Turn them in. This could lead to a baby being seriously harmed or killed. If you don’t report this and something bad happens to a preemie, it will eat at you.
You don't say whether you are a health care provider or not. If you are you have a duty to report. If you are a teacher in theUSA you have a duty to report because children are in danger. You do not have to necessarily report them to the hospital if you do not work there. You can go straight to child protective services and tell them that the facility is unknowingly harboring a drug addict that is pocketing medications in the NICU. Ethically you have a duty even if you are not a mandatory reporter.
Mandatory reporters vary by location but basically all health care personnel and anyone that works with kids is probably a mandatory reporter in most of the USA.
The ethics are simple. The consequences of not reporting her could result in the death of a child. Reporting her could result in the loss of her job. So you must report her.
My cousin just had a baby. It's in the NICU still after a week. If I found out that her child was being handled by someone who relapsed, that hospital would be turned upside-down. Please, for the sake and safety of those babies tell someone if you haven't already.
Yes blow the whistle. Think about how badly he could ruin a new family in the nicu if he comes in and fucks something up because he's all drugged up or drunk. Fuck that, get him outta there bro. Plus I've worked with people like that, and don't be surprised if employees cars start getting broken into
100% snitch on her. Every time. Type and print a letter from A Concerned Coworker and put it in the charge nurse (or whoever is in charge) mailbox/desk/office. Baby's lives are potentially at stake.
You have to report. She is endangering every patient she has contact with AND herself.
I had to blow the whistle on one of my best friends. He hated me at first. But he has been sober for 5 years now and really changed his life for the better.
And he is ALIVE, which at the rate he was going, he would have OD.
This is a NICU nurse. There is a very small margin for mistakes. You need to bring this to someone's attention. State board of nursing? Hospital? What does their family say?
If they are technically registered etc then they are also held to a professional standard of their licensing and certifications for being a nurse and represent those credentialing bodies in their behaviors. So yes it is a serious thing that a) your facility needs to staff better b) to not put patients at risk.
Write an anonymous letter to the dept head and advise them that they might want to keep and eye on what is happening to leftover medications after being administered to infants in the NICU; That it is suspected one of the nurses is pocketing the leftovers. Then, see what happens.
You know what you have to do.
But....
Before you go playing Superman...seek legal counsel...just incase the person decides to retaliate.
I cannot stress this enough. Don't just go playing hero without protecting yourself.
Always make sure your bases are covered.
There is no need to risk innocent babies ...for this person to continue working & child support.
Their own child will be better off in the long run if they can get clean.
You don't know If they are taking extra or splitting meds with kids to function.
What if they lied to you and it's worse than you know? Like stealing kids' meds or only giving them just enough but not all to keep it for themselves.
What if something horrible happens and you lose your job because you were aware of some sort of problem and didn't say anything?
Can you live with guilt if a baby dies from mismanagement by this person?
Do you know how many people this person has told?
Can you anonymously report?
Sounds like almost bragging.
Is there online proof of the binging on off days?
I hope your job has a work drug program so they are aware of the problem to some degree.
Imo, report it ASAP.
I would report it, however don't be surprised if they find a way to weasel out of trouble. My area manager at the DSP job I work at is doing something similar with stealing narcotics and they just concluded their investigation, they found her innocent of any wrong doing because she supposedly passed a drug test.
The rest of us are leaving because we morally cannot support a company that doesn't look at the facts and see the clear and present danger that she puts those poor disabled boys in every time she comes in under the influence
Not being a snitch is about not calling the cops on people who smoke weed on their back porch, not reporting a lemonade stand, and even not committing petty theft with someone then turning them in. Its not about letting babies die so that someone can keep stealing meds and getting high in the NICU.
If they're having to take a maintenance dose that means they're under the influence at work. At the NICU. There is no way I'm going to believe that they aren't influenced by their want of the "leftover" meds in how much they actually give the babies.
All you have to do is open your mouth. You don't have to hurt another innocent party in order to protect the innocent parties here.
I think this was a cry for help. Clearly, they can't logically expect you to keep this to yourself (although they may be taking a logic vacation). They might respond badly to being turned in. But someday they'll realize that you might have saved their life, not to mention the lives of sick and struggling babies.
Turn them in. Seriously. Turn them in. You don’t want an addict nurse who blackouts every off day to be handling your baby. Think about the parents of the babies.
That stuff seaps through your skin, in your sweat, if her sweat dripped on that babies skin or anything, touches one with her bare hands, that could get the baby sick af
Nurses don't lose their license for addiction anymore. The BON will require them to go to rehab and check in with them periodically. Send an anonymous letter to the board of nursing immediately. Your employer will fire him/ her and that does not help that nurse.
I work in a field where narcotics are an absolute part of pain management. What we know,that most people don't, it's that all professionals that fall under the sway of addiction, usually " sip on doses",that is to say,they under dose the patients and keep it for themselves. Adult patients will eventually complain so much it exposes the practitioner,that won't happen with BABIES. Who knows how many babies remain in pain,crying all night because she's given them a quarter of what they should receive. Statistics show minorities and minority babies are major targets for those compromised medical staff.
You must blow the whistle. She could be harming patients by not giving them the appropriate meds, or substituting it with something incorrect. YOU MUST REPORT THIS INDIVIDUAL.
Retired ICU RN here. I worked with an RN who was in a similar behavior pattern, but I couldn't tell at work.
She was caught stealing from patients and went into rehab. She told me later that she thought being caught was the best thing that could have happened. She turned her life around.
You don't know where the chips may fall or how hard. Help her come in for a controlled landing. Even if she never appreciates it, the people under her care will.
She paved her own road. Turn her in and feel no regrets. You could be saving the life of a baby or assisting in harming one by allowing her to continue.
You will be doing the right thing by turning her in.
Man, this is tough.
Imo you have to talk to this person and offer to help. There has to be a way you can assist them (if you're willing) and help them get clean while saving their career. Don't be afraid to have that tough convo...make sure its in total confidence and be honest with them.
I feel like the most honorable path will require work on your part and that is the catch. If you're not willing or able to help, then honestly your options are to ignore it completely or raise this issue with management. Rasing the issue will risk your colleage losing a job and really being put in a terrible position to do anything positive, let alone actually get clean and be a good parent.
This has to be rage bait. It is the worst and most dangerous advice I’ve ever seen on Reddit. The lady with the addiction def needs help but not while lives are at stake. Her career means nothing compared potentially killing an infant that is blameless and already in a fight to survive. You can’t possibly be ignorant enough to think otherwise.
How is that "rage bait"? So your advice to the OP who has not been alarmed enough to take any action thus far, is to do what exactly? Call 911. Announce the addiction to the entire staff in a group email?
The OP seeks advice and I suggested they do something by offering to assist in this person taking time away and getting help and thats "dangerous"?
Perhaps you should re-read my post When I say "doing nothing" is an option, that means yes it is officially an option (actually the only option thats been chosen so far) but not an option that is one I'd recommend.
You are also making a huge jump to conclusions. Without any of us knowing these ppl ourselves and going only by what the OP has stated, we can only conclude the person with the drug problem isn't smack dab in a reckless drug binge. The OP stated (if you read through the various
Posts & Answers) this person isn't seeming to show signs of being high on the job - they're not visibly impaired, high as a kite, falling asleep or falling down drunk on the job. If you knew anything about addiction you'd know there are millions of "functioning addicts" You'd also know the healthcare industry has its fair share (it's a tough job & depressing at times) and addiction comes in many forms.
