Student caught stealing....

greenfiremajick · Dec 11, 2010

Would you press criminal charges if one of your students took money from your wallet? The student has been expelled from the program but has not returned the money If I press charges theres a chance I could get my money back and hopefully she would be prevented from applying to another nursing school... Just looking for opinions. Thanks!

One more thing..>When they are writing out the report, ask the officer to include the fact that she was diverting from patient care, in order to steal the money....

leslie :-D · Dec 11, 2010

i guess i'm not understanding, why wouldn't you press charges?

this stuff needs to be on record...

whether anything comes of it or not.

imo, there shouldn't have been any hesitation in pressing charges.

it should have been a done deal.

leslie

Crux1024 · Dec 11, 2010

Charges, press em.

littlemammanurse, BSN, RN · Dec 11, 2010

Charges do need to pressed in this case.I am so sorry to hear that this happened to you!I hope that something good comes from this.

DizzyLizzyNurse · Dec 11, 2010

File a report; let the police investigate it and prosecute the guilty party. But unless I caught the student red-handed with my wallet, or observed her rummaging in my bag, I wouldn't draw conclusions about who was the guilty party.
She confessed.

FA2Nurse · Dec 11, 2010

wow. I'll be interested in seeing this outcome so I'm marking it with this post.

but seeing as how she confessed, then yes. press charges.

OCNRN63, RN · Dec 11, 2010

Pressing charges will give her a record of theft, which will always show up on bci/FBI background checks. There is a good chance she will never be accepted into another program.
Have you talked to the student and asked why she stole the money? I know that stealing is stealing and it is wrong. But when I was a nursing student, life was hard, there were times I had to pawn things just to get gas money to make it to school, or buy some groceries. My family struggled greatly while I was in school But, with my husbands support we suffered through it and I finished.. now things are much better .. thank goodness :)
I am absolutely not making any excuses for this girl. but sometimes people get desperate for many reasons.
Maybe you can talk to her and get some information, maybe she is truly sorry and had (what she thought) a good reason. Have a heart to heart talk with her. At least give her the opportunity to make things right, by paying back the money, apologizing to the housekeeper/hospital.
The Fact that she eventually confessed proves that she has some sort of conscious.
Honestly I would hate to see someones life ruined over a bad choice.
Everyone makes mistakes and maybe she deserves a second chance.
That being said, I am responsible for getting a classmate kicked out of nursing school .. forever perhaps. She told me she stole some pain medication from a patient where she works, in addition she bragged about other thefts and abusing prescription meds. This girl came to clinical high on something.. and was MY partner! She was a real threat to patient safety. I went to our school director along with other classmates ( I had encouraged them to do so) and told her what I knew. .. Thankfully she was immediately removed from clinicals and eventually from the school altogether. I know without a doubt that my classmate would have eventually hurt someone due to her negligence. She was unwilling to get help and saw nothing wrong with stealing morphine from a cancer patient ( "because the patient can always get more").

You've got to be kidding. Not only did she steal, she lied and tried to put the blame on an innocent party. She doesn't deserve a second chance. She has proven herself to be completely unethical. I really feel sorry for that housekeeper; what a nightmare it must have been for her to have been falsely accused. This girl didn't confess because she had a conscience; she confessed because she was caught, but good. If she could have gotten away with it, she wouldn't have 'fessed up.

Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.

jal1234, LPN, LVN · Dec 11, 2010

I would too! I guess it would be different if she/he tried to make restitution by repaying the money, but there does not seem to be any remorse, just a sense of entitlement:(

RaggedyRN · Dec 11, 2010

Thanks for the replies! Seems to be almost unanamous. Only one person suggested talking to her. I was leaving it up to the Dean to tell her about the expulsion. I was also waiting to see if the hospital was going to press charges. The hospital just wants her out of the program and she is no longer welcome in the hospital. (It's a children's hospital...no chance of this 26 year old woman needing this hospitals services.)

I did not report it immediately because I was giving her the opportunity to make this right. The security officer is someone I work with. He tried to convince this woman to do the right thing. She told him she would call me to apologize and to make arrangements to return the money. I have not heard from her yet. I am giving her until Monday then will contact the police.

Why didn't I report this immediately? I thought she and I were both victims and was letting the hospital handle the investigation...it's their cameras..... I also work at this facility....it was awkward to know that potentially it could be one of my co-workers. Then it was embarrassing to find out it was one of my students. Also, I still had three other students and their patient assignments to oversee. It was one heck of a clinical day:uhoh3:

My husband thinks I should just let it go. He thinks she is being punished enough by being kicked out of the program. I have turned to you all to see if I am being too hard or if my husband is just a softee. I am for reporting her and it's brought me some peace knowing others feel as I do. Thank you!

OCNRN63, RN · Dec 11, 2010

I still go back to thinking about the housekeeper who was wrongfully accused. I think about her mental anguish over the situation. She deserves justice, too. Her name was dragged through the mud over this.

SonorityGenius · Dec 11, 2010

No you're not doing enough frankly; you are a patient's advocate first and foremost. If she gets kicked out of your program she can simply apply elsewhere, not list going to your school, and get in. She kept silent while an innocent housekeeper was sent home probably without pay (and worried sick of losing job could have family to feed and maybe stroke out due to unnecessary stress!) She stole money from YOU, the idol, the teacher, the one whom she looks upto who has authority - imagine her with vulnerable, sick, elderly patients?? What would protect them from her stealing if she can steal from you?

Dont wait till Monday, it doesnt matter if she will talk to you or not. The fact is she got home and afterwards told security on the phone she did it. She is a low pathetic human being.

IHeartPeds87 · Dec 11, 2010

RaggedyRN- I'm sorry this happenned to you.

I know that I have an unpopular opinion, but I too agree with your husband. She is getting a large punishment by getting kicked out of the program. I hope that she does contact you and apologize. But I would not press criminal charges....I agree with whatever posted stated that while I'm not agreeing with or making excuses for the student's actions, but I think that getting expelled from school is a large punishment and pursuing criminal charges just might make this student get angry at the system, rather than change.

Again, I know it is an unpopular opinion and I can see the benefit of turning the student in to the police, I just urge you to consider what your husband said. Getting expelled from school is a BIG deal.