Missing narcotics

Nurses LPN/LVN

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I'm a brand new LVN. I got my first job as a LVN at a SNF. Last week I was on orientation with a 15+ LVN. We received a order of medications from the pharmacy. The nurse who was training me had the medicAtions in her hands. I hand the pharmacy manifestion sheet. As she read off the medications and the quantity I checked them off the manifestion and signed the bottom. She went to put the medications into thr locked narcotic box. I went home at 3pm. She stayed to do charting. I returned to work for my first on the floor shift 3 days later to find that 60 oxycodone tabs were missing. I called the pharmacy to see when the medications were sent. I notified my DON that the medications were missing. I searched everywhere!! These pills were nowhere to be found!!! I wrote a statement as to what happened the day the medications were delivered. However I was supensed pending an investigation into what happened to the meds. This is the worse thing that could have happened. I feel that I was targeted being a new, naive nurse. I am Afraid the medications will never be found and I will be held responsible or even possible lose my license. I can't sleep or eat. I feel like I am being labeled a pill popper and a thief. I'm so afraid! Can this effect my license? Can I lose my job for this?

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

If you have , time to get contact your insurer, get help finding a lawyer who specializes in such cases, and get legal advice. If you do not, time to get legal advice and be prepared to pay for it. Either way, this is a bad situation and you need really good and solid advice.

If you have union, talk to the rep. Write down what happened, everything you remember.

I wish you luck and I hope the "lost" narcotics are found. REALLY get legal advice asap.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

............and If I were you, I would not post any other information here. Yes this a somewhat "anonymous" board, but you would be surprised how easily people can figure out who you are.

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contact your malpractice insurer, and stop posting here, asap.

I'm a brand new LVN. I got my first job as a LVN at a SNF. Last week I was on orientation with a 15+ LVN. We received a order of medications from the pharmacy. The nurse who was training me had the medicAtions in her hands. I hand the pharmacy manifestion sheet. As she read off the medications and the quantity I checked them off the manifestion and signed the bottom. She went to put the medications into thr locked narcotic box. I went home at 3pm. She stayed to do charting. I returned to work for my first on the floor shift 3 days later to find that 60 oxycodone tabs were missing. I called the pharmacy to see when the medications were sent. I notified my DON that the medications were missing. I searched everywhere!! These pills were nowhere to be found!!! I wrote a statement as to what happened the day the medications were delivered. However I was supensed pending an investigation into what happened to the meds. This is the worse thing that could have happened. I feel that I was targeted being a new, naive nurse. I am Afraid the medications will never be found and I will be held responsible or even possible lose my license. I can't sleep or eat. I feel like I am being labeled a pill popper and a thief. I'm so afraid! Can this effect my license? Can I lose my job for this?
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Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

Go get an independent drug test!

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That's crazy! I made a med error where ONE pill went missing and I could have died...did everything turn our ok? Did they find the pills? Things like that just don't go missing right...

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It's obvious who took the drugs. The other nurse that was with you!! Get a lawyer asap and have yourself and her tested for drugs. If she refuses that is a automatic guilty, but pray that she consumed them and not sold them. They go for up to 50$ a pill!!! Be more careful if you make it. There is no diversion program for lvn's, rn's only. This nurse is probably a RN and after 15 years very slick. I caught my supervisor 20 years ago stealing the CA patients morphine. It was a tube feeding and she always did it, even though it was my patient. One day I went ahead and gave the medication anyway, lmao, the RN went into withdrawals by 3 hours. She insisted on doing the next feeding. I notified the Don and the RN was asked to submit to a drug test. The patient was tested. Very low levels of morphine, the one dose I gave her. In the end, the RN refused drug testing and quit. And sadly was not prosecuted. I hope you learned never sign on a narcotic without locking them up yourself. Hey she had the narc keys then right? So it's her! Evidence.

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There is no diversion program for lvn's, rn's only.

That is a false statement. I don't know of any state that does not offer a program for LPNs/LVNs and RNs. They are ALL nurses.

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Specializes in Pediatric.

If she was orienting you that day, wouldn't this all fall on her?!

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In the facility where I work, we are responsible for the nurses we are orientating. A new nurse who was orientating had made a med error and the nurse that was orientating her got written up also. This nurse that was orientating you should be responsible.

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Know this post is kind of OLD, but the OP came back 3 days later. That 24 shifts that have been worked in the ECF. Those narcs and the sheets could have been taken by anyone w/keys and access to that cart. They would only be known to be missing when the resident requested some, and none were there, and the shift nurse went to reorder them. The OP does need to get a lawyer because somewhere between her, her preceptor, and the ONCOMING nurse plus the next shifts the meds escaped. OP should have been called within 24 hours if they went missing right after she left.... entire thing sounds fishy. OP should learn to count meds whenever she finishes her shift. HER and HER PERCEPTOR could have counted and filled out the narc count sheet. It would have only resulted in one more line on the paper being used, and no headache. I wish her luck..

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If she was orienting you that day, wouldn't this all fall on her?!

You said that there are diversion programs for l.v.n.'s .. I apologize, like I said I'm retired. Back 20 years ago, yup I'm that old! They had no diversion program for l.v.n.'s. They just fired them and the R.N.'s got the help. It resulted in more l.v.n.'s staying addicted and then moving on to next hospital. I'm glad that has changed. Finally. I knew 3 l.v.n.'s who weren't given that option back in the 90's now one is dead. I apologize. But that's how things were. I signed up for this because I want to do volunteer work, I'm too disabled to actually work on the floor but I wanted to update my knowledge. You just updated me. Thanks! 😀

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