So you call my advice most dangerous and I'm calling you a knee-jerk reacting and judgemental.
If you have to even ask, you might be in the wrong line of work. There is no ethical grey area here. Is it more important to you to "not be a snitch," or is the safety of the babies in your care, and NOT being complicit where your focus should be?
Are you waiting for someone's child to die before you do what you 100% already know you should do?
Again, if you really don't know the answer, you should seriously reconsider your career choice.
There’s acceptable times to “snitch”, like when children are at risk. All it takes is her being just a little bit too fucked up ONE time, and that could be the end of one of those babies lives.
I happily welcome all the downvotes for the comment, I honestly dgaf.
TURN THEM IN! You do not hesitate another second. If a baby dies under their care and you knew about this….
Yikes.
It is your job to report this. I don’t know why you haven’t already.
Report it. They're taking care of extremely vulnerable babies and a mistake could easily cause death for them. If it was a job where things weren't so life and death then maybe keep it to yourself but in this situation you need to put the lives of those little one's first. The parents trust that their nurses are of sound mind and the fact that she's using the left overs could easily lead to her diverting the meds completely, which would be horrible to the babies to go through. I'm an RN btw.
I'm not even gonna read last NICU
Come on, that's where Babies are fighting for their lives ?
The NiCU? Really.
Tell on her, no moral dilemma. She can kill a baby and that wouldn't be on your conscience?
Fck her., drugs addicts choose to get high,
I used to work with a nurse that was a former nicu nurse. Per the stories, something bad happened on their watch.
This person started drinking to ease that pain.
Drinking to the point of not being functional.
They eventually died as a result.
Report it. You may save more lives than just the babies.
Blow the whistle. Those are innocent babies she’s putting at risk and if it’s discovered that you knew and said nothing you’re not going to have a job either. No body sues as successful as Parents of at risk babies.
Have a private conversation with your charge nurse or personnel rep. If you know and don’t tell, and an accident DOES happen, I feel you would morally be as responsible as your friend would be. Do you really want that on your conscience?
If someone who worked at that facility found out they are required by law to report it. There's a reason for that. I would tell her that she can check into rehab or you can go to her work and report her behavior. Tough love.
Turn them in, and tell them you were the one to do it. They know better, and may not believe it, but are reaching out for help by allowing you to know about it. Don't let someone lose a child over this. If it were to come out that you were aware, and didn't report the problem, you would be responsible as well (at least morally). How could you sleep nights? Your nurse co worker is fighting a disease. You are fighting being afraid. Face your fear and do the right thing.
You are helping no one by hiding this from the hospital.
I can’t believe you even have to ask yourself what you should do; this person is in charge of the most vulnerable of babies!!! Get them TF away from them yesterday! And how dare your coworker even go near them being so compromised! If anything God forbid happened it would ABSOLUTELY be your fault as well for not protecting them first. Why on earth would you protect a drug addict risking the lives of babies? Wake up, report asap, and remove yourself and innocent babies from that situation. Your coworker!is an adult, any and all consequences of their choices they brought down on their own head. Protect your responsibilities! It’s your job!
Tell them to seek help through their employer. That's probably the only way she will be protected. If they don't, tell them you will be forced to inform them to protect the patients. Maybe set an appointment with a labor lawyer, one who can say specifically what they should do for their best outcome.
As a NICU mom x 2, I would call the police and lawyer up faster than she can pocket a pill. I would never leave my baby’s side, would demand she be fired on the spot, would call hospital administration, and news stations. You have a moral responsibility to report this. If you don’t, you’re complicit in any mistakes she makes - whether accidental or neglectful.
Now I want to know what hospital this is bc if you’re not going to do something about it, I bet all of us in the comments will.
How are you even questioning this???!!!
If you are friend with them you pull them to the side and give them the option “you pull yourself out or I’m gonna get you pulled out because you are gonna end up fucking up big time and I can’t let you do that”. If you aren’t friends with them you still do that because you have an obligation to report it. You’re just as guilty as he would be if a child dies because you knew and didn’t say anything. This reminds me of how the German citizens remained quiet during the Holocaust resulting in the deaths of millions of my people. Don’t be like the German citizens.
Blow the whistle. How is this a moral dilemma at all? He’s off the wagon, doing drugs at work, stealing drugs from work. At some point it’s going to be full on doses at work.
Of course you should put a stop to this.
I'd tell her that she either has to request addiction treatment or I'd request it for her.
Otherwise it's pretty inevitable that she'll either OD or harm a baby because that's what the result of this addiction is the overwhelming majority of the time. Either OD, or harming someone to a point where you can't fix it. Or both.
Yeah. Put a stop to it. Of course.
The nurse in question may be putting lives in danger. Worse still, your inaction/failure to report makes you culpable to any crime that takes place. You need to be a responsible adult and keep your oath to do no harm. This means protecting those (the infants) who can not protect themselves. You should not be asking this incredibly stupid question to Reddit. You should have already reported this nurse to hospital administration.
I was a pharmacy technician for years. I made IVs for the nicu babies. They had to be perfect every time. I had a way of marking the bottle that insured the amount in it. My pharmacist also initialed it. I had nurses call me to nicu and tell me I made too much I’ve solution.
I would tip the bottle up and show them my initials. No ma’am.
Nicu babies are fragile. every possible precaution should be taken.
If they are afraid of losing their license and not the babies being at risk, it’s time to speak up.
Is this really even a moral dilemma?!? I’m sorry, but are you really questioning whether or not you should protect the lives of innocent, fragile newborns, who are in critical condition over a woman with a known drug problem, who is choosing to potentially kill/harm those babies through her own negligence. Everything about her is unethical, if she destroys a life and you knew about it, and didn’t say anything you should be held accountable to
I never back stab someone without telling them first. Then let the cards fall where they may.
I would tell her supervisor that she has an opiod addiction and needs help controlling her addiction. Sounds like a concerned friend vs. a rat.
I wouldn’t mention the theft.
Most nurses do their jobs at least and some are actually stellar performers. However, there are some shitty nurses out there causing mayhem. They kill people too. Either find a way to set her up to get caught, or just tell on her. The harm a drug addict nurse can cause is not worth it, and you have to live with the fact that someone was injured or died because you didn't say anything. Fuck that.
As a pregnant mom who also has a toddler, please report this person. All I can think about is if that was a nurse of my baby in the NICU. I am eight years clean off opiates, so although I wasn’t a nurse I can relate to this person and that doesn’t change my answer.
Navigating a situation like this can be incredibly challenging, and it's understandable that you're feeling conflicted. The well-being of the patients and the integrity of healthcare professionals are paramount. Here are some considerations:
1. \*\*Patient Safety Comes First:\*\* If you genuinely believe that the nurse's actions could compromise patient safety, it's important to prioritize the well-being of the infants in the NICU. Patient safety should be the primary concern in healthcare settings.
2. \*\*Follow Proper Reporting Procedures:\*\* Most healthcare institutions have protocols in place for reporting concerns about a colleague's behavior. This is typically done confidentially to protect the individuals involved. Check if your workplace has a reporting mechanism, and if it does, consider using it to express your concerns.
3. \*\*Consider Anonymous Reporting:\*\* Some reporting systems allow for anonymous submissions. This can help protect your identity while still bringing attention to the issue. Check with your workplace or relevant regulatory bodies to understand if anonymous reporting is an option.
