So frustrated...co-worker stealing drugs.

Published

I got called into my supervisor's office yesterday while at work, so I be-bopped in there, thinking she wanted to ask me about my schedule or if I would teach a class. She told me it would just be a minute, no need to even sit down.

Then she looks at me and says, "Can you think of any time when you would have pulled Dilaudid (a very potent and very addictive narcotic) on more than one patient at once, or more than one dose?"

I racked my brain, and though, well, yeah...If I've got two or three patients with orders for pain meds, I'll pull them all at once to save some steps. Everyone does that. Or if I was sedating someone and needed a larger amount, etc. But never more than two or three doses at one time. Any more and you set yourself up for a med error or you'll get flagged by pharmacy. It's also very unusual for three patients to have an order for Dilaudid at once. If you do, then you've got some bad ju-ju and some very injured patients in your care.

Then she said, "Do you remember on May 25 if you would have done it?" I said, well...I'd have to think about it, but I didn't think so. Then she said, "Let me interrupt you...I know you didn't do it, and I didn't think you would anyway."

When I asked why, she said, "Well...it shows that on May 25, at 6:22pm, you, or someone using your code, went in to the Omnicell and took out NINE one milligram Dilaudids. And I already checked, and you were OFF that day. Even if you were at work, that's not during your shift. And you're not the only one. Two other people have large, large amounts taken out too."

I almost threw up. It makes me sick to think that someone I work with, that I trust, that other people trust, would have such blatant disregard and disrespect for me not only as a co-worker, but as a professional and also as a friend. I offered to go take a drug test on the spot, even to let them cut my hair, but she said there was no reason to, and to not even worry. That made me feel good, but I'm still so mad I could cry...and I did when I got home.

I also have a sneaking suspicion who it is. I think that this person took some of a patients' personal meds on more than one occasion, and I have a suspicion that they are diverting. I didn't tell her, but it is nagging at me. I decided to let her conduct her investigation, look at the schedule, look at the other Omnicell activity that day, look at physicians' orders, etc. and I think she'll come to the same conclusion I have. The only thing is, the person I suspect is leaving next week, for a new job. It will be almost a moot point, but I don't want to let them get away with it. On the other hand, if my suspicions are wrong, that would be a devastating accusation for me to make. You don't want to be wrong about something like this, you know?

Anyway.. I just wanted to vent, and I can't tell anyone at work because they don't the person doing it to stop...they want to catch them in the act.

I'm just still very, very ticked off...and I have to go to work tonight. It will be hard to be civil to this person that I suspect. They are a close, close friend, and they knew that I used the same password for virtually everything...well, not anymore.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Neuro/Med-Surg/Oncology.

You're obligated to report it if you suspect someone of diverting. It's not as if you are pulling accusations out of thin air. If this person is leaving, than it is even more important that he/she is reported before this situation repeats itself in the new place of employment.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
You're obligated to report it if you suspect someone of diverting. It's not as if you are pulling accusations out of thin air. If this person is leaving, than it is even more important that he/she is reported before this situation repeats itself in the new place of employment.

Yes...I know... but I have no real basis for them. I just know that this person has joked on more than one occasion about diverting meds, and one night I was complaining of a backache, and they said, "Well, the pt in Rm 8 had some percocets in her bag, I took a couple out, do you want one?" and when I had a horrified look on my face, they quickly said, "Just kidding."

I also know that this person has some chronic back pain, and they are already on prescribed painkillers..so a drug test will come back positive anyway.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.

Very scary, because if your nurse manager had not believed you, your license and career could easily have been on the line. How did your coworker get access to your code and to the other nurses codes to divert? This is the million dollar question and needs to be thoroughly investigated. Has your code and the other nurses' codes since been changed? Apart from the problems with this one nurse, the facility has some major security issues and should consider changing to a biometric (fingerprint) medication dispensing system.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

I would seriously reconsider pulling more than one persons meds out at one time. I don't do that at all! One med or their set of meds for one patient at a time. That is one of my back ups that protects the pt and myself from error.

As far as the admin, do tell them you will assist in any way possible under their advisement to help solve this case! I have had this happen, and I found the *()@&$&* that did it and they were not only fired, but brought up on charges, jailed, and lost their license! I was furious and so dumbfounded that anyone would do anything like that! Sadly in my case I was a new employee and for 1 month I was under investigation...they really thought it was me! UHGGGGGGGg I wanted to quit so bad but then I would have looked guilty as heck! I helped them find the culprit (gee considering the day of the theft there was a new CNA that came in, worked two hours, and never came back...her name was fake...and they thought it was ME??????? UHGGGGGGGG...scarier than that...she passed a criminal background check with fingerprints???? OH good Lord how can that happen!!!!).

I guess they figured out I would never do that once I tried to press charges to the furthest one could! Slander, neglect, theft, controlled substance without prescription, intent to do harm by taking a pain med from a patient, out of scope charges from the BON (it was a CNA who didn't have authorized access to narcs), prescription without an MD (since they took it themselves), and so on...I wanted to throw the book at them, and I got a lawyer to do it!!!!!!!

After that I became the top investigative nurse in secret for any missing meds or mistreatment of residents! But what a road I traveled..it was a nightmare where I thought I lived in a country that all the sudden turned to guilty until proven innocent! Stealing someones medication to me is like stabbing them...you just don't do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Keep a journal of events too...I did, and that helped me sort my feelings and facts out..and also was great documentation if needed! ;). Write all events and times having anything to do with it...down to a collegue asking you about it or admin asking....and certainly write down WHO you spoke with and what you said!

