Narcotic Wasting Mistake

BabyLady, BSN, RN · Jul 24, 2009

I have a question for you.

I can understand how you could put the vial in your pocket and you could forget about it.

However...how did it make it from your pocket to your purse without you realizing it?

I would have driven all the way back to the hospital...they know that no drug user is going to return with a half-used vial if they were really using.

macbelleRN · Jul 24, 2009

I didn't want to leave it in the car so I put it in my purse. I wanted to keep track of it! I should have just turned around but my husband (a police officer) said that we should just watch it and return it. We left at 3:30 am... I have done the shoulda woulda coudas. I just wasn't thinking maliciously about the drug. I just planned on bringing it back. It was a stupid mistake and I wish I could turn around and just return it. The only saving grace at this point is that the drug left was still in the vial and there were no needles or anything with it.

exmil77 · Jul 24, 2009

I think if I were in your shoes, bringing it back later would be the LAST thing on my mind. I would have either turned around, or at the VERY least stopped and called my employer.

Good luck.

ONCRN84 · Jul 24, 2009

I did this once with a mg of morphine IV. I got home and was cleaning out my pockets and found it. I FREAKED out, drove back, told my manager, and wasted it with my assistant manager.

I think I would've either turned around or called. It's a crappy chain of events and I hope it turns out in your favor!

leslie :-D · Jul 24, 2009

how did the hospital find out about it?

the police found your lost purse??

and you have no recollection of placing the vial in your purse??

leslie

macbelleRN · Jul 24, 2009

thanks to those that have replied. I appreciate it. I know NOW that I should have turned around instead of keeping the drug, but I didn't and was wondering if anyone had done something similar. It was an accident and after working until 3:30 in the morning and then driving 4 hours to the beach turning around wasn't on my mind.

Acosmo27 · Jul 24, 2009

yikes, what an unfortunate series of events. I dont have any advice for you, but just want to wish you luck..

cherrybreeze, ADN, RN · Jul 24, 2009

how did the hospital find out about it?
the police found your lost purse??
and you have no recollection of placing the vial in your purse??
leslie

She said she put it in her purse because she didn't want to leave it in her car.

Hushdawg · Jul 24, 2009

Truth and honesty is the best course of action. You are being 100% truthful about the chain of events therefore your story will be consistent from one questioning to the next.

The only thing I can tell you as an employer is to maintain your version of events, do not admit to any scheme of events that they create for you.

As a LAST RESORT you may offer to bargain with them to do tox screens on a weekly or monthly basis at random for a certain period of time to prove that you are not a user since drug abusers of narcotics cannot "clean up" overnight.

It is a bad set of circumstances and your experience should be a reminder to everyone that they should check pockets and purses before leaving the hospital just to avoid such a similar incident.

I sincerely hope this turns out favorably for you. The Police believed you enough not to press drug charges on you; so hopefully the hospital will as well.

macbelleRN · Jul 24, 2009

Truth and honesty is the best course of action. You are being 100% truthful about the chain of events therefore your story will be consistent from one questioning to the next.
The only thing I can tell you as an employer is to maintain your version of events, do not admit to any scheme of events that they create for you.
As a LAST RESORT you may offer to bargain with them to do tox screens on a weekly or monthly basis at random for a certain period of time to prove that you are not a user since drug abusers of narcotics cannot "clean up" overnight.
It is a bad set of circumstances and your experience should be a reminder to everyone that they should check pockets and purses before leaving the hospital just to avoid such a similar incident.
I sincerely hope this turns out favorably for you. The Police believed you enough not to press drug charges on you; so hopefully the hospital will as well.

Thank you for your feedback... I have been questioned multiple times and though the story is crazy it hasn't changed. I do believe that good things happen to good people so I'm hopeful. I would do anything to keep this job! It took a few years, but I'm finally in the job that I want to be! Hopefully I'll keep it or find a future employer that is compassionate and understanding of an unfortunate mistake and event.

newohiorn, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Jul 24, 2009

I just don't think this is such a huge crisis. It is certainly a screwed up chain of events but all of it seems to be explained. You brought the stinkin' drug back, it was in the vial, your drug test should be negative (as well as any future drug tests they wish to do) and presumably they have no other incidents to indicate you are diverting drugs so what is the big deal? It was a mistake and I think it would be silly to fire you over it. As someone else said I would tell them they can drug test me absolutely any day they want for as long as they want if they want to be sure I'm not using and I suppose you need to be extra careful about wasting meds from now on so that nothing suspicious can come up--but really--as long as you're clean it shouldn't be the end of the world.

Just my 2 cents.