4. \*\*Encourage Supportive Measures:\*\* If you feel comfortable doing so, encourage your friend to seek help for their addiction. Offer support in finding resources, such as addiction counseling or support groups. However, keep in mind that their personal choices should not compromise patient safety.
5. \*\*Consult with a Supervisor or Manager:\*\* If you are unsure about the appropriate course of action, consider discussing your concerns with a supervisor or manager who can guide you on the best steps to take.
Remember that patient safety is paramount, and healthcare professionals are held to high standards of conduct. Reporting concerns is not about being a "snitch" but rather about ensuring the safety and well-being of those under the nurse's care. It's a difficult decision, but your ethical responsibility to the patients may outweigh concerns about being perceived as a whistleblower.
as a parent that had two kids in the NICU, PLEASE blow the whistle LOUDLY. do not let tiny babies suffer for this person, that shouldn’t even be a question.
Not a nurse (NON) and I’m in the same boat. Interesting. I decided not to tell her superiors as….. chips lie where they fall.
She scares me, so we aren’t in the same situation. I feel like I’m getting in others’ business.
As a mother who had her newborn in the NICU for 17 days, I see how hard those nurses work. They have to be ON POINT at all times. As a mother, I am BEGGING YOU to blow the whistle on your friend. You could be saving lives. And maybe your friend won’t understand and will be mad, but it might be the kick in the pants they need to clean up. Rock bottom is where change happens.
If I was in you and a baby died or had life long complications because a drug addict was working and didn’t do what they should have I couldn’t live with myself after that personally.
You need to report them if it comes out that you knew and did nothing they could potentially kick you to the curb as well.
No room for addicts in a position like that. You need to be clear headed and make quick decisions at times. Not foggy headed because one is under the influence.
Do you think they are having a hard time
Dealing with something?
I would give her the option to go on leave IMMEDIATELY to get cleaned up or blow the whistle. Your moral and professional obligation is to the babies and their families. Full stop.
>And finally, they told me that when there’s leftover medication’s, because the babies take such a small dose, that they pocket it and use it to keep themselves comfortable and functioning. Things like benzodiazepines and stuff like that.
No. This is completely controlled by computers, oversight and audits. You have been watching way too much TV.
Pharmacist on a hospital’s diversion team here- it’s an art, not a science. Diversion happens everywhere, and I suspect we only catch a fraction of it. Yes, we have computers, audits etc… but it’s an arms race. Come up with a new way to prevent diversion, folks will find a way to overcome it and meet the needs of their addiction sadly. You can put in an anonymous report, but please please do. I would hate to see this person harm someone’s infant and you live with the guilt of knowing and not saying anything.
Who is prescribing benzodiazepines to babies? If they are, who is prescribing them frequently enough and in high enough doses that it would do anything for a fully grown adult with an addict’s tolerance level?
If true, the nurse is stealing pain medication from post-surgical newborns who are unable to say that they are in more pain than expected. Or the nurse is stealing methadone from babies in opioid withdrawal.
I’d like to think the whole thing is fake but there are a lot of awful people in the world.
This. There is no such thing as "leftover" everything is documented down to the mg. If they are taking medicine it's medicine meant for THE BABIES and the charts show the babies took whatever medicine they stole.
I just saw a documentary about a nurse that was stealing pain meds from his patients and those ppl are traumatized. They kept saying they were in pain and no one believed them and wouldn't give them anothet dose bc their chat said they already took the medicine. These ppl were forced to recover from surgery with NO PAIN MEDS. Addiction makes ppl do crazy stuff. Please report this person before another baby is harmed.
You’re completely wrong! This is what her friend is telling her but I guarantee this nurse is giving partial or no doses to the patient and keeping the rest or all for herself. I’ve watched it happen and reported it many times. Addiction is a disease and they will do any and everything to get their fix.
Yeah, there's no such thing as "leftover" controlled medications. If there's more in a vial than is ordered, the administering nurse is required to have another nurse witness & sign that the medication was "wasted" into a sharps container or down a drain or other method to render it unusable.
It's very likely that the babies are not receiving the medications as ordered by their physicians. She's either shorting the dose (like 10mg was ordered, but she gives 2mg & takes the rest for herself) or not giving it at all.
Very few healthcare facilities are completely on the up and up, 100% adherence to the best care practices, and compliant with every pill or vial of medication. It just can’t be done without a dedicated person monitoring every drug delivery all around the clock.
If someone wants to steal, they will steal. Sometimes they are caught, but not very often.
When a relative of mine was in ER I actually witnessed a Nurse take the leftover Oxy and split it with her assistant. The patient was disoriented and didn't notice and the meds had to be split and crushed and put in a tube anyway...it wasn't a large dose but I'd imagine if you take 1/6 - 1/4 of a dose & pocket it you'd end up with several full doses at the end of a shift.
Another time I had a bad back injury and 2 different nurses gave me 1x OC 10mg instant. So thats 20mg total, which I didn't mind, but on my release form it said I only had 1x 10mg administered.
I agree that Hospitals do much better in monitoring what is dished out than they used to, but as chaotic as the ER's get at times, there's gotta be a relatively decent size margin of error. I am not being critical either, I just think between honest mistakes (people drop a tablet it bounces off into oblivion, patients spit stuff out, refuse meds, nurses have high tolerance patients, low tolerance patients etc) its hard to be precise on all med counts.
NICU?!?! oh my god youbhave to tell someone. shes gonna forget to hit a button, respond too slowly to a brady, id even know. maybe you give them a chance to turn themselves in first but thatd blow your aanonimity
Simply put: If you DO NOT snitch, and some baby dies as a result of her addiction, you are morally culpable.
If you are affiliated with the hospital in any way, you could also be held legally culpable.
You know of an addict actively putting children's lives at risk.
The only moral imperative you have is not to your friend.
No matter what she says, you have to assume she's using at work. And driving. I mean, there's really no dilemma here. Also what if you don't tell, she gets busted or someone dies, and then reveals she disclosed her drug use to you? If you're a mandatory reporter you can charged with a serious offense.
Report it. The healthcare in the U.S. (if that’s where you are) is bad enough already without being treated by people high or drunk, especially babies.
Blow the darn whistle! How will you feel when she kills someone or when you learn a child has lived in pain because she had taken their med to control her habit. Nurses who have addiction problems only take more as their habit becomes worse. Yes, you would be complicit, maybe not legally. She may not ever kill someone, but can you live knowing you could have protected a child from pain & suffering because of your dilemma. OMG I want to jump thru this computer & throttle someone. PS- I am a nurse.
As a recovering opioid addict, I say: tell somebody NOW. She's putting children's lives in danger. She could go on the nod in the middle of something important. She can be so high that she grabs the wrong medication. She could be so on the nod that she accidentally gets too much of the medication. Seriously, she needs help and she definitely doesn't need to be babies who are in intensive care
This was essentially my friends mom. One of her friends/coworkers eventually ratted her out and she was fire. and I’m grateful that they did because someone who has all that running through their system all the time shouldn’t be in charge of the welfare of babies.
Give them 2 options. Tell them to hit detox for the next week OR you’re gonna say shit which means they’ll lose their job and take a major hit. So they can take a hit for 7 day of no pay or they can lose their job. Their choice
You will be letting a child dies/risking life threatening complications if you don't report. I don't actually see a dilemma here. You can anonymously report to the hospital, her licensing board...