Good luck...I am so very sorry this happened to you...it can be a virtual nightmare in which you feel betrayed, abandoned, accused and very alone....

Up Vote Up Vote ×

What you could do us ask your supervisor if they know/suspect who is diverting narcotics, although it may be inappropriate to release a name. Chances are they already do know who the most likely culprit is and are as you say, waiting to catch them in the act.

Right now you have your suspicions as to who it is, if you have anything concrete that should be reported, please do so. In your situation, I would also be reluctant to report a suspicion without some proof.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Very scary, because if your nurse manager had not believed you, your license and career could easily have been on the line. How did your coworker get access to your code and to the other nurses codes to divert? This is the million dollar question and needs to be thoroughly investigated. Has your code and the other nurses' codes since been changed? Apart from the problems with this one nurse, the facility has some major security issues and should consider changing to a biometric (fingerprint) medication dispensing system.

It's my own fault. I use the same password for EVERYTHING...internet banking, AOL, all my message boards, my email at home and at work, etc. And it was probably a really obvious password, too (if you know me in person.) I've never actually compromised my password, but I was careless, no doubt. There was no doubt about her believing me...I was not only at work, but was out of state at the time, on a scheduled vacation.

I have since changed EVERYTHING! (I had to write it all down in a safe place to keep it straight, but I've learned my lesson)

Our Omnicell also has a feature that if you don't log yourself out, you stay on indefinitely. It's a dinosaur. It is very simple to come in the medroom behind someone, and if they don't log out, then their screen is still available until someone logs them off. Also...I know that some employees probably don't even bother changing their password from the default one, which is the last four digits of their SS#, but is also part of their log on name. I agree, there are some real security risks. There have been several of these instances in the past few years where people have been caught stealing by coming in behind someone.

The worst part? The person that I suspect is doing it was involved in a similar incident about a year ago. That time, they were the one was supposedly taken advantage of. Someone went in on their code and took out 8 mg of Dilaudid...They were a new "superstar" employee, and the NM couldn't believe that they had done it, and the ANM ended up being accused and fired over it. (of course, she actually HAD been stealing, they were watching her closely and she confessed to other instances, but vehemently denies that one to this day.)

Now that makes me wonder about that incident as well.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Utilization Management.

I'm grateful that our Pyxis has a fingerprint code as well as an ID access.

I actually did have 3 patients who got Dilaudid last night, and a couple of others who got Percocet.

I used to have trouble memorizing my passwords, too, but now I have a trick: I use the same password for just about everything, but then I add the location for it--such as "5555aol" or "5555yahoo" or "5555work".

Because we have to change our passwords pretty often, my first password will be "5555work" and then when it needs to be changed, it'll go to "5555work1" then "5555work2" and so on. It's changed frequently enough, plus if I forget it, I just try a couple of different numbers on the end of it till I get it right.

Seems like I got off on a tangent there, but if the password was a little harder to access, perhaps this diverter of meds wouldn't have involved you.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

The same thing happened to me, unfortunately, it was during a shift I was working. I was very fortunate that it was me that caught the meds being pulled on that shift. This was about a week after a nurse had meds pulled under her name when she wasn't there.

And it's not necessarily because you have an easy password. The person stealing in my case would just sneakily watch you type yours in.

Don't be so sure you know who it is. I had my suspicions. It ended up being a tech. The worst part about these things (IMO) is that you end up working in conditions where everyone is suspicious of everyone. And it ends up being someone who you didn't suspect that's guilty.

Forgot to add on the password thing. I changed my password that night. To something hard to guess. So hard, that the next time I came to work, I couldn't get into the pyxis. hehe

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I understand your feelings, but I'd like to play Devil's Advocate here. Yes, this nurse did something dishonest and potentially damaging to you, but think of where she must be in her addiction to be at the point of being willing to do something like that to a coworker. She needs to be reported; if she is not the person diverting then the board's investigation will prove that. However, if it is her, she needs an intervention before she kills someone. If she is reported then it won't matter if she leaves for another job, they will investigate and follow her.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Regarding passwords, if you are careful you hypothetically could use the same basic password, but add some non-alpha-numeric characters to it. For example: if it happens to be your pet's name (NOT a good choice for a password, just for this instance), you could have it "$pet's name*". I guess it would become a matter of remembering which character you used.

I'm sorry that this happened to you. I surely can understand why you are frustrated.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Day Surgery/Infusion/ED.
Yes...I know... but I have no real basis for them. I just know that this person has joked on more than one occasion about diverting meds, and one night I was complaining of a backache, and they said, "Well, the pt in Rm 8 had some percocets in her bag, I took a couple out, do you want one?" and when I had a horrified look on my face, they quickly said, "Just kidding."

I also know that this person has some chronic back pain, and they are already on prescribed painkillers..so a drug test will come back positive anyway.

Unless you know for an absolute certainty that this is the person who is diverting, keep it to yourself. If you accuse him/her without solid evidence, you could find yourself staring down the barrell of a slander suit.

I've seen people be unjustly accused. Even when the truth came out, the people who were wrongly accused still had a taint on them.

Suspicion is not the same as proof.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion