out how to handle this. My gut instinct is to ban her from the child's bedside. I bet the child doesn't feel that way?

[evolvingrn, BSN, RN]

I feel really, really sick after reading that story. It must be agony to watch your child die - but to steal the medications easing the pain of his illness?? How could any parent justify such an action? How horrible for everyone involved.

Thinking objectively, she didn't really prevent him from getting that pain medication except for the short time she disconnected. those drips are set at hourly rates and when the bag is empty you replace it. (Someone doing this would be caught pretty fast , since how much is infused is obviously closely monitored)

I work with the terminally ill and I guess i would just imagine an appropriate nursing dx may be"disabled coping mechanism" Im not so quick to think that this mom is a horrible human being but perhaps needs some major mental health support in this tragic situation. not justifying her behavior at all just empathetic to what might be the underlying factors involved.

[leslie :-D]

I work with the terminally ill and I guess i would just imagine an appropriate nursing dx may be"disabled coping mechanism" Im not so quick to think that this mom is a horrible human being but perhaps needs some major mental health support in this tragic situation. not justifying her behavior at all just empathetic to what might be the underlying factors involved.

another hospice nurse here, and i do not feel the compassion you do.

the mom's doc, would have given her a script for her own distress.

she is putting her needs ahead of her (dying) child's.

frankly, it sickens me.

however, for the sake of her son, i wouldn't be opposed to supervised visits.

leslie

[kcochrane]

Wait, the child needs a Mom who takes his medications from him for her own selfish need???? I hardly think so... sad for the child.

Yes..even in cases of abuse, you find the child still loves and wants the parent. I do not understand at all taking meds from a dying child. But we have to look at what the child would want in this case. It is very possible they would still want Mommy there. I have no idea how the relationship was before all this started...maybe she was a crappy mom all along.

[KneKno]

http://www.wpxi.com/news/25591637/detail.html

A little more information from a local TV station web site.

[AgentBeast, BSN, RN]

The story is just sad all around.

[linearthinker, DNP, RN]

I agree w/ Leslie. As soon as the kid is declared dead, that twit needs to be arrested.