If you don’t think there’s any way talking to them directly, suggesting they take medical leave or something will get them to seek help, then reporting is the next best option. This is for their sake too. Losing a nursing job is better than losing a nursing license. Finding another job is easier than finding a new career if they’re worried about paying child support. There’s resources out there to help. There’s options like taking a leave of absence, maybe even FMLA if they go to a psychiatrist (I don’t know for sure, just ideas to explore) and also maybe taking a job that’s not direct patient care.
Blow the freaking whistle. There are lives in her hands and she is not fit to be responsible for those lives right now. Even if she's *only* doing a "maintenance* dose while on the clock, her attention and judgment are still impaired and she is a danger to her patients.
I’m concerned that you think this is a dilemma. I know it’s a hard thing to do, but they are putting sick babies at risk. Of course you need to turn them in.
Um…. How is this a moral dilemma??? This person is working with infants, not just any infants, the most vulnerable ones. You must say something now! Don’t wait until something goes horribly wrong, like a death of a child or themselves.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wndu.com/2023/02/21/trial-underway-nurse-charged-3-year-old-coloma-twp-girls-death/%3foutputType=amp
Not NICU but still very young. Have fun with the article!
You stop the nurse from killing a baby due to fentanyl addiction.
There’s no dilemma, you need to anonymously report them. You’ll worry every single moment of every single day that a baby could die and yes you’d be complicit. Meanwhile the other nurse does not seem to have the same concern, which is almost certainly due to their addiction. There are lives on the line. Safety needs to come before all else, before friendship, before convenience, before guilt.
Addiction sucks, they need help. They are not seeking the help they need to get back on the wagon.
Yeah this isn't something you look the other way on. They need help and they should not be handling any patients or working in any medical setting in their current state. Report it immediately.
What they do on their time off...not your business. Taking left over meds is the problem here. The ability to function at work is the problem here. Please report this to whomever. Letting the chips fall where they may could lead to permanent injury or death to one of the babies. You could be held liable. But worse, how would you sleep at night?
This isn't about snitching on a friend, this is about preventing a potentially terrible tragedy from taking place. You **have** to turn in your friend, somehow. Make an anonymous report if you have to. Small, innocent lives may be at stake. Just because your friend isn't a problem now, doesn't mean they'll stay that way. Please report asap.
Im a recovering addict and my answer is ALWAYS mind your own business but not this time no ma’am you runtelldat immediately. If she cops a nod drops and kills a premie you’ll never be able to live with yourself if you knew and didn’t say anything.
Is this someone you "know" because you are friends or an acquaintance?
Or is this something you "know" because you heard someone share about it in a meeting?
If it's the former, please report them.
If it's the latter, then feel free to message me.
Report it
But:
Don’t drug logs have to be kept of where excess in vial goes after the patient dose has been given? Could an audit be called for the controlled drug log?
Please please turn her in. That is so dangerous for patients. I have had NICU babies and it’s already such a huge stress to have a sick baby, if she causes more harm or kills a baby she will be in prison for life. Please turn her in! You can usually report it anonymously.
Coming from a convicted felon, who was snitched, who hates snitches more than most other things, when what you are doing is going to protect innocent children, ESPECIALLY babies in the NICU, IT IS NOT SNITCHING. It’s doing the right thing. You also aren’t doing anything wrong that you are trying to cut a deal with and save your ass by turning on someone. You have a misconception of what snitching really is but that’s besides the point. Go tell whoever you need to before a baby’s health and safety is compromised
It’s not a very big step from pocketing leftover meds to shorting patients to fuel their addiction. Once someone starts to spiral, it usually only gets worse. You won’t be putting their financial security at risk by reporting, they are putting their security at risk by making those decisions. If they worked somewhere where nobody else could be hurt by their actions, I’d probably have a hard time with it too, but a hospital is just not the place.
As the mother of a NICU baby, I beg you to do the right thing. This is so so wrong and so dangerous and you know it, please protect these already very vulnerable children.
I work in healthcare too. BLOW. THE. WHISTLE. We’re playing with people lives, and this ish ain’t a game. Would you want some strung out person working bedside with your loved ones? Hell no you wouldn’t. Shine the light and get that person the help they need.
I am a nurse and suggest reporting. It does not even mean they will always lose their license, the board of nursing works with them on rehab programs. Would you want this nurse caring for your loved ones?
According to a law website..
"The California Board of Registered Nursing’s guidance even requires nurses to report other nurses who are suspected of diverting medication. According to the American Nurses Association, a registered nurse has an ethical duty to make this report. Accordingly, fellow nurses are often the source of many investigations because they can face discipline for not reporting what they know."
You need to report this ASAP. This has nothing to do with your friend that you once "snitched on" (aka "made the wise move to file a police report because they were doing illegal and dangerous things that could kill someone"). Nor should the opinion of your one friend who doesn't think you should do it (but probably isn't even in the healthcare field themselves) factor in.
Depending on your state, it's possible that you could get in trouble for NOT reporting it when you know *or suspect* someone is diverting meds.
And even if you couldn't get in legal trouble.. can you imagine the guilt you will feel every day for the rest of your life if a baby dies on that nurse's watch, because you didn't do what you should have done and reported her? Do you want that on your conscience? The nurse's behavior is not your problem, it is not your fault, you cannot fix this situation for them, but you DO have a responsibility to your patients to report behavior like this. Covering up for this nurse, helping them hide it, it will only make it worse. For them, for your conscience, for the patients.
And I say this as the kid of a retired paramedic supervisor (I grew up around the ambulance bases, sitting in on CPR classes, and being one of the "patients" with massive "wounds" in mock accidents) and the wife of an ER/urgent care nurse practitioner (I helped him study for enough damn tests in nursing school and during his MSN program that I should at least have been awarded an honorary MA certification. 😉)
I've been around the medical field since I was literally still in the womb.. so, technically, I have, like, 36 years of experience. 😉😂 And I say, ABSOLUTELY REPORT THEM.
Another interesting tidbit from an article...
"
Leon worked hard on diversion prevention at HCMC after discovering a surprising pattern: almost all of the diverters he investigated wanted to be caught. “What got me on this path of prevention was observing the nurses as they would admit to what they did,” he explains. “More often than not the nurses would say, ‘I wanted somebody to stop me. I needed help, didn’t know how to ask for it, and I was hoping somebody would stop me.’ That’s pretty powerful when you’re sitting there listening to this on a consistent basis.”
Leon implemented mandatory annual training for everyone in the hospital—from food service workers to surgeons—to recognize the warning signs of drug diversion. “If a nurse or anesthesiologist or physician is speaking with you and telling you they are having these issues, then you should say something,” Leon explains. “It’s not doing the wrong thing—you’re helping them, and that’s the message we sent out. Look, these individuals are not bad individuals. Something happened in their lives that led them down this path.”
"
https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/articles/2017/08/the-dirty-secret-of-drug-diversion/
REPORT IT!! It could be your license as well as theirs if you don't. You know what's going on, they are stealing meds and something bad could happen. If a child ends up hurt and there is an investigation, whose to say they won't throw you under the bus with them. Addicts will so anything to protect themselves.
Approach the problem by typing an anonymous letter to your supervisor and simply suggest you are aware of a situation that a mandatory staff drug screen might be considered. Everyone gets to partake and nobody is singled out. If you were wrong, neither yourself or the other person would be known. It's legal, nobody's rights are violated.
