Patients who steal from the ER

[mdslabod]

gone

[palesarah]

We had a patient transferred up to us from the ER over a year ago- some minor pregnancy related concern. Shortly after the patient came up, the ER called and said their doppler was missing.

They searched, we looked to see if it had come up with the patient accidentally and mentioned to the patient that it was missing, had she seen it? As the nurse was using our doppler to check the heart rate, the patient's friend (also pregnant) asked if KY could be used if place of the ultrasound goo (suspisious). We reported that to our nursing sup, who came up shortly later with the biggest and scariest (but lol, he's a teddy bear) security guard she could round up. They had a talk witht he patient and friend, who vehemently denied having anything to do with the missing doppler. But wouldn't you know, 5 minutes later it turned up in an empty adjacent room!

[flashpoint]

Part of my hospital's problem is that they leave a lot of valuable equipment just lying around. There is a TV / VCR just sitting in the private dining room since they use it for classes, meetings, etc...the door is never locked because it doesn't even have a lock. I think they have replaced that three or four times in the past eight years. They also left 25 new computers sitting in a hall after they were delivered...would have taken too much time to take them to the locked storage in the basement after they were delivered. They lost four of those. They also lost 75 plastic drinking cups, a case of bath blankets, and plates, bowls, cups, and saucers for 50...all because they don't lock anything up. Now, EVERYTHING is locked up (except the private dining room) and if we need something like a plate in the middle of the night, we had better hope one of the nurses has a supply of paper plates in her locker. We are also allowed a limited supply of linen on the linen cart and if we run out, we either have to take linen from the ER or call the laundry manager to come in and get us more linen (on the rare occasion we can get ahold of her, since technically she is NOT on call). They also took away out keys to the main business office (better hope the copier never goes down or the fax in ER never malfunctions because if it does we are out of luck), the kitchen, the storage room (we are forever calling the fire department to borrow their supplies like IV catheters and tubing), and the pharmacy (again, we have to call the fire department for things like dopamine premixes and narcan), After we had bunch of thefts all at once, the entire night staff was called in and lectured about stealing and keeping a better eye on things...a few were also questioned by the police about the thefts... I am all for making sure everything is under lock and key, but they should at least make sure that nursing has access to things like linen.

Please excuse my rant...it is a holiday weekend, they let a few extra people take vacation, leaving us understaffed, and we have 25 patients in a 20 bed facility (we have a patient in the treadmill room, a mom and babe are still in labor and delivery, and we are holding two in ER). I am on my fourth day of five and our 12 hour shifts have been 15 hour shifts since Thursday. :)

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

It happens on all floors.

The visitors that go in the nutrition room and take a box of coffee and a six pack of cokes.

The patient that had 20 rolls of TP in her luggage. And, no, she wasn't poor.

The hospital that came up missing 6 endoscopes. How the heck do you lose 6 endoscopes? And what does one do with them????? Is there really a black market for endoscopes?

One Halloween (in a college town), I saw a central line on the ground outside a party. Ouch.

[BabyRN2Be]

It happens on all floors.

The visitors that go in the nutrition room and take a box of coffee and a six pack of cokes.

The patient that had 20 rolls of TP in her luggage. And, no, she wasn't poor.

The hospital that came up missing 6 endoscopes. How the heck do you lose 6 endoscopes? And what does one do with them????? Is there really a black market for endoscopes?

They must be throwing one heck of a party. Wouldn't want to go to that one. ;p

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

Our facility had to start filing police reports and pressing charges for theft.

People will continue to do this stuff as long as they can get away with it.

[Dixielee, BSN, RN]

In one ER where I worked, central supply would deliver sterile instruments back to a cart in the hall and we would put them away when we had time.Ring forceps were dissapearing at record rates, as well as the usual hemostats. As it turns out ( I didn't know this), some body piercings, especially belly piercings are done thru ring forceps after securing the skin between the loops. Well, I just hope they know how to clean them properly after they set up shop with our supplies!

[z's playa]

My BF works as a PO in the ER and he is constantly arresting people for theft. Not only in the ER either.

I love hearing the stories when he gets home.

Our greeting consists of : " Anything good today?"

Z

[grannynurse FNP student]

Perhaps it is the facilities I've been a patient in but it is extremely difficult for a patient or family to steal any equipment or supplies. They are kept secure behind locked doors. Even snacks, drinks and other food stuffs are behind locked doors. At the most one can steal only what one has access to. If facilities want to cut down on stealing, they need to lock their valuables up. Staff needs to lock their valuables up. And patients need to send their valuables home.

Grannynurse :balloons:

[RNMedic1977]

Our ER kept getting the plug-in light that went into the disposable speculum!! YUCK!! We finally built a frame over where the light plugged in...some people still figure out how to steal it! There is plastic that fits over that light...but still...what do "they" do with such a thing???

We have had dopplers and thermometers that we had secured to a stand stolen...they actually take it off with some type of tools. Wheelchairs get stolen a lot, even the ones with bars.

When I was a Director of the ER I told staff to do their best in helping keep the theft down (we even joked about putting Lojack on our equipment), but I NEVER wanted any of the staff chasing people down, they are not the Police, and I was afraid they would be injured:uhoh21:

It is a frustrating problem.........................

[thanatos]

stuff is constantly "walking" off...stethoscopes, reflex hammers, thermometers, diapers, tube gauze holder, and a doppler U/S. I had this one guy who was acting reeeeaaal weird...he took some splinting supplies and put a splint on one of his hands. I even caught looking at Media on the triage computer! He left..I wrote down his license plate #...called the cops...he was arrested.

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

There is plastic that fits over that light...but still...what do "they" do with such a thing???

I don't think i want to know lol It would probably be TMI.

[CEN35]

i have even seen someone walk out with a near full sharps container. they were stopped, and they wanted the extra drugs that were trown out????????????????????