So I'm observing in the OR and get accused of stealing Fentyl

[confederacyofdunces]

So I am observing in the OR for my very first surgery (exploratory abdominal laproscopy) trying to stay out of the way. The aenesthesiologist call me over and begins to show me how he intubates the pt. I peer down the pts throat to see the vocal chords as instructed and move back to observe. Another aenesthesiologist comes in and these two senior citizen collegues begin to perform the aenesthesia together. The 1st one states he is missing a 3 cc syringe of Fentyl. He and his friend cannot find it. He begins to look at me stating he cannot find it. I tell him he had some of his stuff on the stool (he put the endo scope thing there after intubation). He than states he cannot find it and announces "we have a student here and Im suscipicious". I say Waaah? It then begins to dawn on me OMG I am being accused of stealing narcotics. Im a 3rd semester BSN and I graduate in May. I'll be done. Ive spent all this time and money for nothing. Then Im thinking screw this these are doctors they can strip search me right here. I didn't even see a syringe or even knew he drew something up. This is unbelievable!!!! Towards the end of the surgery he gets his scrub coat and the syringe falls out of it. he says nothing. I say "did you find your syringe'? he says yes snottly. Then he says when leaving "at least I dont have to put anything on your permanent record". I told my clinical instructor and her boss who there for the day and who tried to report to the OR nurse coodinator who was gone. I was told not to share this with anyone so I am venting on a public forum. Im sorry but Im starting to think that nursing really sucks.

[elizabells, BSN, RN]

Honey, that ain't nursing that sucks. That's an MD who tried to take some narcs for HIMSELF, tried to put it on you to divert suspicion, and got busted when he dropped the syringe. Dollars to doughnuts you were told not to say anything because they're going to be investigating this doc, if they aren't already.

I'm not saying the situation doesn't suck, because it does, major, but please don't let it make you think nursing is the problem.

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

*hugs* I'm so sorry you had to go through this. You did the right thing telling your instructor. Those surgeons were completely out of line. Please, make sure somebody holds those surgeons accountable for their actions.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Be sure to ask your instructor about what followup was done since they were unable to report it to anyone.

[GGT1]

This reminds me of when I first became a pharmacy technician about 5 years ago.... The overnight Pharm would count the controls and kept coming up short on one of them.... My step mother was the pharmacy manager (nobody new we were family) and so the overnight pharm told my step mother that she thought I was stealing the meds (of course I was new so I was the obvious suspect). My step mother came to speak to me to tell me they would be turning ont he cameras because of the stolen meds (she obviously thought it was me also). What really worried me is if she were to tell others and then the meds stoped disappearing it would definitely seem like I was the culprit. I was very upset because I don't like drugs and don't like to feel high (did too much of that in my teen years). But a few weeks later they caught a PHARMACIST pocketing the drugs.... they called in the DEA and took her out. Me and the night time pharmacist (and my step mother) have been laughing about it ever since.... I know this doesn't help but I know how you feel.... HELPLESS... Try to be safe and make sure your instructor is always around when narcotics are involved becuase drug abusers always need a scape goat

[happilymarried]

Wow, that's something else! To think of what would have happened to you if that wouldn't have fallen out of his pocket.... Scary . You did the right thing for sure by reporting it . I agree with one of the other comments about you following up on the incident. Good luck with the rest of your clinicals, and stay away from that guy !!!!!

[Jules A, MSN]

At the very least I would write up a re-cap of the way things happened including the names of everyone in the room and present a copy of it to someone in power at your school. I do hope that the reason they didn't file an incident report is because they are checking him out but that would not be good enough for me. I'd want to make sure and cover my butt. What a shame this happened to you. I'd be furious.

[LaceyRN]

Thank goodness the syringe fell out when it did! Otherwise who knows how this would have turned out and that is so unfair to you.

This reminds me that yesterday in clinical I was retreiving a secondary med from the refridgerator when I happened to glance over and see an RN waste what appeared to me be about 25mls of 30ml morphine cartridge down the sink WITHOUT ANOTHER RN PRESENT TO WITNESS. This immediately raised my suspicion because we are taught to always have a witness to waste and to NEVER sign a waste we have not witnessed.

We always have to keep our eyes open and observant of the possibilities of impaired collegues.

[heron, ASN, RN]

Nurses reporting possible drug diversion by physicians opens a serious can of worms. Be exquisitely careful!

I agree with Tweety's suggestion to check in with your program to find out if anyone has followed up. They may try to keep things as quiet as possible, as your program is to a certain extent dependent on that hospital for clinical hours for their students. Losing access is a big deal for them and their students.

I also agree with the suggestion to write up the incident for your own records with copies to your clinical instructor and the head of the program - preferably with dated receipts that they got them ... perhaps by email?

Past all that, which is basic CYA, you have to make a decision regarding how far you want to push the issue.

There is potential here for costing the host hospital major money and destroying a good physician's career. OR nurses can add details here, but I'm under the impression that anesthesiologists are often in the habit of signing out controlled drugs at the start of the day and carrying them around all day ... does the hospital in question have this kind of system?

They also often supervise a number of simultateous surgeries, acting as medical back-up to midlevels like CRNAs or AAs. Not hard to lose track of a syringe under those circumstances. Think of what you pull out of your pockets at the end of a clinical day.

Maybe that anesthesiologist has been burned by an addict ... many here can testify that it makes one a bit hypervigilant.

My point being that, given the information available to us, it's by no means obvious to me that the doc is a junkie.

On the other hand, there is also the potential for getting an impaired practitioner out of a setting where she/he could maim or kill innocent people ... and possibly even push the diverter into getting help.

We haven't even touched the subject of mandated reporting and the consequences of keeping quiet!

Yes, that's been severely oversimplified, but those are the broad strokes of what's at stake in this kind of situation.

I hope things work out. Look out for yourself and do your best, you'll likely be ok.

[TakeTwoAspirin, MSN, RN, APRN]

This is why you should always know how to contact your CI in an emergency. As soon as I felt that suspicion was falling on me, you bet your bootie that I would have been the one calling in my senior personnel (CI) to start documenting what is going on BEFORE ANYONE, including the Doc., leaves the room. I certainly wouldn't have waited until the end of the procedure (and everyone had gone home) before they heard from me. I would have been the one threatening to raise H..L in a situation like this. You can't be passive when it comes to stuff like this! Cover your butt, everyone else would have been if those narcs had not turned up.

[back2thebooks]

Honey, that ain't nursing that sucks. That's an MD who tried to take some narcs for HIMSELF, tried to put it on you to divert suspicion, and got busted when he dropped the syringe. Dollars to doughnuts you were told not to say anything because they're going to be investigating this doc, if they aren't already.

I'm not saying the situation doesn't suck, because it does, major, but please don't let it make you think nursing is the problem.

You can tell that you have been in this field for a while! When I read the OP, I was so upset for her---but it never crossed my mind that the MD would be doing that (I know it exists, but I still have a lot of experience to be gained). W O W. That is all I can say. OP, I am so sorry that you experienced this. If that were to ever happen to me, I would ask that someone search me right there. Keep your chin up--the MD obviously has a problem.

[blueheaven]

We had a patient on our stepdown unit and ENT doc wanted some cocaine (we had to go to ER and get it) The LPN and I was accused of stealing it. like yeah. I'll drop my drawers and give up a urine or blood anytime. Anyway after they had thouroghly investigated, the MD "left town" I later saw where his license had been suspended in another state for narcotics. Sadly the hospital passed the problem down the line instead of dealing with it.