Need Advice... Nurse stealing non-narcotic medication

[JSSCELI]

I am a new nurse and I am not sure exactly what to do regarding this issue. I am about 4 weeks into my first job as an RN and yesterday my preceptor asked me to see if any of my patients had PO Zofran. I asked why and she said that one of the nurses was feeling nauseous. She stated that the nurse she was asking for had asked for PO Phenergan but that she felt better giving her Zofran. I replied by saying "no, none of my patients have PO Zofran". I'm sure I had a funny expression on my face because she followed up with the fact that she frequently took medication like Mucinex or any over the counter medication from patients, reasoning with me by saying "you can get them from the store. So it's okay." And I responded by saying "you can't get Zofran from the store and even if you could the patients are still having to pay for the medication that you're taking from them."

I'm at a loss and I can't get this off my mind. I feel like taking any medication out of the pixis under a patients name is stealing from that patient. I've already had issues with this preceptor and next week I'm going to finish my orientation with another nurse. (This preceptor frequently leaves the floor to talk on other floors or to go outside and smoke. There was one instance when a patient was going into ARF and we had to call a rapid response. She was outside smoking and wouldn't answer her phone when called. Another instance just recently was that one of my patients was having chest pain and I was having to make all of the decisions and call the doctors all by myself. Being new and never having to deal with those things alone are VERY SCARY!)

Anyways... I know what the rules are regarding a nurse stealing/diverting narcotics from a patient. But I don't know what the rules are if it's non-narcotic medication. Also, I did not see this nurse take anything. It was merely a conversation. I don't want to cause a stink over this since I've already had issues with this nurse. But, I just can't get it off my mind. Is this something that I should take to my manager. Or is it something I should file an anonymous incident report over? Or should I just ignore it all together? I don't know what to do and if she does end up in trouble she's going to know it was me that ratted her out. Any advice?

[LaRN]

unless patients are going without their meds, i would leave it alone, because YOU will end up without a job and the zofran nurse will still be there. you've admitted that you've had problems with this nurse already and that you cant get her off of your mind, and here you are wanting to burn her at the cross over hearsay ?

whats even more puzzling are the comments encouraging you to rat her out over something you dont even know happened !!

[NurseDirtyBird]

What about the other issue of this nurse being off the floor for cigarette smoking?

Everybody is entitled to their breaks. The OP didn't mention if the preceptor was taking breaks per facility policy or making sure her patients were covered by another nurse. If she isn't, that's the problem.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

Yeah, I want to add, as I got a bit "diverted" over the theoretical in my response, that NOTHING bad happened in this situation. It was a conversation. Period. Would I report a conversation? NO WAY. I personally keep my nose out of stuff unless I have absolute proof something is going on. Being asked a question isn't a crime, even if the subject matter was suspicious.

[BrandonLPN, LPN]

Here is my question to those whom see nothing wrong with taking med's from their work place.

How would you feel if a co-worker was taking a roll of toilet paper every now and then?

Some say taking a med from work is no big deal, but I bet they find taking a roll of toilet paper a big deal and consider it stealing.

So my point. Stop stealing from your work place and think about how those without insurance just got charged $25.00 for a Tylenol, because you seen nothing wrong with taking one or two.

Oh, don't be so melodramatic.

First of all, if someone were stealing a roll of toilet paper either they're a kleptomaniac or their economic situation is such that they desperately need it. How would I feel? I would feel sorry for them.

As for the Tylenol, again, we're not talking about meds from the Pyxis, we're talking about a couple pills from a big ol' honkin' bottle of stock meds. The cost to the facility is measured in pennies, not dollars.

Once in a blue moon a CNA will come to me and ask for a Tylenol because her back is killing her. These are women who do back breaking labor for nine bucks an hour. I sleep very well at night knowing I "stole" from the company by giving them fifty cents worth of Tylenol, thank you very much.

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

All i'm gonna say is that when i was rx'd zofran one time my prescription plan was reimbursement type and pay up front. They charged me $500 for a bottle of that nonesense. I elected to keep puking as i didn't have that kind of cash.

[sissiesmama, ASN, RN]

At my very first nursing job I worked on a busy med surg unit. One nurse had a "stockpile" in her locker. If a patient was d/ced or meds changed and some of them were meds that they have a lot, it went into her locker. She had a shoebox with almost anything and everything in it. Thankfully, no narcotics but I was surprised when I found out about it. She wasn't there long after I started.

Another facility I worked for - some of the nurses used the Pyxis as their own mini pharmacy - as long as it wasn't scheduled drugs, it was fair game. One shift I checked my BP - it was high, and one of my co workers asked me what I took. I told her and she opened the Pyxis and pulled out some Clonidine. I told her no thanks, I do have mine in my purse.

What they had been doing was just opening up a drawer they thought the med was in (some of the drawers had the several compartments - and then hit the "cancel removal" key and take out the med. her rationale was that "they don't count it very often, they'll never know who it was".

Anne, RNC

[xoemmylouox, ASN, RN]

First of all, if someone were stealing a roll of toilet paper either they're a kleptomaniac or their economic situation is such that they desperately need it. How would I feel? I would feel sorry for them.

.

^^^ Exactly! You know that TP isn't soft or strong..

[imintrouble, BSN, RN]

There was a time when I would have reported the nurse who asked about the PO Zofran. I wouldn't now. But I would have trouble working in a facility where that kind of activity is routine. I personally believe what the OP nurse was doing was theft. Just my opinion. I can tell from the responses, personal opinions are all over the place on this issue.

I'd probably be miserable in a place where taking what belongs to someone else is acceptable. Not melodramatic, just how I feel. The other possibility is that in a year I'd be looking for free PO Zofran myself. Neither one of those things appeal to me.

It's funny how black and white issues can become blurred to gray.

I agree with whoever said nurses who know about the taking of meds, and keeps silent, is complicit in the taking.

Life is hard. Reporting the nurse for possibly taking Zofran would most definitely result in some sort of retaliation. Keeping silent means you are complicit. Looking for a new job is a choice I don't want to make.

Good luck to the OP in whatever decision they make.

[chrisrn24]

Oh and I hope refresh eye drops aren't really a stock med at anyone's facility. That just sounds gross and like an infection control issue. Eye gtts should always be specific to one resident only.[/quote']

Ours are single use tubes...like smaller sized nebulizer tx tubes. They hold maybe three or four drops of the refresh solution.

[youngheartoldhead]

.

How would you feel if a co-worker was taking a roll of toilet paper every now and then?

Some say taking a med from work is no big deal, but I bet they find taking a roll of toilet paper a big deal and consider it stealing.

I pray to god that my life is never so lame that I concern myself with stolen toilet tissue and a a medication that nobody cares about

[sissiesmama, ASN, RN]

I pray to god that my life is never so lame that I concern myself with stolen toilet tissue and a a medication that nobody cares about

.

I knew if I had said something about the nurses "borrowing" from the Pyxis that I would be on the chopping block. I talked to dh about the situation and I decided not to say anything - some of the people that were doing it were friends of some of the powers that be, and it probably would have bitten me in the butt after I said something.

Anne, RNC

[youngheartoldhead]

i dont even take medications at home, cant remember the last time I did. however, i am guilty for taking 1/3 of a box of generic kleenex back in 2000. oh and a tampon this one time.