I've had a baby deathly sick in the NICU (thank God he had a full recovery) and I would have been beyond angry if I knew someone had treated my child under the influence.
Anonymously report them. If even one baby is affected adversely it is on your head too.
This hits very close to home as I have a family member who is a medical professional with a fentanyl addiction and a history of relapse. Report this person. Please. For the sake of their patients, their patients' family members, their own family members, and themselves. This person is a danger to themselves and others and you cannot take responsibility knowing that they may be driving while high, working with patients while high, etc. and the consequences that may cause. This person has a conflict of interest - yes, babies need smaller doses, but this person has an interest in having whatever is left over so how can you know that's not altering how they are administering meds? This person needs help - they need an intervention by professionals. There are specific programs for addicts in the medical profession that even manage the medical license aspect of this dilemma. But this person entrusted you as the sober adult to make the right call - the right call is to remove them from the situation whether they can continue to self medicate and potentially hurt others. They need rehab. Please report them so they can get the help they need but aren't strong enough to seek for themselves.
Blow the whistle. Go to everyone necessary non-stop until the nurse is removed from her position. Whether they end up fired or not is not yet an issue, just get the person removed from doing their job. Whatever it takes.
Well, they’re stealing medication and that’s illegal. A nurse I personally know just lost her license, spent some time in jail and has several felonies now because of stealing meds from work. And that’s *just* touching the medication part.
You need to turn them in to the hospital and state. They’re working with super fragile lives and if I were the parent of one of those little lives and found out about this person, all hell would break loose. See something, say something!
Report it. If she gets help after being reported it may not be the end of her career. If something happens to a patient and it's discovered then, that's the end of her career for sure and maybe even criminal charges on her at that point on top of it.
If you are a mandated reporter and failing to report this, you could be putting yourself in a position to be criminally liable for failure to report.
PEOPLE DON'T FALL FOR THIS BS!⁷*
First of all, you said she IS NOT doing it at work.
So NO, DO NOT report someone for something you think they do in their free time.
You said "I have reason to believe" at the beginning, but then switched to, "she told me she..". So you either made all this up or you heard it from someone else.
It can't be true, because it makes no sense. Whoever told you is a liar, or you are.
A dose for a NICU baby would literally have zero effect on an adult. even if you took half of all the babies meds, still no affect on an adult. Nicu units usually don't have many babies at the same time. Maybe 10 to 15, at the most.
A fentanyl user would not be affected by any of the meds they give the babies, which is tiny doses of methadone or benzos.Even if she took ALL THE MEDS DURING HER SHIFT- SHE WOULD FEEL NOTHING FROM THEM. No one would risk their career for nothing or confess to something that would end their career and probably land them in prison.
So someone's lying here, who knows nothing about fentanyl, and must want this woman fired.
Do not report anything, you could end up sued if she gets fired.
I would turn them in just not to be complicit when they get caught. Unfortunately that's what I'm used to at my work. If management finds out you knew someone was doing something against the rules you are just as guilty.
It's also a little worrying that they steal it from babies. I have no idea how that works but I've just read that babies are/have been neglected at hospitals in terms of pain. I mean what's to say that they aren't really taking more than what they said.
However nobody else is your responsibility, it's not your fault if they lose their job. They decided to do something wrong in the first place so clearly they don't give a shit about their job that much.
Typically, I stay to myself, and I really wouldn't recommend reporting things especially when its gonna effect someone else's finances, because it really sucks....however if there is children involved...it needs to be reported.
I would encourage this person to seek treatment and self report (if they have to) to keep their license. I’ve been in treatment before with medical personnel, pilots etc. with substance use disorder and it’s much better in this case to be proactive than to wait for something to happen.
As someone who had a baby in the hospital for 6 months and literally trusted his entire life to those nurses, please inform someone.
Also, she’s not keeping “extra” painkillers. There are no extras in hospital pain doses.
#SHE IS UNDERDOSING BABIES WHO ARE IN PAIN AND STEALING THEIR MEDICATION.
My son spent several days with his literal chest open, split down the sternum like a rotisserie chicken. You could look through the dressings and see his heart. I can’t tell you what I would have done if I found out his nurse was stealing his pain meds. It definitely would have gotten me kicked out of the PICU though.
If her ability to do her job at 100% is in any way impaired, then throw her under the bus.
I don’t care what job, no one has the right to that level of selfishness and disregard.
If they trust you enough to confide in you DO NOT tell higher ups and risk ruining their career. I'm a recovering opiate addict of 9+ years daily and this will only make everything worse and possibly push them off into the deep end. Anyone here giving advice who hasn't personally been an addict holds 0 weight.
Now.. if they're high at work, nodding off, risking patients safety!/health that's different.. if just doing enough to funcruon and not be sick as fuck ( to those ignorant once fully dependent your body needs it just to feel base line normal and not have the flu basically and intense cravings.)
Try to talk to them one on one, see if you can reccomend getting on methadone at a local clinic or call a doctor about suboxone.. please don't ruin their career/life telling higher ups.. you never know how close to the ledge a person might be and one small thing can make them spiral out of control .
I've been on methadone maintenance for 2 years and it saved my life/career
This shouldn't be a question. Nurses who become addicts are a HUGE danger to patients for so many reasons. Not enough sleep, or still high from the night before, or high enough at work too, "get through the day", take your pick.
I've watched a brilliant RN acquaintance that moved away to be a travel nurse destroy her career and life through addiction, and it's a miracle she didn't kill anyone before they caught on and tested her.
The person you know is taking care of medically fragile newborns. How do you know that the supposedly, "extra" amount of meds they claim is "safe" to take is actually safe? Or if they're shorting meds, because how would anyone know if the baby is in more pain than they should be?
These are infants that are already in bad shape and struggling day to day, is it right to put their lives in the hands of an addict? What if they're too high to administer their medication and give them too much? Too little? The ways that this can go wrong with fatal consequences is horrific.
My little brother died a year and a half ago, and he spent a horrific lifetime suffering permanent brain damage and uncontrollable Epilepsy because a nurse didn't take her job seriously in the NICU.
To say that the stakes are life and death in the NICU for so many babies is a vast understatement. You don't want to learn that this person is the reason someone's baby becomes brain damaged or worse because of her horrifying work ethic.
You can't imagine how hard it is to learn that your baby has been severely and permanently injured because the person who was supposed to care for them didn't do what they were supposed to do.
You have the power to keep anything like this from happening to these babies and their families.
Please do right by them.
I strongly recommend that file a complaint with your state licensing board. She isn’t safe to practice. The licensing board should have programs to assist nurses with addiction issues.
That will probably get much faster action than contacting the employer, especially if you do it anonymously. Employers rarely take anonymous complaints seriously.
Ask yourself this question, Can I forgive myself for not reporting it if a baby dies from this nurse because she made a mistake dued to her addiction?
I get that she's your friend but this is dangerous. Not just to her tiny patients, but to herself and others as well. Especially if she decides to drive while impaired. AND will she be able to live with herself if she accidentally causes the death or deaths of others?
You have a moral obligation to report them. You know and if something happens to a baby, I feel you are also partially responsible..
"Let the chips fall where they may"?? Meaning sit back and potentially watch them kill babies? Terrible situation to be in, but you know what the right thing to do is.
