Physician Giving Sedation Without Nurse

[Udmert]

Looking for opinions on a situation. Recently had a physician take a controlled substance off of a nurses computer, and give it for a conscious sedation without the nurse knowing. Physician never notified RN and patient did not have any safety precautions set up for the sedation. Has anyone else ever had an issue with a physician taking controlled substances from them without their knowledge and giving them without following conscious sedation protocols? Patient should’ve been a 1:1 but RN was not made aware the sedation was being started. Any advice on what to do other than escalating up to management? This is the kind of stuff that puts our licenses at risk and the patients life at risk.

I should add that this is in an ER setting on a low acuity area of the ER where the RN already has 11 other patients at a time

[Nursemateo, RN, EMT-B]

On 7/26/2022 at 6:40 AM, JKL33 said:

This is important because so many nurses feel this pressure and respond by taking actions that put themselves or patients at some kind of risk. And for what?? Mostly so that someone doesn't throw a toddler tantrum somewhere down the line because their fantasy was not delivered. 

Reading this whole thread makes me want to scream! This quote sums up the majority of these type issues seen in the ED. I wish we weren't over ratios and chronically understaffed, had great management, and phenomenal peer support, but we don't. 

The one area we can absolutely improve is not allowing outside pressure to change your behavior. We should encourage coworkers to resist the pressure as well. No one can force you to take a risk like pulling a controlled substance and leaving it out yet it happens. Together though we can push back against this type of culture and let everyone know my safety and patient safety come before anything else.