What is the strangest thing...

Nurses General Nursing

Published

What is the strangest thing you have caught patients and/or their family members attempting to steal from your place of work?

We've lost a lot of tympanic thermometers, sphygmomanometers, pulse oximeters throughout the years, linens commonly vanish, and last winter someone made it into our change-room (i.e. a closet with a coat rack and tiny lockers) on our unit and stole the evening shift staff's winter coats. *Sniffles* I miss my winter coat :(

But this week... This week, I caught a patient's adult daughter trying to steal our brand new bladder scanner (which costs over $20,000). This thing is huge and connected to a large apparatus on wheels, yet she was wheeling it towards the elevator with such confidence and ease. When staff members attempted to address the situation it was quite a Winona Ryder moment.

Specializes in Critical care.

Our day surgery unit is located beside the ICU. We had a relative of one of our pts sneak in over the weekend while their unit was closed, and steal every single laptop out of the COWs. Once he realized that they could not be used with the hospital software lockout he took all of them to a computer store to have them reformatted. The computer store called the police who refused to press charges because he claimed he "found them" on the side of the road.

Cheers

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Hospice.
Our day surgery unit is located beside the ICU. We had a relative of one of our pts sneak in over the weekend while their unit was closed, and steal every single laptop out of the COWs. Once he realized that they could not be used with the hospital software lockout he took all of them to a computer store to have them reformatted. The computer store called the police who refused to press charges because he claimed he "found them" on the side of the road.

Cheers

Too bad life isn't CSI-there would have been security film footage and he would have looked directly at the camera, resulting in arrest and conviction in 40 minutes.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

Boy, THAT just makes you want to just look the other way then when you see a patient pack up everything but the bed when they are discharged.

We caught the daughter of a patient in our clean supply room several times and called security. They observed her leave the hospital with a bag of diapers and followed her to her car. The trunk was full of hospital supplies, styrofoam cups and linens, even pillows and a case of tube feeding. Administration did not press charges and she was allowed to visit freely.
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

Well, kudos to the compter store for being suspicious!!

Our day surgery unit is located beside the ICU. We had a relative of one of our pts sneak in over the weekend while their unit was closed, and steal every single laptop out of the COWs. Once he realized that they could not be used with the hospital software lockout he took all of them to a computer store to have them reformatted. The computer store called the police who refused to press charges because he claimed he "found them" on the side of the road.

Cheers

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

I can't believe so many people steal things but don't get charged! What is with this world??!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

We had a peds patient's parents steal their child's fentanyl gtt. Off the pump. While it was running. Cut the IV tubing and left.

No, he ended up not going home with said 'parents'.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER, Med-surg.

We had a frequent flyer on a m/s floor who was a hoarder, and she would ask for multiples of everything. On one discharge, when the aide lifted one of her bags to put it on a cart to wheel down, the bag burst and a couple dozen cans of soda and ensure went rolling everywhere. She also had mesh panties, used IV tubing, pads, hospital linens, bedpans, you name it.

On subsequent visits, we were wise to her and opened each can of soda as we brought it to her, but she'd wait till housekeeping staff who didn't know her came around and ask them for stuff. That time she had a zillion tiny bars of soap and one of the thermometers that don't work off hospital property in her bag when she left.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Urgent Care, Oncology.

I had a pt. during my first week of orientation steal a remote/call button. I saw the cord hanging out of her bag. Seriously, where else can you use that?

At my current job we keep drawers full of supplies in each individual room such as gloves, bacitracin, swabs, bandaids, lube, alcohol wipes, ear cuvettes, paper towels, tissue boxes, and gauze. I see people walk out and put it in their pockets all the time, even the boxes of tissues. Really?!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Registered Nurse.

Usually just meals or snacks. Haven't had this type of thing happen! Curious to read the stories though.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.

The most blatant episode of out-and-out theft I know about was a patient who walked by the nurses station on his way out and quickly swiped a nurse's cell phone (why it was sitting on the desk is another issue, but she didn't deserve to have it stolen). She called it later, he answered, and she eventually got it back.

What always gets me is not the stealing, but people who ask for stuff--and are, usually, allowed to take it. For example: "it's cold outside, can I have a warm blanket to take home?" "I need some extra gowns to take home." "Get me a pair of them hospital socks. (The grippy kind...not for the patient, but for a family member to take home)." "I need a turkey sandwich before I go." (And I guess this is stealing, because then all the visitors with this patient raid our fridge.) "I ran out of the meds for my nebulizer at home. Can I have one to take with me? Well, I can't get to the pharmacy today, so I need more like 12." "They need to get me a prescription for this tylenol/ibuprofen/Eucerin lotion. Oh, and I came in by ambulance--I'll need a cab slip."

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
What on earth would possess somebody to try and steal a bladder scanner? That's not the most likely to be used at home item.

Maybe sell it on E-bay - I get a lot of stuff on E-Bay for my Zombie Apocalypse kit.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Registered Nurse.
We had a peds patient's parents steal their child's fentanyl gtt. Off the pump. While it was running. Cut the IV tubing and left.

No, he ended up not going home with said 'parents'.

OMG...did they at least clamp the tube!?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment