Stealing drugs!! what's your opinion?????

ThirdWorldGirl · Oct 31, 2003

I've never taken a drug from work, but I admit I eat the Saltines like they're going out of style (something about saltines at work is better than the ones in my pantry), and I have taken a soda from the fridge a time or two, not too much of a problem anymore since I despise Pepsi and the hospital recently signed a Pepsi contract (no more coke for me)... thankfully the hospital I work for provides a small amount of things for staff like Gaviscon, Tylenol, and Ibuprofen. It's a serious issue that all nurses have to face and like was said before it's the least person you would suspect, so I kind of just treat everybody like they're likely and I would hope for their own protection they view me as the same.

RNKPCE · Oct 31, 2003

It is amazing how creative nurses can get when they have a drug habit. We had a nurse who some staff suspected had a drug habit. The nurse would be in the bathroom for long periods. Wore gloves a lot, even at the nurses station( found out later the nurse was shooting up in her hands), freq with beads of sweat on her face. One night when I was in charged I looked up thee activity of the nurse on the Pyxis and she had taken in inordinate amount of narcotics. I questioned the A/O patients about whether they received any pain meds and they said they hadn't had any pain all night. Also she had an order for Valium prn seizure, none of her pts ever seized but she charted it anyway. Her other M.O. was to sign out drugs under another nurses code who wasn't careful to log out when she was done with the Pyxis. I reported it to my manager, who didn't follow protocol because she was a registry nurse. Later the manager found out she should have been tested just like any other staff. About two years later I had to testify in front of the board of nsg. Not sure what happen but someone heard she still had her license but could not work in areas where narcotics were used. Don't know if this was true or not.

fyi if anyone has to report anything like this save documentation and write up the scenario immediately when you get home. I sent a copy to my union and kept a copy which helped out immensely when I had to testify.

Rhon1991 · Nov 5, 2003

what are the signs of a nurse who might be abusing? other than sweating and missing narcotics mentioned thus far? just curious...

Guardian Angels · Nov 5, 2003

I would also like to hear how the administration handles a potential nurse bandit when narcotics are missing.....How is it handled when there is no proof. Such as, a nurse didn't count after a shift, and narcotics became missing during a 16 hour period. We can assume who had taken the meds, but can not prove the fact......

Comments?

sixes · Nov 5, 2003

At our LTC all are narcs come in blister pack and are kept on the med cart in a locked bin.

I always count all three floors at the beginning of my shift on Evenings And NIghts. Therefore if the count is wrong I know what we started with.

Policy is a count at the beginning of each shift and at the end.

At one time when they experienced problems ( before I was there) so this is hearsay. The DON would randomly walk on to the floor and do a count.

Wastes must be witnessed and that doesn't mean you throw it away and tell someone. They must see it.

Our new med carts Narc bins lock as soon as you close them not like the old ones which could be closed and not locked.

As for staff getting OTC meds IE tylenol, gaviscon etc. It must be administered by the charge nurse and signed for on the first aid board in this way even this can be tracked to find a pattern.

Addiction is a serious problem and people can become addicted to anything just not narcs in nursing school one of the students in my class got addicted to sleeping pills she started taking them because she couldn't sleep during the day or handle the flip.

She was caught and was lucky not to get kicked out of school.

If you suspect some one is having a problem or is being threatened by a loved one refer them to your local crisis center

and tell someone in admin. You may just be saving their life.

New CCU RN · Nov 5, 2003

Originally posted by P_RN
No, taking the occasional IB or Tylenol is NOT OK.

It's not yours.

Would you take the telephone or the printer? Would you take the patient snacks from the kitchen? Hmmmmmm? No, but is it OK to go home with a full box of band-aids....no. Stealing is stealing.

I have seen a nurse fired for taking Zantacs that were for patients. The patients of course got charged twice..once for "yours" and once for the one they took.

Narcotic diversion is stealing but there are deeper roots there. Temptation, thrill, need...and these nurses need to be in rehab and need our support.

We are allowed to take the occasional Tylenol or Ibuprofen or Benadryl.... we can either take it from floor stock or go to the pharmacy. The patient does not get charged and at my facility it is not considered stealing.

RNKPCE · Nov 5, 2003

In reference to my earlier post. The other staff had suspicions of this nurse, the dissappearing a lot, using the bathroom a lot, wearing gloves most of the time, sweating. But one thing they also said, and this is nothing against registry, but that nurses with drug problems frequently work through registries because it is harder to pick up patterns when working at different hospitals and different floors. Fortunately we have pyxis where I work and with the reports that could be generated we found she gave an extraordinarily high amount of narcotics compare to other nurses. The night she got busted we had documentation from patients. Also the nurse whose code she used had to testify to the board that she never gave drugs to the patient that drug was signed out to, and never took drugs under that patients name. These nurses are smart and the signs or patterns to watch for are often difficult to spot.

Guardian Angels · Nov 6, 2003

I have done some research in my state today.

