URGENT-staff & meds

[lvnforschool]

I need some advice?

I am an LVN with a Health office located away from the rest of the main offices. I have a front door which locks, and a "closet" door where the medicine cabinet is attached to the door, and only accesible with a key.

There is a staff bathroom located down the hall maybe 10 steps. Everyday I help a handicapped child use that restroom. I only lock my front door, leaving the closet door with med cabinet open.

Well yesterday after the student was done, I went to unlock my door, and behind the door was an academic councilor. I was a little surprised, and she immediately said she was looking for contact solution.

This is not the first time I have "caught" her in my office.

Basically I went to my principal only to have her tell me, that she is an admin and has keys to all the offices...yada yada!

My school RN, told me to write down when it happens.

No meds were missing, but Im not feeling to comfortable with someone just popping in my office when there is Ritalin in the med cabinet.

Any thoughts?

[Red Kryptonite]

Its so frustrating to me that I basically work at school with the mindset of 1800's!

Ive witnessed sooo many things here that would never fly in another school district! Its a feeling of, that everyone "knows" and trusts eachother and theres NO "BAD" people.

This isn't unique to schools or nursing. My husband has built a career for himself in nonprofit financial management/accounting. When we first moved to the Phoenix area, he started part time with an extremely recognizable nationwide nonprofit. (If I told you the name you'd all recognize it.) Eventually he got hired full time as their staff accountant. This organization has independent regional chapters, and the one in Phoenix was still operating like it was the tiny desert burg of 30 or 40 years ago, where everyone knew everyone, and not the 6th largest city in the US which has now moved up to fifth. He would come home at night and literally bang his head on things at times. He would point out huge security risks, unethical/illegal practices by branch leadership, and just out of date practices, and they fought him every step of the way. He traveled statewide auditing branches, and was made to understand he was the most hated person in the entire statewide organization. (At one point he toyed with the idea of mounting speakers on his motorcycle and playing the Imperial March from Star Wars as he drove up.) He was supposed to get a promotion, which turned into a demotion after one of the branch managers who'd gotten disciplined for unauthorized purchases threw a tantrum. They eventually laid him off.

I hope they're performing better now than they were, but with all the resistance he met trying to just update them into basic compliance with common sense and legislative changes, I doubt it.

Some people just won't learn until they are forced by legal action or something equally serious.

[Windchaser22]

Check your state regs. In NJ controlled meds are required to be double locked. Now the second lock can be on the office door but the first is a separate nonmoveable cabinet. Ritalin, Xanax, basically anything other than inhalers and epis get locked separately. If there is a law you must follow then the admin will have no choice. It's your license on the line after all.

[lvnforschool]

Thank you all for the suggestions/help.

I walked in this morning to a visitor, again! The RN was here to witness that the academic councilor was in my office, but she could only say to write it down. No help there! I asked her about seperating the epi-pens from the ritalin and such, but she wanted everything kept together. So basically I am going on a wing and a prayer that hopefully no staff members develope a drug habbit. GOOD TIMES

[mycsm]

It will take some work but everyday do a count and leave the number in your handwriting (not typed) on the front of the door. Just yourinitials and total # of pills.. If you give a tab, write date and subtract the # IN YOUR HANDWRITING. This could be a deterrent if she sees you are keeping track of pills.

I would also say..very bluntly not very gently, I always seem to find you in my office, what exactly is it that you need? if she says contact solution again, gently say, My supply is really for the student, please bring in a bottle that you can keep in your desk.

[lvnforschool]

Ive asked her why she is in here. We have a STAFF bathroom down the hall like 5 feet away!

She always tells me she likes the mirror/lighting better in here. Its really a no-win situation. I count the pills when I get refills in and have a ongoing chart of kids coming up for them. I am now shutting the closet door with the med cabinet, and just taking the keys with me. I will make an effort to leave the keys with the front office if I get called out to a classroom. Thats all I really can do. But the problem will always exist because she can come in my office before/after I get here.

[mycsm]

take out one of the bulbs....see if she notices....its all a lie..and she will get caught. I would keep a log of what day and time of day and what her excuse was.

[shsnurse]

Yes! Lock the med cabinet!!!!!! She should not be plundering around in the cabinet without permission. I have people that have access to my office just in case I'm not present. BUT only 4 designated people are trained to give meds out of my locked cabinet if I'm not on campus in my office.