The secretary on our unit is a 34y/o brittle diabetic who constantly cannot afford to get her insulin refilled. She then asks us nurses if we can let her have some insulin out of a patients bottle. I know of other nurses on the unit who feel so bad for her that they either prefill some syringes for her from our patients bottles and then reorder for the patient from the pharmacy or just give her the patients bottle to take home and then they r/o the patient a whole new bottle. I know these nurses really feel bad for her and don't want to see her go into hyperglycemia however, I don't think they realize that if anyone "higher up" found out about this that they would get fired and probably so would she. A while back she ran out of insulin and didn't have the money to get it filled til payday which was a week away and needless to say she ended up in the ER with a sugar of 700!! She is extremely non-compliant in managing her diabetes and I feel that she is not far away from either dying from DKA or hypoglycemia. And it's as if she doesn't even care, especially since I recently found out that she can afford to spend over 100 dollars a month for cable and that her rent is completely free since her husband is the manager of their apt complex, but yet she can't afford to take care of herself!!???
Tonight she came to me and confided in me that she has no insulin left(she takes 24 units N in the am and 14 units N in the pm!) and no money until payday which is friday. She asked me if there was any patient on Humulin N and if so could she fill some syringes for herself. On the one hand I feel bad for her and don't want to be the cause of her taking a trip to the ER tonight but yet She has me so damn mad that she would even put me in this situation. I didn't know what to say to her so I just copped out and said you need to talk to the charge RN about that and not me. Now I'm feeling terrible and feel that maybe I should've at least offered her the money for the insulin until payday. Plus I mentioned her dilemma to the Charge nurse and she said she's heard of her doing this before and that she is tired of this and she is going to talk to our manager about it in the am. Now I am thinking I am a -hit of a friend and that if it gets back to this secretary that I said something she is going to think I'm a rat.
I'm so worked up over this!! Any advice would be much appreciated.
Specializes in Happily semi-retired; excited for the whole whammy.
I don't even think the cable or the free rent enter into this at all. Whether she is dirt poor or filthy rich, diverting meds is illegal. How can it be worth it to risk your livelihood, whatever the circumstances? If you want to help her, the best way to do that is to research assistance programs in your area.
This woman is manipulating you and the other nurses into stealing for her.
I would stop it now. Whoever gives in is putting their job and license on the line.
Isn't this akin to prescribing medication without a license?
On my job, we can give employees tylenol for a headache, but nothing else.
I had an employee just last night ask me for a Benadryl. She had obvious cold or allergy sx's, but if I give her a benadryl, she falls asleep on the job, the supervisor finds out and she rats on me that I gave her a benadryl...I'm in trouble right along with her.
If your co-worker has a job, free rent and can afford to pay a $100 cable bill, then when she gets paid every week or 2 weeks, she needs to make sure the first thing she does is go get her RX filled.
Why should she buy the insulin when she can get others to steal it for her?
I haven't read this whole thread, but I concur with the above poster. A vial of NPH insulin costs about 35 bucks max. A vial of regular insulin costs about the same. If she is a very brittle diabetic, she should be on both types with frequent accuchecks. Now the accucheck strips are what costs - about $75 for a bottle of strips.
If I were in your position, I would not give her insulin. I would offer to loan her money to buy a vial and expect to pay it back on payday. I would include a stern lecture that her insulin is more important than her cable TV or frivilous shopping.
She is extremely non-compliant in managing her diabetes and I feel that she is not far away from either dying from DKA or hypoglycemia. And it's as if she doesn't even care, especially since I recently found out that she can afford to spend over 100 dollars a month for cable and that her rent is completely free since her husband is the manager of their apt complex, but yet she can't afford to take care of herself!!???
LydiaNN
2,756 Posts
I don't even think the cable or the free rent enter into this at all. Whether she is dirt poor or filthy rich, diverting meds is illegal. How can it be worth it to risk your livelihood, whatever the circumstances? If you want to help her, the best way to do that is to research assistance programs in your area.