If there is a missing narcotic and it is suspected that a certain nurse had taken the medication, we as nurses MUST report it to the state.

Our state has an investigating team that is the "police" of nursing. Once a nurse is turned into the registry and it is determined with the documentation that there is suspicion the State will take over the investigation.

The nurses license will be suspended or placed on hold and the nurse can not work until the determination is made.

After the investigation, if there is just cause, the nurse can not work for an agency period, and rehabilitation efforts are made by the state. If the rehabilitation is denied, then the license is revolked.

Nursie30 · Nov 6, 2003

Well when I had a job (yes still unemployed) most of the nurses would try to say, I already counted, its correct, we'd give report and then I would say, Well you ready to count, I don't care if she is 85 yrs old and wouldn't take a narc in her life, I'm not gonna have my count off............

Lemonhead · Nov 19, 2003

Hi to everybody here. I felt compelled to respond to this post. It seemed most of the postings were from "non-stealers", thought I'd share my experience as "one of them"....

First of all, let me say, that in the past, when a nurses was busted for drug theft, I honestly saw them as horrible nurses--I did not support them and certainly made NO attempt to understand them..pure and simply--in my opinion, they were a disgrace to the profession...

At the age of 35, 4 great kids under my belt, a happy marriage, great extended family--good community standing--the whole 9 yards, including a great career--which I had been in since the age of 21. I was a rare social drinker--maybe twice a year--and had one time at the age of 17 experimented with pot--otherwise, no illegal drugs---

When I had my last baby--I was given Stadol--what a great feeling.....

So, when my baby was one year old, I had injured my back in the yard..I went to work one night...L&D...there was a "leftover" Stadol and my mind started to wonder--I could NOT believe I was even CONSIDERING this--so, I watched that bottle sit there all night--and the nurse responsible for it never did sign out the waste...and again--in my mind, I'm in shock that I'm even considering what I'm about to do--but damn, my back was killing me, I had no kids for the day, could sleep ALL DAY once I got home and that would mean I wouldn't have to go to the doctors office--just take care of it at home....great rational, eh? Well, I did it....I took it home and I did it...and then began a journey of seeking out any leftovers I could find....thrilled when another nurse "forgot" to sign out her waste. Half the time, we were so busy that we couldn't find another nurse to co-sign and would just toss the meds...crazy, illegal, but true....and paradise for me.

9 months in, I was busted....Oddly enough though, not a soul knew..I functioned better at home, I was more pleasant to be around and eventually, the med that put me to sleep, flipped and started to give me energy....

The day I was busted, was the day my career ended---I can only tell you guys, if you've never been in legal trouble---wow---this was an unbelievable experience and a place I NEVER imagined I would be--I had never even had as much as a parking ticket...but now, I stood in a courtroom with a prosecuting attorney, judge and spectators, pleading to a CRIME---within 2 months, I went from being "mom in the play group" to the convicted felon. I prepared my kids for mom to go to jail or prison....my last paycheck, I stocked up on toilet paper, shampoo and diapers for my husband while I was "gone"...

In addition--the thrust in to the world of "drug addict" is unreal...from the 3rd grade room mother, to drug addict going to "therapy", AA meetings, group counseling, psychiatrist visits, etc....my world was changed for ever.

And the State Board---well, for anyone that has never dealt with the state board--just keep in mind, they are a REGULATING agency --they basically function as judge and jury--their priority is to protect the public, not the nurse--on the contrary, the nurse is shown very little mercy.....regardless of past history, circumstances, etc.

I went from being the mom helping the kids with homework, to the mom spending countless hours researching laws and seeking out other nurses in the same situation.

I went through periods of horrible depression to near suicide. My marriage almost ended and my family became suspicious of my moves.....

I can only tell you--if you've never been there, it's a very difficult thing to understand--and there are no easy answers--why would a nurse that knows all about bloodborne diseases, stick her hand in a needle box?

I would also like to tell you, it can happen to anyone...anyone...I was never abused, I had a great childhood, good parents and a cool family--and it happened to me....

I was a good nurse up until the last 9 months of my career--and then I made an unbelievably STUPID decision and a tragic mistake..and the rest is history.

I'm not trying to sound like a martyr, looking for pity or making excuses---I just wanted to share this story with you so you guys can understand how easy it is to fall in to this trap---an nobody is immune. Never say never--as I used to always do.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope I've given some valuable information! And, for those that DON'T divert...trust me, NO method is foolproof---don't give out your codes or your badges to even your best friends..because if the sh#@ hits the fan, you may be in the boat too--this happened to a very good friend of mine--(NOT BY ME!!) She had given out her access code to another nurse who had "forgotten" her code--she was reprimanded and almost reported to the board for "signing out a med without documentation of disposition"..because of the "using" nurse......

Thanks, Lemon

Reesa23 · Nov 19, 2003

Thank you Lemon for your painfully honest story. That took guts to tell it.

zudy · Nov 19, 2003

Yes, thank-you Lemon. I hope things are going well for you now. "There but for the grace of God go I"