I am convinced...

that if George Washington had possessed a nursing license, I would have felt no shame asking him to pass my narcs.

When I was interviewing for the job I currently hold, I was told it would be no big deal when it came to passing my narcotics. After all, it's only a year long process and I'm over three (3) months into it.

Well let me tell you, nothing could be further from the truth.

I have a few advocates, which I am so grateful for. But the chief person who was a part of my interviewing process has all but abandoned me. Yesterday, I had a patient begin asking to be medicated right at the beginning of my shift, during report actually. When I started this portion of my journey, I thought it best to have as few people know about my IPN participation as possible. And I tried it... Quickly though, I discovered that I was significantly shrinking the pool of potential narcotic passers.

Now, I'm asking the students, their teachers, the pharmacy techs ( they can't, btw ), etc.

Recently, the hospital pharmacist called because I was assigned a patient who was getting less and less of his scheduled IV pain med over a lengthening period of time. She spoke to me first, she would settle for speaking with my supervisor but really wished to speak with the doctor in charge of this patient. Lord knows what she thought: that I was charting "not given" while simultaneously shooting up at his bedside? Who knows? Anyway, I had to end up explaining to the MD that I was in IPN, couldn't always rely on people to pass my narcs the way I thought I would be able to (they way I was told I would be able to). He was very understanding, he took the call from the pharmacist and ultimately changed the order to PRN, but still.

I've reached the point of no return. No matter who they are, or what they may think, if I can get a narcotic passed, I ask 'em. They probably think I'm nuts, but oh well.

Three months down, nine to go.