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; Cardiac; Professional Development.
We have telemetry boxes walk out all the time, still connected to the drug addicted patient who was getting twitchy due to being without their fix for too long. I wish we could have an in-service with them. "We understand you may need to leave suddenly. If you do, please remove your tele box prior to eloping".
They are often found on the road somewhere in the area of the hospital, no longer in working order. I don't think most of them really intend to steal it, just to get out quickly due to the level of twitchy they are becoming.
Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
We once had a woman steal one of our patients. A "family friend", a young woman in her early 30's, was always visiting one of our patients and very attentive. He was a sweet old man (late 70's) with mild dementia. He was a retired dentist and apparently quite wealthy and a widower and was receiving palliative chemo.
She would often take him outside to enjoy the sunshine. One day they were gone too long and a search was started with no luck, but we did find his IV pole, IV still running but disconnected. Turns out she whisked him away to the court house and married him! From there she took him to her house and, according to his adult daughter who told us the story, consummated their marriage (I admit that inside I was cheering for the old man).
Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
While on vacation about 8 hours away from home, I saw a group of 3 people on electric scooters that all said "PROPERTY OF *** HOSPITAL PLEASE RETURN" where I work.
We have scooters by the entrance from the ramp for visitors too weak to traverse the whole, huge building. And apparently for said visitors to take home with them.
Imagine the balls it takes to do that without even covering the "property of" sign!
Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
We once had a woman steal one of our patients. A "family friend", a young woman in her early 30's, was always visiting one of our patients and very attentive. He was a sweet old man (late 70's) with mild dementia. He was a retired dentist and apparently quite wealthy and a widower and was receiving palliative chemo.
She would often take him outside to enjoy the sunshine. One day they were gone too long and a search was started with no luck, but we did find his IV pole, IV still running but disconnected. Turns out she whisked him away to the court house and married him! From there she took him to her house and, according to his adult daughter who told us the story, consummated their marriage (I admit that inside I was cheering for the old man).
Lol. Oh there is so much I want to say! But I can't...
We once had a woman steal one of our patients. A "family friend", a young woman in her early 30's, was always visiting one of our patients and very attentive. He was a sweet old man (late 70's) with mild dementia. He was a retired dentist and apparently quite wealthy and a widower and was receiving palliative chemo.
She would often take him outside to enjoy the sunshine. One day they were gone too long and a search was started with no luck, but we did find his IV pole, IV still running but disconnected. Turns out she whisked him away to the court house and married him! From there she took him to her house and, according to his adult daughter who told us the story, consummated their marriage (I admit that inside I was cheering for the old man).
Had a young lady come into emerg by ambulance with her sister who was involved in a MVC. The sister was acting strange, so we thought she might have been under the influence (the sister in the MVC was...thankfully no one was injured). She was caught taking a pair of scissors by one of the other nurses. By this time, two cell phones were reported missing, as well as supplies and a cell phone from the ambulance. RCMP was called and when they searched her, they found: 3 cell phones, bandage scissors, 2 tensor bandages, 2 calendars, straws, all the jam from the kitchenette (no peanut butter), numerous packages of 2x2 and 4x4 and all the old, bloody dressings off her sister.
Had a young lady come into emerg by ambulance with her sister who was involved in a MVC. The sister was acting strange, so we thought she might have been under the influence (the sister in the MVC was...thankfully no one was injured). She was caught taking a pair of scissors by one of the other nurses. By this time, two cell phones were reported missing, as well as supplies and a cell phone from the ambulance. RCMP was called and when they searched her, they found: 3 cell phones, bandage scissors, 2 tensor bandages, 2 calendars, straws, all the jam from the kitchenette (no peanut butter), numerous packages of 2x2 and 4x4 and all the old, bloody dressings off her sister.
Definitely a psych issue...she left the peanut butter ??!!
Nurse SMS, MSN, RN
6,843 Posts
We have telemetry boxes walk out all the time, still connected to the drug addicted patient who was getting twitchy due to being without their fix for too long. I wish we could have an in-service with them. "We understand you may need to leave suddenly. If you do, please remove your tele box prior to eloping".
They are often found on the road somewhere in the area of the hospital, no longer in working order. I don't think most of them really intend to steal it, just to get out quickly due to the level of twitchy they are becoming.