See this article that appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer today. This healthcare worker (I am not sure if she is a licensed professional or a paraprofessional) was charged with theft of drug, a felony, for allegedly stealing medication from a hospice patient in the patient's home. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080514/NEWS01/305140012
Drug diversion occurs in the Hospital. The majority of nurses still work in hospitals although more and more nurses are working outside of the hospital setting (home care, hospice, doctor office, nursing home, assisted living, health clinic, etc.)
However with the Pyxis and fingerprint required to access controlled substances in some Hospitals, chemically dependent nurses are gravitating towards nursing homes, home health, hospice, and community health care environments were controlled substances are not as heavily monitored.
If you are a chemically dependent nurse and you are stealing drugs in a Hospital, you will eventually get caught. Seek help now. It usually starts with a pharmacy audit or questionable administration of prn medication, failure to document/witness waste, etc.
Contact a licensure defense attorney in your jurisdiction for a consultation because you want to know your options. Drug Diversion in nursing is complicated because it can have/has criminal, employment, licensure, and professional implications for nurses.
Your employer, Nursing Board staff, or law enforcement officers can not counsel and advise you on this process, advise you of your options, or give you an overview of the "big picture" in drug diversion cases.
Whether you realize it or not, you are representing yourself, proceeding pro se and missteps will occur because allegations of drug diversion and chemical dependency cases are complicated and there are multiple agencies or organizations involved in a typical case.
Also your situation is different from the nurse around the corner or the nurse who your friend knows who didn't have "anything" happen to her when she diverted drugs. Everyone and their mother will offer you "advice" on what you should do or what happened to "so and so" and how it turned out okay for this particular nurse who did this. Don't believe the hype. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASjH7X-jAY4
Should I self-report to the Nursing Board?
Should I apply to a Board of Nursing Alternative Program?
Will I be charged with a crime?
Do I admit guilt to an employer, law enforcement, etc.?
What am I guilty of?
Will my employer contact the Nursing Board and local law enforcement?
These are just a few of the questions that nurses in these cases consider.
The story has been updated by the Cincinnati Enquirer. The accused is a nurse. See http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080514/NEWS01/305140012
Posted by: latonia | May 14, 2008 at 11:07 AM