Manager Audited Narc Drawer Without Witness; Fired Me for ‘Missing’ Norco

[Floridababe]

Hope someone can offer some advice...to make a LONG story short. I had given a resident a PRN norco-signed it out and that was that. A couple of days later, I receive a call from my boss-who is the administrator of the building as well as a nurse. 

She claims she was auditing the narc drawer and remembers from her last audit (of every single narcotic in the facility), that the resident I gave the Norco to should’ve had one more. She didn’t-and she only came to us with 3 norcos. I also don’t feel she should’ve been auditing narcotics without a 2nd person-administrator and nurse or not, there should always be 2 people. 

This happened when I was living in Indiana, and she ended up firing me over this over the PHONE! I just would like to know if anyone else feels like this is just wrong?

By the way, this happened a year ago, but still bother me quite a bit!!

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

Did you count at the beginning and end of your shift? If you counted and the count was good and signed and dated as is required, there should be no issue.

[Floridababe]

Thank you for responding...yes I for sure counted before I’d take the keys, and counted with the 3rd shift nurse before she’d take the keys. 
This administrator/nurse has been on a power trip since she came to the facility I had been working at. After we’d finish a card of narcs, we’d have to tear off the top with the residents name, medication, and quantity; then we’d have to staple it to the sign out sheet and place it under the DON’s door. Most of us put it in the hanging file above the nurses station, which is where I put the signed out drug and stapled paper. 
When she called me, she stated she found it in the DON’s office (who was out of town at the time). Then proceeded to tell me there should still be one Norco left and fired me right over the phone! I was blindsided because I followed protocol and would never count a cart alone. I just find it odd that she audited/counted the cart without a witness, and then proceeded to fire me after 3 shifts had passed prior to me working. 

[Floridababe]

I’ve been trying to find anything under Indiana’s nursing website to see if there is anything that states there should be a witness, and one individual can’t audit narcotics without one, but I can’t find anything. Maybe with her being the administrator, she’s allowed to? I don’t know-but it seems wrong to me. I’m glad I don’t work there anymore anyways as she’s turned the place for the worse, but it still bothers me. LOL not to mention she fired me over this last year on Good Friday!

[SmilingBluEyes]

I don't think that is allowed or OK. (for one single person to audit/count narcotics). I would wonder what they were up to, honestly. I think she's being sneaky.

I am glad nothing came of this but if it were to, I would seek legal counsel right away.

[chare]

3 hours ago, Floridababe said:

I’ve been trying to find anything under Indiana’s nursing website to see if there is anything that states there should be a witness, and one individual can’t audit narcotics without one, but I can’t find anything...

I doubt you'll find anything on the board of nursing website.  Have you visited the state board of pharmacy website?  You might find something there.

Best wishes.

[Nunya, BSN]

It might not be too late to report this to the BON and whoever her supervisor is.  Who knows what she's done in the past year?

[SmilingBluEyes]

I have learned, anything hinky with narcotics is suspicious. (note I did not say "GUILTY").  This sounds highly suspicious. I would report this to the BON as Nunya said.

[calisss]

On 3/17/2021 at 12:00 PM, Floridababe said:

Thank you for responding...yes I for sure counted before I’d take the keys, and counted with the 3rd shift nurse before she’d take the keys. 
This administrator/nurse has been on a power trip since she came to the facility I had been working at. After we’d finish a card of narcs, we’d have to tear off the top with the residents name, medication, and quantity; then we’d have to staple it to the sign out sheet and place it under the DON’s door. Most of us put it in the hanging file above the nurses station, which is where I put the signed out drug and stapled paper. 
When she called me, she stated she found it in the DON’s office (who was out of town at the time). Then proceeded to tell me there should still be one Norco left and fired me right over the phone! I was blindsided because I followed protocol and would never count a cart alone. I just find it odd that she audited/counted the cart without a witness, and then proceeded to fire me after 3 shifts had passed prior to me working. 

Sounds like BS to me, For one, she or no one should EVER count controlled meds without a witness unless you are on the cart working and responsible for that cart during your shift, for that lady to do a count without a witness is a bogus count, it's not VALID!

2nd, whoever counted the narc cart with you IS TECHNICALLY responsible for that cart, its out of your hands at that point because the nurse after you AGREED that the narc count was accurate. You need a good lawyer or see if you can get free representation to have them write up a letter stating that you were wrongly terminated.  No one fires anyone over ONE DAMN NARC, I've messed up a few times with narcs, but depending on the supervisor it was written as destroyed or incident report, if it's happens a lot then of course you get written up  but that has never happen to me since I don't go around messing up Narcs all the time, we've all made mistakes with Narcs. 

You were wrongly terminated!!

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

WHY does she have access to the narc drawer??? Maybe SHE took the med and is blaming you.

[wernicke, BSN, RN]

On 3/27/2021 at 2:10 PM, CapeCodMermaid said:

WHY does she have access to the narc drawer??? Maybe SHE took the med and is blaming you.

I'd be stunned if this wasn't the case. 

[SilverBells, BSN]

On 3/27/2021 at 1:10 PM, CapeCodMermaid said:

WHY does she have access to the narc drawer??? Maybe SHE took the med and is blaming you.

I agree.  Or she made some other mistake (although I don't know what that might be) and wants to point fingers at someone else.  Regardless, like others have said this is suspicious and I'm with you that this was wrong.  Not sure what (if anything) would come out of reporting it to the board, but if there have been other complaints against her, this might solidify them. At any rate, you're probably better off if they were willing to fire you over this one incident.