Something pretty disturbing happened and I'm not sure how to handle it, or what my options are. A family member spent about a week on the general, inpatient psych unit at the local hospital. When she arrived home, she pulled 5-6, 2 mg Xanax from her pocket and said "a nurse" had given them to her "under the table," so to speak. I'm certain she did not have access to this medication at home, nor did she have a prescription for it. Also, per her medical records and physician's orders, this medication was never prescribed for her during her stay.
She could not remember the name of the person but did offer a physical description. She also said the woman told her to take the meds if she was "feeling suicidal." If it's the person she described to me, this particular clinician treated her rudely and condescendingly through her stay.
I attempted to contact the facility directly, but the administrator will not return the phone call and the nurse in charge said "none of our nurses would do that." To get medication, the med nurse has to scan the patient, scan the med and then has access to the prescribed drugs. I know, however, that there are always ways around this procedure.
My apologies this is so long. Please understand, I am not criticizing any RNs or LPNs. There are many at this facility that honestly care about their patients. I also understand the pressures many psych nurses must face; even my family member was prone to angry outbursts that must have been difficult to handle.
