Pyxis error

[decarla]

Hello colleagues,

I really need some opinions and advice. Last Thursday (7/28/16), I was escorted to HR, in which they showed me a print out report of my transactions from the Pyxis the day before. It showed I had removed a narcotic on a patient that wasn't my patient and not even in my dept(PACU), but in pre-admission tesing I found out. I never go to that dept I said, and this was not my patient, and I didn't perform this transaction. They informed me I had to submit my fingerprint for this transaction. I continued to tell them I never made that transaction.I also provided them with as much details of that day. Long story short: I was suspended w/o pay, submitted to a drug test, which was negative and had to be driven home from work in my car by someone else with the director of security following behind. This has left me devastated, horrified, scared to death, mentally and physically stressed. I am not a druggie nor a drug thief!!! I've been a nurse 41 yrs! Why on earth would I do this now?? I know they have policies, but they still damaged my integrity, character and reputation as my coworkers knew something was up before me! I can't eat or sleep. I have prayed and prayed. I'm truly scared I'm going to lose my livelihood, go to jail, God knows what else. I called this past Monday and left a message for the HR director to call me back. Never got a call. I heard today she is on vacation. I tried to get hold of the person covering for her, but could not get thru to HR or even leave a message. I finally called another dept director for help, and she took a message to that person..never got a call back today. Tried to call again before they closed. No answer and not able to leave a message. I have consulted with one attorney, who basically took my money and didn't give me any encouragement, only that he could send them a letter for $1000. Needless to say, I'm looking for someone else, but I can't afford an attorney and make too much money for a pro bono attorney. Tomorrow is my last paycheck. What then?

I truly believe this is based on human error in the Pyxis, but how can I prove it?? Please send me your opinion and advice on this mishap. Any article links would be greatly appreciated as I need all the info I can to prove my case.

Thank you so much in advance. I trust going to my colleagues because I believe we take care of each other!

Respectfully,

DD

[moldyoldyrn]

I would start by googling and investigating similar errors on Pyxis machines. We all know that no technology like this is fool proof. My gut tells me some one may have gotten in under your name. My gut also tells me that the way you were treated is much like witch hunting. I can understand not allowing you to get into narcs but you could be reassigned to do some other tasks out of the area where the Pyxis resides. There was not a real need to have security take you home and not be able to drive your own car. Remember HR is not there to help you they are management and it may be very difficult for you to get any information from them. I was accused of something once after 40 years of practice and it became rapidly apparent that HR was there to help management get rid of me. They did not succeed but when I went back to get a copy of their "investigation findings" there were none. Actually there was no record of anything, conversations, meetings, nothing. I worked in a Unionized place (Thanks be to God!) and the only records of anything were those of my own making and the Union rep's. Not something you want to hear when they are jeopardizing your career. My advice if I had any to give would be to spend your money on a good attorney or a legal nurse consultant unless you have a Union to go to. Maybe go through your State Nursing Association to find help. Let them sue for information if you have to. You are out there floating on a piece of wreckage of your career and being ignored. Does not feel good and I feel for you deeply. It is a lousy feeling. You may have to do a a lot of digging yourself to find out information and get help but it would be worth it to you to do it.

[Nursebarebari]

You probably log on and forgot to log off and some pull the drugs under your name. Get a Do you have a union? Ask you Union rep, if u have one, request to see the camera for that time -hopefully there is one. We are able to pull drugs from any of the 22 units Pyxis in the facity that I work, you just add the patient name and that is it. I don't understand why director of security drove behind u when going home. That is very embarrassing. I wishing you all the best!

[FranEMTnurse, CNA, LPN, EMT-I]

What a nightmare for you, I will pray that your situation gets resolved in a hurry.

[Axgrinder]

The only explanation I can think of (besides their version of events) is that you failed to sign out and someone else pulled it under your name. Are there any security cameras around the place that might show anything?

I was wondering the same thing. Many facilities have cameras placed around Pyxis machines to show whom signed out what. The fact your urine drug screen is negative speaks volumes too.

