Tired of impaired nurses

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Ok...I have been a nurse for almost 20 years and thought I had seen it all. My current employer seems to be a becon for impaired nurses. We currently have 3. The latest one is causing loads of issues. She was a great nurse that worked with us for 1 year. It was found out that she was removing approximately 40 percocets per shift for patients she was not assigned to. Management aproached her and sent her for a drug test. Since she had a personal prescription for the drug, nothing was done. Many of the staff were very uncomfortable when she was around. (She was not signing the MAR--you had to look in the pxysis for the last dose given) Management pushed the issue and she up and quit. Well 6 months go by and she is back (rumor has it that she was terminated from the last place). I questioned my manager about this and she said there would be stipulations. I see none. Her first day back was today and I snooped around in the pxysis. She gave 10 percocet in one shift and once again failed to sign them out on the MAR. None of these patients are alert enough to report that they had not gotten the medication.

What can I do? Does any one know what actions I can take if management continues to turn a blind eye? I know we are short on RN's, but this is crazy. We already have a tough enough job without worrying about team members stealing drugs! A group of us are really upset and not sure what steps to take next. Help!!!

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Since your manager already knows your concerns, I would (along with a group) go to whomever is next in line, up to and including CEO, President, etc. They are more likely to listen to you in numbers so gather as many as you can.

You won't make friends with your NM by doing this but I'm thinking you care more about pt care than staying friends with her.

Good luck!

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Thanks. I like the idea of safety in numbers. We are a small unit so the next step up is pretty big.

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Specializes in Government.

I've worked with several addicted nurses in my 20+ years. The situation you describe is a recipe for disaster. Access+sloppy accountability+an obviously not sober yet nurse=nothing but heartaches for the whole unit. I got really tired of being cast under a light of suspicion every time an addicted nurse was stealing meds. When I had the opportunity to craft policy on one job, I made narc counts detailed, mandatory and practically fool proof. When I left, they did away with that protocol, calling it "paranoid". Guess what? In the next 2 years they had 3 addicted nurses stealing meds. One said: "I took the job because I heard there was no narc count shift to shift".

OP, I applaud your efforts. Stay with it. The situation will not improve with your NM's wishful thinking.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

What about putting a letter in writing to the nurse manager expressing your concerns? Have all the RNs sign it?

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Specializes in Case Management.

I think the hospital CEO should be very concerned about this nurse, and about the manager who is turning a blind eye. This is a liability to the entire hospital.

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i think if you suspect a nurse is impaired, i think you are obligated to report it to bon.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

uh, I think its time to report it to the board.

This manager is putting herself, you and the entire facility at risk. :selfbonk:

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Specializes in Med/Surg.
I've worked with several addicted nurses in my 20+ years. The situation you describe is a recipe for disaster. Access+sloppy accountability+an obviously not sober yet nurse=nothing but heartaches for the whole unit. I got really tired of being cast under a light of suspicion every time an addicted nurse was stealing meds. When I had the opportunity to craft policy on one job, I made narc counts detailed, mandatory and practically fool proof. When I left, they did away with that protocol, calling it "paranoid". Guess what? In the next 2 years they had 3 addicted nurses stealing meds. One said: "I took the job because I heard there was no narc count shift to shift".

OP, I applaud your efforts. Stay with it. The situation will not improve with your NM's wishful thinking.

no narc count?!?!?!?!?!!?! :trout::trout::trout::trout:

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Specializes in ICU of all kinds, CVICU, Cath Lab, ER..

I lived with this situation for almost 9 months at a position where I recovered Open Heart patients. This nurse was hired by the hospital (we found out later that they KNEW she had TWO prior remediations). The trouble with her started the very first night....she disappeared on me (she had a fresh heart as did I and she went missing for 50 minutes "I was in the bathroom with diarrhea" - no, she wasn't cause I checked the BR first and then again and you know when someone's been sick)..anyway, the drug count was always off... dayshift complained and everyone who worked with her complained.. I turned in a plastic sealed 5 pack of Demerol which had each syringe opened and a different level of fluid and placed back in the lock box in the torn Demerol pack - she was always dry-mouthed...jeez, I lost all respect for the administration of the hospital.

One night the DON came in to see ME! He wanted to address my complaints about her... I pointed out number of times she worked the shift out with blood seeping through her pants (rear end) or blood seeping through the forearms of her long sleeved turtleneck which she wore under her scrub top in the dead of summer in Florida!... wimpy boy (DON) promised to do "something" oh yeah, he did - he told her I was one of her accusers..

Shortly after that, she came screaming at me at start of shift over my fresh post-op CABG (as I hooked them up to the monitor fresh from the OR)-- screaming at me that she would sue me - poor silly *****, I calmly turned to her and said, "Bring it on, baby, my husband's a lawyer in downtown SUPERLAWFIRM- maybe you've seen their TV ads?" oh, and my uncle is a partner!!!...

So here is what finally got her out of nursing and out of our hair:

Someone (and no, it wasn't me - wish I had thought of it) wrote a letter to the Sheriff's Office in the county where the hospital is located and said basically so-and-so is stealing drugs and the hospital is not dealing with it.... well, next thing you know they put a camera (the sheriff did - took the matter right out of the hands of the hospital) in the drug room - 12 hours later they have enough film for a two hour movie (just kidding) - there she is pulling the Demerol out of the bottom of the vials and replacing it with NS...smile, *****!!

Now they come into the unit on the next night (I was off, DAMNNNNN) and arrest her - and the news is filming her on the eleven-oclock news with her hands handcuffed behind her!!!! Her patient was a two day post-op who saw the whole thing!

Now, here's the kicker - she gave up her nursing license (3 trips to remediation and you are gone!) for a realtor license - she is now a freaking million dollar seller with her own freaking web site!!! DAMNNNNNNN!!!

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Specializes in OB, HH, ADMIN, IC, ED, QI.

What goes around, comes around..... She'll get hers. Long term drug abuse doesn't enhance life......

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Obviously she is not impaired (she knows exactly what she is doing). I thing you did everything you could. Be very careful, because your job could be on the line, too. If they know about the problem and don't do nothing about it, probably it is because they don'e want to. I would suggest that you concentrate on taking care of your assigned patients. If she screws-up, soon or later it will be evident, but your conscience will be clean 'cause youtold them. Really, let it go!

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