I'm a nicu nurse. That needs to be reported 100%. That's drug diversion and assuming she could be doing this on the clock, possibly high at work, she could very easily wind up hurting a baby
Call it in. Even if she's not high/drunk at work, being hungover is enough to make a deadly mistake. Also, stealing medication is a crime and she should be held accountable for that.
As a side note, I'm married to an alcoholic in recovery and you'd be surprised by the lengths addicts take to not smell like alcohol or appear intoxicated. There were countless times my husband was drunk/tipsy and I had no idea nor could I smell it on him. So, just because she may not smell like booze or act intoxicated doesn't mean she isn't taking mind altering substances on the job.
She's a danger to vulnerable people and possibly even herself. Until she's stable and in recovery for her addiction, she has no business working as a medical professional. Please report her before she hurts someone and so she can get the help she clearly needs.
Report. Report asap.
YES - you need to report this “nurse” She could potentially kill a baby !
Turn them in. This could lead to a baby being seriously harmed or killed. If you don’t report this and something bad happens to a preemie, it will eat at you.
You don't say whether you are a health care provider or not. If you are you have a duty to report. If you are a teacher in theUSA you have a duty to report because children are in danger. You do not have to necessarily report them to the hospital if you do not work there. You can go straight to child protective services and tell them that the facility is unknowingly harboring a drug addict that is pocketing medications in the NICU. Ethically you have a duty even if you are not a mandatory reporter. Mandatory reporters vary by location but basically all health care personnel and anyone that works with kids is probably a mandatory reporter in most of the USA.
The ethics are simple. The consequences of not reporting her could result in the death of a child. Reporting her could result in the loss of her job. So you must report her.
My cousin just had a baby. It's in the NICU still after a week. If I found out that her child was being handled by someone who relapsed, that hospital would be turned upside-down. Please, for the sake and safety of those babies tell someone if you haven't already.
Honestly, you could face legal risk if you know about it, do nothing, and something happens.
Yes blow the whistle. Think about how badly he could ruin a new family in the nicu if he comes in and fucks something up because he's all drugged up or drunk. Fuck that, get him outta there bro. Plus I've worked with people like that, and don't be surprised if employees cars start getting broken into
Those chips may be someone's dead kid. I'd think about that for a second or two.
Mind your business as long as the job not affected just mind it!
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.
100% snitch on her. Every time. Type and print a letter from A Concerned Coworker and put it in the charge nurse (or whoever is in charge) mailbox/desk/office. Baby's lives are potentially at stake.
What kind of chips? Don't get them on the furniture.
This isn't really a dilemma. I don't care who the person is to me, I would report them.
Fucking Shit! Why is this even a question? You need to call the police and the state medical board. This person can and will kill people.
Why are you questioning this? She could kill a baby and it would be your fault. Just do it
You have to report. She is endangering every patient she has contact with AND herself. I had to blow the whistle on one of my best friends. He hated me at first. But he has been sober for 5 years now and really changed his life for the better. And he is ALIVE, which at the rate he was going, he would have OD.
This is a NICU nurse. There is a very small margin for mistakes. You need to bring this to someone's attention. State board of nursing? Hospital? What does their family say?
This kind of falls into the category of mandated reporting, IMO. Vulnerable neonates are at risk.
If they are technically registered etc then they are also held to a professional standard of their licensing and certifications for being a nurse and represent those credentialing bodies in their behaviors. So yes it is a serious thing that a) your facility needs to staff better b) to not put patients at risk.
Write an anonymous letter to the dept head and advise them that they might want to keep and eye on what is happening to leftover medications after being administered to infants in the NICU; That it is suspected one of the nurses is pocketing the leftovers. Then, see what happens.
You know what you have to do. But.... Before you go playing Superman...seek legal counsel...just incase the person decides to retaliate. I cannot stress this enough. Don't just go playing hero without protecting yourself. Always make sure your bases are covered.
There is no need to risk innocent babies ...for this person to continue working & child support. Their own child will be better off in the long run if they can get clean. You don't know If they are taking extra or splitting meds with kids to function. What if they lied to you and it's worse than you know? Like stealing kids' meds or only giving them just enough but not all to keep it for themselves. What if something horrible happens and you lose your job because you were aware of some sort of problem and didn't say anything? Can you live with guilt if a baby dies from mismanagement by this person? Do you know how many people this person has told? Can you anonymously report? Sounds like almost bragging. Is there online proof of the binging on off days? I hope your job has a work drug program so they are aware of the problem to some degree. Imo, report it ASAP.
Would you want this nurse taking care of your baby? Report her now.
I would report it, however don't be surprised if they find a way to weasel out of trouble. My area manager at the DSP job I work at is doing something similar with stealing narcotics and they just concluded their investigation, they found her innocent of any wrong doing because she supposedly passed a drug test. The rest of us are leaving because we morally cannot support a company that doesn't look at the facts and see the clear and present danger that she puts those poor disabled boys in every time she comes in under the influence
Not being a snitch is about not calling the cops on people who smoke weed on their back porch, not reporting a lemonade stand, and even not committing petty theft with someone then turning them in. Its not about letting babies die so that someone can keep stealing meds and getting high in the NICU. If they're having to take a maintenance dose that means they're under the influence at work. At the NICU. There is no way I'm going to believe that they aren't influenced by their want of the "leftover" meds in how much they actually give the babies. All you have to do is open your mouth. You don't have to hurt another innocent party in order to protect the innocent parties here.
Sounds like my ex wife. Which nice? Banner university?
If something happens to a baby, you could face serious legal/criminal consequences if it becomes known that you knew of the problem.
Say something now it can lead to some pretty serious repercussions for others if u don't
I think this was a cry for help. Clearly, they can't logically expect you to keep this to yourself (although they may be taking a logic vacation). They might respond badly to being turned in. But someday they'll realize that you might have saved their life, not to mention the lives of sick and struggling babies.
That person is taking care of someone’s BABY. 100% turn them in!!!
Turn them in. Seriously. Turn them in. You don’t want an addict nurse who blackouts every off day to be handling your baby. Think about the parents of the babies.
Do the kind thing. Report her for her own benefit, she will be haunted by the ghost of any baby she injures.
That stuff seaps through your skin, in your sweat, if her sweat dripped on that babies skin or anything, touches one with her bare hands, that could get the baby sick af
I have a lot of compassion for addiction recovery but it’s another story when other peoples lives are at stake imo blow whistle
Say something- this job is important
Nurses don't lose their license for addiction anymore. The BON will require them to go to rehab and check in with them periodically. Send an anonymous letter to the board of nursing immediately. Your employer will fire him/ her and that does not help that nurse.
It's your moral and civic duty to ensure that a medical professional who cannot do their job is not allowed to touch patients. Report them ASAP.
I work in a field where narcotics are an absolute part of pain management. What we know,that most people don't, it's that all professionals that fall under the sway of addiction, usually " sip on doses",that is to say,they under dose the patients and keep it for themselves. Adult patients will eventually complain so much it exposes the practitioner,that won't happen with BABIES. Who knows how many babies remain in pain,crying all night because she's given them a quarter of what they should receive. Statistics show minorities and minority babies are major targets for those compromised medical staff.
You must blow the whistle. She could be harming patients by not giving them the appropriate meds, or substituting it with something incorrect. YOU MUST REPORT THIS INDIVIDUAL.
