I would like some advise on whether I should stay at my job. I have been suspicious of my direct supervisor (I work the night shift in a 250 bed nursing home/rehab facility) of stealing narcotics for a while. She has lost her license in two states for abusing narcotics/stealing them from the hospital, and this is the only place that she has worked since getting back her right to work in this state. A couple people have reported her where we work now, but she always passes the drug test. Whenever I work her behavior is irratic, and at times she appears "high". She always seems to be needing to borrow Dilaudid from my Wing for other wings, and even though some patients on my wing have dilaudid prn they never ask for it from me; but when she works they want it every 4 hours. Last night I went to get a patient 2mg Dilaudid and found that the narcotics card had been taped at the bottom, and the pills looked a little different. Turns out, after some investigation the pills were not dilaudid, they were Atenenol 25 mg! Somebody had replaced all of the pills; I went straight to my supervisor; even though she is the first one I suspected, and was the last one on that cart, and reported it. She told me that pharmacy must have made an error and sent the wrong pills. I demanded that our DON be called, whom she is friends with, and reported it to her as well. The package was put in the DON's office and I was told not to bring it up with anyone or worry about it. I am uncomfortable that my place of employment would cover something like this up; not sure what my next step should be.
Wow, watch a lot of crime shows much? Yes, Silkwood died under suspicious circumstances, but it doesn't sound like the OP is working with criminal geniuses.
You'll be surprised how many nurses I've met that either know, or are married to thugs.
While ER RN is quite a bit better at depicting a possible scenario for the OP than I could have been, I concur that what is described could very well happen, or consequences that are just short of the OP disappearing. From personal experience, I can say that none of us know the extent of the behavior of some of those that the drug thieves deal with. I can assure you that when you deal with that level of society you aren't playing a child's game. I, too, thought that she is playing into the hands of the enemy too easily and is contributing to her own future problems. She should file a police report, resign from that job, report to any other authorities that she deems fit. When reporting to other agencies reference the police report number. Make certain she gets her copy of the report. This may come up again, and again. Not to be taken lightly. And yes, lower forms of life have no hesitation to follow through with causing bodily harm. Too much drama, you say? Well, nothing like this has happened to you.
While ER RN is quite a bit better at depicting a possible scenario for the OP than I could have been, I concur that what is described could very well happen, or consequences that are just short of the OP disappearing. From personal experience, I can say that none of us know the extent of the behavior of some of those that the drug thieves deal with. I can assure you that when you deal with that level of society you aren't playing a child's game. I, too, thought that she is playing into the hands of the enemy too easily and is contributing to her own future problems. She should file a police report, resign from that job, report to any other authorities that she deems fit. When reporting to other agencies reference the police report number. Make certain she gets her copy of the report. This may come up again, and again. Not to be taken lightly. And yes, lower forms of life have no hesitation to follow through with causing bodily harm. Too much drama, you say? Well, nothing like this has happened to you.
this is the end of the continum that i was alluding to when I posted......it is toooo dangerous to go back! if this super is diverting for sale, she will have a "customer" that will, potentially, have even less scruples than she.....POLICE, POLICE, POLICE.
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
this is the end of the continum that i was alluding to when I posted......it is toooo dangerous to go back! if this super is diverting for sale, she will have a "customer" that will, potentially, have even less scruples than she.....POLICE, POLICE, POLICE.
Yeah. I'm starting to think this might be analogous to a nasty cancer. You need to throw everything at it that you can think of. You have two people here, apparently, that are sick. The first one had no qualms about intentionally harming a patient, (btw saying some diverters are a better class of diverter for whatever reason is absurd), no qualms about falsely accusing the pharmacist of making the error, who is a liar and a cheat (oh so sorry if that offends anyone) and a friend who is enabling that behavior.
Lest anyone accuse me of lacking compassion, go ahead. I've dealt with many people who are substance abusers, some in my own family. If they do get help and are able to get clean and sober, often they are just as ashamed and appalled at the wreckage they made of other people's lives as I am right now hearing about it.
