Working with a nurse who isn't allowed to admin narcotics?

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I lady I work with got in legal trouble, didn't report it to the board when renewing her license and now is on probation with the board. According to the files on the board's website she isn't allowed to touch any scheduled meds. This makes it sort of complicated on our floor, we have a lot of post surgery pts who need pain meds. She usually asks other nurses to go give the pt in room whatever some Norco, for example. But I'm tired of doing this. She never volunteers to do something for my pt while I'm taking care of hers. And she's never told anyone the truth on why she can't give the meds herself.

To top all this off the NM never even told the staff about this issue with her and scheduled drugs. I found out after looking her name up on the boards site...she kept asking everyone to give her meds and I got suspicious. In fact I'm not even sure the NM knows, as there are other conditions on her license that she doesn't even follow, like she's not suppose to supervise students, but the NM assigns student nurses to work with her.

I just want to stay clear of this person...

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I once had a nurse on my floor who was on probation for diversion. Everyone knew though. It was still a burden sometimes to have to medicate her pts for her.

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STart asking her to help you. I would say, can you please do "task" for me so I can give you meds? I would want someone to at least reciprocate. Maybe start asking her to do dressing changes or give nausea meds or something. It would annoy me too if she always asked and never helped me out. I highly dislike one sided people.

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As much as I'm not one for snitching, I'd be mentioning to your NM that she can't supervise students. What happens if the school were to find out and those students weren't credited for time with her? It shouldn't fall on them that your NM wasn't aware of the restrictions.

...not to mention it's flat out illegal for that nurse to not inform her employer of her restrictions - all of them. This is just all kinds of trouble waiting to happen.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

Just because this nurse hasn't told you or her coworkers about her restrictions doesn't mean that the NM doesn't know about them. Not every nurse trumpets her/his restrictions to everyone in the workplace, nor are they obligated to. Many nurses don't tell everyone because of the stigma that often comes along with doing that, instead choosing to tell those who may be directly affected by their restrictions. And NMs are under no obligation to notify everyone of a nurse's restrictions either.

As long as those who need to know about the restrictions (such as the NM, etc.) know about them, that's what matters.

That being said...it is possible that the NM doesn't know the details of all the restrictions. Or the NM does know all the restrictions but chooses to ignore some of them (e.g., she won't let the nurse give narcs but overlooks the student issue since that doesn't seem as bad).

If you do have concerns about this nurse's actions, then you should contact the NM and let them know.

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I think the nurse manager should ensure that the coworkers are aware so that they can help the nurse. What if everyone just starts saying "no, sorry busy?" The patient care will suffer. You can't expect anyone to hand out all the narcs for someone else as a "favor". It is not fair or equitable for everyone else to pick up the slack. I am surprised that this nurse was hired on a floor where you get post op patients who need a lot of narcs. With all the people searching for jobs she should be grateful to have a job and appreciative to coworkers for constantly helping her out. I would simply start asking her to do me favors, and remember word for word what her response is if she says no. Then repeat it back to her when she asks you for help. I think I would ask my nurse manager about this, it seems like a part of her workload is getting dumped on the others. I would not mind helping out once in a while, but I would expect a thank you and not to be doing it constantly without getting any help back.

Are people wasting with this nurse?

I'd be a little more leery.

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I don't think she can pull narcs from the Pyxis. But I've seen other illegal things she's done on the floor relating to narcs. The NM and I are not on good terms, she most likely wouldn't believe me. The person involved in the illegal narc distribution with her is a fave of the NM. That persons word would be taken over mine, and I don't have any proof of what I saw either. I think I'm going to keep quiet and wait for the s to hit the fan. It's coming.

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Specializes in Urology, ENT.
I don't think she can pull narcs from the Pyxis. But I've seen other illegal things she's done on the floor relating to narcs. The NM and I are not on good terms, she most likely wouldn't believe me. The person involved in the illegal narc distribution with her is a fave of the NM. That persons word would be taken over mine, and I don't have any proof of what I saw either. I think I'm going to keep quiet and wait for the s to hit the fan. It's coming.

Can you print the disciplinary action with a typed note saying, "Hey she can't supervise students" or whatever seems more appropriate. I normally dislike the whole, "Hey you don't know who I am, I'm just going to slip this under the door..." at the same time, it seems like a possibility here since it doesn't seem like you can approach your NM directly.

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Sounds like a smart decision on your part.

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IDK about this situation. You just don't even know what the heck is going on. I'd print out something and pop it under the NM door and HR's or Risk Management's door - Include the entire doc. Gosh. I'd hate it to be something continuing, and here, you are on record giving narcs to her patients and yours... Your NM is really totally out of line not mentioning this to all you guys - since she hasn't, here you are just doing as this other nurse has asked... why on earth would you do that without management giving you policy? Leaves you in an odd spot. If the NM doesn't know - you look like you and this nurse are in cahoots.

Ish, just read your last post: She can deny giving narcs. You cannot deny you've pulled narcs for all those patients (not yours). It's all on you because nowhere is it on record as being on her.

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I'll add that from things I've read in the past here. She could be diverting, and you are inadvertently hiding it by pulling a certain amount... and so with other nurses she asks as well. She might have a system of some sort in place.

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Just keep in mind that if you slip an anonymous note under a door you will not be anonymous for long. Cameras are everywhere.

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