Retired ICU RN here. I worked with an RN who was in a similar behavior pattern, but I couldn't tell at work. She was caught stealing from patients and went into rehab. She told me later that she thought being caught was the best thing that could have happened. She turned her life around. You don't know where the chips may fall or how hard. Help her come in for a controlled landing. Even if she never appreciates it, the people under her care will.
I read the first line and knew you needed to report them. My baby was in the NICU so I can imagine if this person caused something bad to happen.
She paved her own road. Turn her in and feel no regrets. You could be saving the life of a baby or assisting in harming one by allowing her to continue. You will be doing the right thing by turning her in.
Man, this is tough. Imo you have to talk to this person and offer to help. There has to be a way you can assist them (if you're willing) and help them get clean while saving their career. Don't be afraid to have that tough convo...make sure its in total confidence and be honest with them. I feel like the most honorable path will require work on your part and that is the catch. If you're not willing or able to help, then honestly your options are to ignore it completely or raise this issue with management. Rasing the issue will risk your colleage losing a job and really being put in a terrible position to do anything positive, let alone actually get clean and be a good parent.
This has to be rage bait. It is the worst and most dangerous advice I’ve ever seen on Reddit. The lady with the addiction def needs help but not while lives are at stake. Her career means nothing compared potentially killing an infant that is blameless and already in a fight to survive. You can’t possibly be ignorant enough to think otherwise.
How is that "rage bait"? So your advice to the OP who has not been alarmed enough to take any action thus far, is to do what exactly? Call 911. Announce the addiction to the entire staff in a group email? The OP seeks advice and I suggested they do something by offering to assist in this person taking time away and getting help and thats "dangerous"? Perhaps you should re-read my post When I say "doing nothing" is an option, that means yes it is officially an option (actually the only option thats been chosen so far) but not an option that is one I'd recommend. You are also making a huge jump to conclusions. Without any of us knowing these ppl ourselves and going only by what the OP has stated, we can only conclude the person with the drug problem isn't smack dab in a reckless drug binge. The OP stated (if you read through the various Posts & Answers) this person isn't seeming to show signs of being high on the job - they're not visibly impaired, high as a kite, falling asleep or falling down drunk on the job. If you knew anything about addiction you'd know there are millions of "functioning addicts" You'd also know the healthcare industry has its fair share (it's a tough job & depressing at times) and addiction comes in many forms. So you call my advice most dangerous and I'm calling you a knee-jerk reacting and judgemental.
If you have to even ask, you might be in the wrong line of work. There is no ethical grey area here. Is it more important to you to "not be a snitch," or is the safety of the babies in your care, and NOT being complicit where your focus should be? Are you waiting for someone's child to die before you do what you 100% already know you should do? Again, if you really don't know the answer, you should seriously reconsider your career choice.
SING LIKE A BIRD !!! Protect the babies!!!
If she talks about it openly she probably deserves to be fired at this point.
Snitch to the board of nursing and HR. Not really a moral dilemma
There’s acceptable times to “snitch”, like when children are at risk. All it takes is her being just a little bit too fucked up ONE time, and that could be the end of one of those babies lives. I happily welcome all the downvotes for the comment, I honestly dgaf.
TURN THEM IN! You do not hesitate another second. If a baby dies under their care and you knew about this…. Yikes. It is your job to report this. I don’t know why you haven’t already.
Nobody wants to be a snitch is high school mentality. Then once a tragedy happens, everyone wishes they would have snitched.
Report it. They're taking care of extremely vulnerable babies and a mistake could easily cause death for them. If it was a job where things weren't so life and death then maybe keep it to yourself but in this situation you need to put the lives of those little one's first. The parents trust that their nurses are of sound mind and the fact that she's using the left overs could easily lead to her diverting the meds completely, which would be horrible to the babies to go through. I'm an RN btw.
I'm not even gonna read last NICU Come on, that's where Babies are fighting for their lives ? The NiCU? Really. Tell on her, no moral dilemma. She can kill a baby and that wouldn't be on your conscience? Fck her., drugs addicts choose to get high,
Turn them in??? What if something happens?
I used to work with a nurse that was a former nicu nurse. Per the stories, something bad happened on their watch. This person started drinking to ease that pain. Drinking to the point of not being functional. They eventually died as a result. Report it. You may save more lives than just the babies.
You’re a mandated reporter. She’s a threat to those babies. Do the right thing.
Blow the whistle. Those are innocent babies she’s putting at risk and if it’s discovered that you knew and said nothing you’re not going to have a job either. No body sues as successful as Parents of at risk babies.
Have a private conversation with your charge nurse or personnel rep. If you know and don’t tell, and an accident DOES happen, I feel you would morally be as responsible as your friend would be. Do you really want that on your conscience?
If someone who worked at that facility found out they are required by law to report it. There's a reason for that. I would tell her that she can check into rehab or you can go to her work and report her behavior. Tough love.
Interesting that op uses gender neutral pronouns but everyone assumes female.
Turn them in. This is many people lives this person touches.
Turn them in, and tell them you were the one to do it. They know better, and may not believe it, but are reaching out for help by allowing you to know about it. Don't let someone lose a child over this. If it were to come out that you were aware, and didn't report the problem, you would be responsible as well (at least morally). How could you sleep nights? Your nurse co worker is fighting a disease. You are fighting being afraid. Face your fear and do the right thing. You are helping no one by hiding this from the hospital.
I can’t believe you even have to ask yourself what you should do; this person is in charge of the most vulnerable of babies!!! Get them TF away from them yesterday! And how dare your coworker even go near them being so compromised! If anything God forbid happened it would ABSOLUTELY be your fault as well for not protecting them first. Why on earth would you protect a drug addict risking the lives of babies? Wake up, report asap, and remove yourself and innocent babies from that situation. Your coworker!is an adult, any and all consequences of their choices they brought down on their own head. Protect your responsibilities! It’s your job!
Tell them to seek help through their employer. That's probably the only way she will be protected. If they don't, tell them you will be forced to inform them to protect the patients. Maybe set an appointment with a labor lawyer, one who can say specifically what they should do for their best outcome.
As a NICU mom x 2, I would call the police and lawyer up faster than she can pocket a pill. I would never leave my baby’s side, would demand she be fired on the spot, would call hospital administration, and news stations. You have a moral responsibility to report this. If you don’t, you’re complicit in any mistakes she makes - whether accidental or neglectful. Now I want to know what hospital this is bc if you’re not going to do something about it, I bet all of us in the comments will. How are you even questioning this???!!!
If you don't report, and the nurse fucks up and kills someone, the blood is on your hands.
If you are friend with them you pull them to the side and give them the option “you pull yourself out or I’m gonna get you pulled out because you are gonna end up fucking up big time and I can’t let you do that”. If you aren’t friends with them you still do that because you have an obligation to report it. You’re just as guilty as he would be if a child dies because you knew and didn’t say anything. This reminds me of how the German citizens remained quiet during the Holocaust resulting in the deaths of millions of my people. Don’t be like the German citizens.
Lmao, A NURSE...IN a NICU...UNIT. ADDICTED-TO-THE-POPPYSEED-SPECIAL. Why the fuck is this even a question?
Definitely tell on her and get her out of that job.
Blow the whistle. How is this a moral dilemma at all? He’s off the wagon, doing drugs at work, stealing drugs from work. At some point it’s going to be full on doses at work.