Report it to the nursing commision in your state. You say this person has lost there license in other states for narcotics abuse right? She is irratic and utilizes more medication than other nurses when she is on shift... these things together paint a picture most of us don't want to see... but you are doing your patients, your coworkers, yourself, and lastly that supervisor no favors by not making a of point it... It's funny how impaired nurses can alter the perceptions of others to where the innocent are suspect... but when throughly investigated it is always been the nurse with the hx of impairment that comes up as the culprit in my experience. I have been the innocent, accused by the addict, after the investigation... I was cleared... but two years later this person comes to work again where I am... I warn the DNS of her HX which she states she is already aware of... low and behold within 6 months she is stealing pain meds again both from the pharmacy as well as her patients...As the patient's advocate we've got to shut these sorry excuse's for a nurse down before they do something everyone will regret. The balls in your court... I dont envy you... I do however expect my peers To join me in caring for the sick... your supervisor needs to be reminded of her Dx. Yes I am biased
IMHO, as soon as you found the tampered med card, you should have found a baggie, and put the card in another area of your LOCKED med cart. Then call the administrator - I don't care if it was 3 AM, and tell her that she needs to come in right away because you are calling the police about the stolen meds.
No finger pointing, no doubt about where those meds are now, and who else is handling the card.
Contact the admin or a corporate officer NOW. It's going be your word against hers. Offer to take a drug screen immediately. You will probably be asked to do so anyway. Be very careful about what you say and to whom.
Wow, watch a lot of crime shows much? Yes, Silkwood died under suspicious circumstances, but it doesn't sound like the OP is working with criminal geniuses.
OMG! I can't believe 2 folks gave you kudos for this post, lol! This OP's life is seriously in danger. In case you don't know, snitches get got! She's about to destroy (even though she is in the right) 2 people's livelyhood. Their ability to pay bills, have shelter, transportation, EAT, and obviously get high. Never assume to know what people will and will not do when it concerns you killing their career...... & their ability to get high.
Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.
IMHO, as soon as you found the tampered med card, you should have found a baggie, and put the card in another area of your LOCKED med cart. Then call the administrator - I don't care if it was 3 AM, and tell her that she needs to come in right away because you are calling the police about the stolen meds.
No finger pointing, no doubt about where those meds are now, and who else is handling the card.
Contact the admin or a corporate officer NOW. It's going be your word against hers. Offer to take a drug screen immediately. You will probably be asked to do so anyway. Be very careful about what you say and to whom.
I would have put it in a baggie and called police and not tell the superviser until the cops showed up at the door. If they are willing to put bp drugs in those cards and possibly kill the clientele, they certainly won't care what happens to you!
Go to the police with the baggie if you can get it. Sounds like it's too late though.
i agree, this is a criminal matter. the BON will not catch up with her for months and months. if she subsituted atenolol for dilaudid, that is possible manslaughter if a patient had died, not to mention the millions in a lawsuit for the company. if the company covers it up, they are accessories to the crime.
THIS. IS. A. CRIME.
i realize that you are worried about your job but that should be the least of your worries. you have to protect your patients! do you really think that is the ONLY card of narcotics tampered with? this woman has access to ALL the carts as the supervisor. she is so out of control that she doesnt care if she kills patients so she can get high.
call a detective, talk to him. he will keep your name out of it until they get her away from the patients, which is what must be done NOW.
you know what is going on. if you do NOT report it, do you not realize that not only can YOU be found as an accessory but you can also lose your own license for not reporting her and keeping the patients safe. as a licensed professional, you have a legal and moral obligation to keep your patients free from harm. by doing nothing, you are allowing them to still be in harms way. if someone dies, you can be charged for covering up the crime because you did nothing.
is your own freedom worth this job? can you live with one or more patient deaths on your conscious?
Please call the Police and go see your Dr. explain what happened and have a drug test done ASAP. Results will be for your Dr. only, but you will have something if they attempt to blame you. Understand it will not stop the blame "she was selling" but will show you are not using.
Emergency RN
544 Posts
You'll be surprised how many nurses I've met that either know, or are married to thugs.