Once I was at a pyxis signing out meds when another RN raced over, pushed me out of the way and signed out a 10 mg MSO4, then ran back into a pt room. I was stunned. I also calmly signed it back in again, then marched over to the nurse in question and said: "Mary-Grace, you better get your butt over to the pyxis and sign that MSO4 out under your own name now or I'm going to go speak to Ron" (our nurse manager). She made noises about "It was an emergency", and "The pt was having CP, and needed it now". Not my problem. I also told her when things settled down that if she ever did that to me again that I was going to file a complaint. It never happened ever again.

My point, not everyone is trust worthy just because they have a nursing license. The more I think about it, the more likely it is as Sour Lemon RN stated that you may not have signed out, and someone took full advantage of that.

If there are cameras, or other evidence that exhonorates you, then I smell a lawsuit. That was handled poorly, and was humiliating. You need to light a fire under your attorney's orifice, because he/she is not doing their to protect you.

[BeenThere2012, ASN, RN]

Wait. What? This makes no sense.

Why could you not drive your own car? Your employer does not have that authority. Something does not add up here.

Agree! Why have someone drive you home?

Doesn't make sense. I know it is hard to afford a lawyer, but way less costly down the road.

Do you have union representative? Call both ASAP.

[BeenThere2012, ASN, RN]

I also wonder if you pulled a narc on your own pt at the same time but selected the wrong pt on the pyxis?

I don't know how you can pull up the wrong patient if thy are not on your unit?

[JayHanig]

If they wouldn't give her access to her own car, it must be so the police could have it instead. I assume they got called.

I hope you gave your fingerprints willingly when you said you never go to that department, nor do you touch that machine. Insist on that room being treated as a crime scene and have it dusted for prints, if you can. They may find plenty of prints but none of them will be yours.

You could volunteer for a polygraph.

Good luck.

[moldyoldyrn]

I have already commented but I thought of a question about the Pyxis. I have never worked anywhere that did not have an automatic log off function on computerized equipment. So how come if you went into a Pyxis were you not automatically logged off? I know for us in the VA system we would get bent out of shape when we would be logged on to the BCMA giving meds and stop to talk to or help a patient and by the time we'd get back we were logged off. It was an appropriate safety device as it prevented someone looking at information inappropriately. If indeed some one accessed your account name after you had been in the Pyxis then perhaps it is the fault of the system and not you. I would at least look into it. You would need to get info from your employer which more than likely puts you back in the position of getting an attorney to sue for the information. Employers will circle their wagons and let employees suffer and hang for what they did not do. They will also make examples out of individuals. It should be a lesson targeted at all the other RNs and LPNs at your facility to pay attention to all Pyxis transactions.Practice defensively, watch your use of any password protected systems.

[BeenThere2012, ASN, RN]

I don't think it's typical to require a dual login for narcotics. And thank goodness ...that sounds like a nightmare!!

Where I have worked, a second RN loggin is only required for waste. Either at the time you pull it when you plan to give a partial dose or later when you didn't use the whole dose.

[skikitty]

Go to: Peer Review Ratings This is Martindale Hubbell's Peer Review Ratings for lawyers and law firms in the U. S. My son gave me the link; he is on faculty at a state university school of law. Martindale Hubble is the sine qua non for finding competent legal services.

Your present lawyer appears to be incompetent and avaricious; finding that out this early in the case is money well spent. Leave him.

If you can accept where you are right now, as if you had chosen it, your change in perception will bring a deeper understanding and intelligence to dealing with the situation, both now and as it unfolds (With props to Eckhart Tolle).

And do Google "Legal Aid Services for Nurses in "; seek and you will find!

Positive thoughts!

[klone, MSN, RN]

Wait. What? This makes no sense.

Why could you not drive your own car? Your employer does not have that authority. Something does not add up here.

It makes perfect sense. At our facility, if an employee is suspected of being under the influence, they are not allowed to drive themselves anywhere. They must accept a ride home from someone else, and if they refuse and drive themselves home anyway, they're immediately terminated.

Of course, that would be for actual suspicion of being high, based on behavior. Not on a pyxis discrepancy.

[WKShadowNP, DNP, APRN]

It makes perfect sense. At our facility, if an employee is suspected of being under the influence, they are not allowed to drive themselves anywhere. They must accept a ride home from someone else, and if they refuse and drive themselves home anyway, they're immediately terminated.

Of course, that would be for actual suspicion of being high, based on behavior. Not on a pyxis discrepancy.

Isn't that a civil rights issue? Did she pop positive on a screen? That is unreal!