Nurses Diverting Narcotics.

NurseCalamity · May 22, 2015

If the family is involved in the care, they are usually on top of the narcotics.

Jory, MSN, APRN, CNM · May 22, 2015

Today I caught a fellow coworker diverting narcotics.... she's an RN with a past history of doing this, but it couldn't be proven, not even with a pop up Urine screening. She had patients complaining about not being given the correct pain pill.... she's basically busted now.... so my question is, have you ever turned a fellow Nurse in for diversion of narcotics and how did it all turn out?

I don't understand how it "couldn't be proven" if you directly witnessed it. It doesn't matter if she had a negative drug test or not. She could be stealing for someone else.

No, I have never had to turn someone else in but yes, I would, even if it was my best friend.

I am very curious why your employer did not take your word of what you witnessed.

Jensmom7, BSN, RN · May 22, 2015

I'm a Hospice Nurse, at one point all my patients were in a facility. One day, several facility nurses were escorted out of the building, busted for diverting narcotics. At the time, the facility wasn't diligent about end of shift Narc counts. Most of the diversion was on the Memory Care unit-those patients generally can't speak for themselves, so it was pretty easy to do.

NurseCalamity · May 22, 2015

They did. I have to write a witness statement. She's been given way too many chances, seriously. I told my supervisor I will NEVER waste with her again. Especially since she hid the cup in her hand and kind of hid what she wasted. And a Fetanyl patch was missing off of her resident who was due for a new one that day...

Libby1987 · May 22, 2015

Report suspicions or known facts. I don't trust any nurse as far as I can throw her... I can like you alot, but I don't like anyone who steals from anyone under and circumstance. I'm not at a job for friendship. If I find friends, awesome. But my sole purpose is to protect and advocate for the people I care for on a day to day basis.

You lost me there. It's one thing to diligently follow protocol for the safety of everyone, it's another to not trust any nurse (as far as you can throw her? *****)

My coworkers are my team, my partners, I hold them and myself to high standards, and until one behaves irresponsibly and/or unethically I don't carry the attitude of not trusting any of them, especially since many have been loyal, caring, hard working and sacrificing for the sake of each other and our patients. Some are ho hum and that's fine too, but not enough to make them untrustworthy.

NurseCalamity · May 22, 2015

I meant that I don't trust them when it comes to diligently counting the narcotics.

kidzcare · May 22, 2015

I am new RN and sometimes when I waste and need a witness, the other RN's will sign as the witness in the Pyxis then leave before I dump it in the sink/sharps container. I asked one if she didn't want to see me waste it, she said no and flew out the med room door. This makes me nervous! We are all super busy but it is protection for both of us.
I really, really try to watch the whole waste and shame on me if I don't as I'm only putting my license at risk and have no one to blame but myself if something were to come back on me as a "witness" to a waste for someone diverting it.

This is the reason I will only ask certain nurses to waste with me. I want to waste with someone who will watch the entire process and not feel slighted when I watch the entire process.

CBlover, BSN, RN · May 22, 2015

I have reported a coworker. She was terminated shortly thereafter. My superiors never confirmed to me or anyone else the cause of her termination, and it could be that she was terminated for another reason (calling out every week on one particular day). However, she clearly had some issues personally. Really, for her, I hope she hadn't diverted. She sure had the signs though.

NursesRmofun, ASN, RN · May 22, 2015

I haven't had to turn anyone in, but know it is fairly common for nurses to divert drugs. Some people with addictive personalities want to go into nursing for no other reason than to divert...but they often get caught. Knew of one nice girl....she was the daughter of another nurse that worked at the same place. Actually, the woman had 2 daughters, as I recall, that worked in our facility. One was an LPN and one a RN. The LPN worked nights and was diverting. The patient complained to the day Unit Manager that they got no meds when asking for them during the night. This patient was lucid. They found she signed out meds to that patient a couple times during the night. I imagine they questioned other lucid patients as well to get more info. It was also an injectible med.

Oh...and she was terminated, of course.

Jory, MSN, APRN, CNM · May 22, 2015

They did. I have to write a witness statement. She's been given way too many chances, seriously. I told my supervisor I will NEVER waste with her again. Especially since she hid the cup in her hand and kind of hid what she wasted. And a Fetanyl patch was missing off of her resident who was due for a new one that day...

...be patient. Terminations are not instant and they have to complete an investigation or else they can get sued if they don't follow company policy.

You don't know what is happening behind the scenes but I would do the EXACT same thing you did and refuse to waste with her again.

I would also formally report the fenanyl patch and I would also ask the supervisor that anyone with a patch needs to be checked on a regular basis if she is around.

dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN · May 22, 2015

Statistically, the addiction rate among nurses is the same as the regular population - 10%. And this includes nurses like myself who never diverted but are alcoholics.

Anecdotally, most of the nurses in my monthly monitoring meeting, the rehab I attended, and in an AA for healthcare professionals meeting I like who got nabbed for diverting were diverting wastes. Folks who divert from patients get caught pretty fast.

Not everyone who diverts also uses which can make UAs useless -- or they are diverting because the legitimate script they have isn't enough.

Altra, BSN, RN · May 22, 2015

I meant that I don't trust them when it comes to diligently counting the narcotics.

Wondering if your coworkers reciprocate your "don't trust her as far as I can throw her" attitude?