Reporting to NC BON next week

[ScaredinNC]

Hi, I need advice. I’ve been a nurse for 13 years with the last 10 in the ER. The last two years I was ER float pool for a large hospital system and floated to 8 different EDs. Well earlier this year I had a patient deny getting his IV pain medication. It was totally given to him and scanned at bedside. It was a busy shift and he was dc’d to home by the charge nurse and it was her whom he denied getting medication. There was reason he denied it but I’m being vague for obvious reasons. Instead of immediately coming to me and letting me know what the patient was saying and I could have given her more information into his situation and why he would deny getting it, she decided to escalate it up that chain of command. Several hours later (10hrs into my 12hr shift), I’m approached my house supervisor, charge and security and asked to clock out and follow them. I’m confused but comply. I’m taken to an obscure office and told what the patient said. I’m shocked and of course told time this isn’t true at all. They then had me empty all my pockets. I need use the bathroom at this point as well and ask if they would take a sample and they said no, I have to wait 3-4 hrs until an employee health nurse arrives. I can’t hold it that long so they let me pee but stood in the bathroom and watched me. At this point I’m furious and humiliated. Also by waiting for the other nurse to come, it would put me hours past my shift and my two small children with out care. I tell them I can’t wait that long and will contact my boss and HR first thing in the morning to provide a sample. I was informed that this would most likely result in termination and at that point I didn’t care.

The next morning I called my boss and told him the sequence of events and asked if I could come in and give a sample and he said he would get back to me. The following day I was called and terminated and again they refused to collect a sample and I was informed they would tell the BON as well. I was already looking for another job and less than 48hrs the original incident I passed a pre-employment drug screen.

So here I now, called before the board to explain my actions. I’m terrified. I’ve never diverted medications, had a narc count short or a patient say they didn’t get their med, or miss wasting a narcotic.

I’m terrified and heart sick. What should I expect

[Randomnurse3]

The first thing you need to do is retain an attorney. He will handle any responses to the BON. It would have been best if you had left work and took a test at a lab at your expense but since you didn’t at least you have another test taken within 36 hours. Your license will be under investigation during all of this but an attorney should be able to really help you. If you go in alone without representation, I believe you will be place in a monitoring program.