Two Caretakers Indicted for Allegedly Stealing Drugs in a Warren County, Ohio Nursing Home

The caretakers ere charged with theft of drugs, illegal processing of drug documents, and aggravated possession of drugs, which are all felonies. The Enquirer refers to the former nursing home employees as caretakers and although I could not verify the Ohio Nursing Board license of both of the accused (I did for one online), I am assuming both of these women are nurses because of information recounted in the story.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090512/NEWS0107/305120013/1163/Caretakers+accused+of+stealing+drugs

Comments

[Jack Stem]

The response by the health care team involved in this incident was unprofessional and unethical. The executive director stated they contacted the police and watched the nurses for 2 years before the indictments and arrest occurred. In other words, they allowed a possibly impaired employee/colleague with a chronic, progressive, potentially fatal disease to continue to practice instead of performing an intervention. An action that could save their lives AND protect the residents of the facility.

We have got to stop acting like this disease doesn't exist! The drug war mentality hasn't worked! The largest number of casualties from the War on Drugs are the addicts who die from an accidental overdose, violence associated with the criminal activities resorted to in-order to feed the demon growing inside them, or as a result of suicide from the despair of realizing they can't stop on their own, and the stigma for themselves and their families.

When will nurses begin to respond ethically, professionally, and compassionately toward their colleagues dying from this horrible disease? It won't happen until they begin to learn the science of the disease and institute the evidence based treatment available.

If not now, when? if not nurses, then who?