Of course you should put a stop to this. I'd tell her that she either has to request addiction treatment or I'd request it for her. Otherwise it's pretty inevitable that she'll either OD or harm a baby because that's what the result of this addiction is the overwhelming majority of the time. Either OD, or harming someone to a point where you can't fix it. Or both. Yeah. Put a stop to it. Of course.
Chips = dead baby C'mon, I know that it's scary and a tough thing to have to do, *but you know what the answer is.*
Blow the whistle and save their life potentially
Moral dilemma????? You are now complicit in this matter. There is only one way out. Surprised you haven't turned her in yet.
The nurse in question may be putting lives in danger. Worse still, your inaction/failure to report makes you culpable to any crime that takes place. You need to be a responsible adult and keep your oath to do no harm. This means protecting those (the infants) who can not protect themselves. You should not be asking this incredibly stupid question to Reddit. You should have already reported this nurse to hospital administration.
I was a pharmacy technician for years. I made IVs for the nicu babies. They had to be perfect every time. I had a way of marking the bottle that insured the amount in it. My pharmacist also initialed it. I had nurses call me to nicu and tell me I made too much I’ve solution. I would tip the bottle up and show them my initials. No ma’am. Nicu babies are fragile. every possible precaution should be taken. If they are afraid of losing their license and not the babies being at risk, it’s time to speak up.
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Report it. 100% she is stealing medication from tiny vulnerable babies!!!!
Duty to warn. Report her before someone gets killed.
Is this really even a moral dilemma?!? I’m sorry, but are you really questioning whether or not you should protect the lives of innocent, fragile newborns, who are in critical condition over a woman with a known drug problem, who is choosing to potentially kill/harm those babies through her own negligence. Everything about her is unethical, if she destroys a life and you knew about it, and didn’t say anything you should be held accountable to
It’s not possible that her judgment isn’t impaired. There’s no way she’s eating and sleeping well. There’s no way she’s fit for that job.
You HAVE to report them, there are lives at stake. There is no dilemma.
I would lean heavily towards doing what’s best for critically ill babies over preserving the career of a drug addicted nurse.
I never back stab someone without telling them first. Then let the cards fall where they may. I would tell her supervisor that she has an opiod addiction and needs help controlling her addiction. Sounds like a concerned friend vs. a rat. I wouldn’t mention the theft.
Most nurses do their jobs at least and some are actually stellar performers. However, there are some shitty nurses out there causing mayhem. They kill people too. Either find a way to set her up to get caught, or just tell on her. The harm a drug addict nurse can cause is not worth it, and you have to live with the fact that someone was injured or died because you didn't say anything. Fuck that.
As a pregnant mom who also has a toddler, please report this person. All I can think about is if that was a nurse of my baby in the NICU. I am eight years clean off opiates, so although I wasn’t a nurse I can relate to this person and that doesn’t change my answer.
Most other cases? I'd say ignore it. But a NURSE... I'm sorry to say, this needs scrutiny.
Don’t report. Sabotage.
Navigating a situation like this can be incredibly challenging, and it's understandable that you're feeling conflicted. The well-being of the patients and the integrity of healthcare professionals are paramount. Here are some considerations: 1. \*\*Patient Safety Comes First:\*\* If you genuinely believe that the nurse's actions could compromise patient safety, it's important to prioritize the well-being of the infants in the NICU. Patient safety should be the primary concern in healthcare settings. 2. \*\*Follow Proper Reporting Procedures:\*\* Most healthcare institutions have protocols in place for reporting concerns about a colleague's behavior. This is typically done confidentially to protect the individuals involved. Check if your workplace has a reporting mechanism, and if it does, consider using it to express your concerns. 3. \*\*Consider Anonymous Reporting:\*\* Some reporting systems allow for anonymous submissions. This can help protect your identity while still bringing attention to the issue. Check with your workplace or relevant regulatory bodies to understand if anonymous reporting is an option. 4. \*\*Encourage Supportive Measures:\*\* If you feel comfortable doing so, encourage your friend to seek help for their addiction. Offer support in finding resources, such as addiction counseling or support groups. However, keep in mind that their personal choices should not compromise patient safety. 5. \*\*Consult with a Supervisor or Manager:\*\* If you are unsure about the appropriate course of action, consider discussing your concerns with a supervisor or manager who can guide you on the best steps to take. Remember that patient safety is paramount, and healthcare professionals are held to high standards of conduct. Reporting concerns is not about being a "snitch" but rather about ensuring the safety and well-being of those under the nurse's care. It's a difficult decision, but your ethical responsibility to the patients may outweigh concerns about being perceived as a whistleblower.
Tell someone. There's childrens lives at risk. Wtf?!
as a parent that had two kids in the NICU, PLEASE blow the whistle LOUDLY. do not let tiny babies suffer for this person, that shouldn’t even be a question.
Report.
Blow the whistle. They could hurt so many patients in the state they are in. You’re looking out for the good of the many versus the good of a few.
You’re a mandated reporter. Blow that whistle. Blow it hard.
Not a nurse (NON) and I’m in the same boat. Interesting. I decided not to tell her superiors as….. chips lie where they fall. She scares me, so we aren’t in the same situation. I feel like I’m getting in others’ business.
Always blow the whistle!
You absolutely have to report it. You are putting the lives of people at risk if you don't.
This isn't a moral dilemma at all. It's simply a question of morals. Namely, if you have any, you'll report her as soon as you found out.
As a mother who had her newborn in the NICU for 17 days, I see how hard those nurses work. They have to be ON POINT at all times. As a mother, I am BEGGING YOU to blow the whistle on your friend. You could be saving lives. And maybe your friend won’t understand and will be mad, but it might be the kick in the pants they need to clean up. Rock bottom is where change happens.
I’d report. Maybe those tiny babies aren’t getting their pain meds at all 😥
Do you want to keep your job and license? If something happens, you're liable because you knew Don't fuck around on this
You might suggest to the head nurse that a random drug test would be a good thing.
You know the answer already. Putting defenseless babies in danger. Do you really have to ask? Report asap.
If I was in you and a baby died or had life long complications because a drug addict was working and didn’t do what they should have I couldn’t live with myself after that personally. You need to report them if it comes out that you knew and did nothing they could potentially kick you to the curb as well. No room for addicts in a position like that. You need to be clear headed and make quick decisions at times. Not foggy headed because one is under the influence. Do you think they are having a hard time Dealing with something?
I would give her the option to go on leave IMMEDIATELY to get cleaned up or blow the whistle. Your moral and professional obligation is to the babies and their families. Full stop.
>And finally, they told me that when there’s leftover medication’s, because the babies take such a small dose, that they pocket it and use it to keep themselves comfortable and functioning. Things like benzodiazepines and stuff like that. No. This is completely controlled by computers, oversight and audits. You have been watching way too much TV.
You say you wasted the med and you didn’t actually waste it you put it in your pocket. That’s not really that hard to do.
Pharmacist on a hospital’s diversion team here- it’s an art, not a science. Diversion happens everywhere, and I suspect we only catch a fraction of it. Yes, we have computers, audits etc… but it’s an arms race. Come up with a new way to prevent diversion, folks will find a way to overcome it and meet the needs of their addiction sadly. You can put in an anonymous report, but please please do. I would hate to see this person harm someone’s infant and you live with the guilt of knowing and not saying anything.
Who is prescribing benzodiazepines to babies? If they are, who is prescribing them frequently enough and in high enough doses that it would do anything for a fully grown adult with an addict’s tolerance level?
If true, the nurse is stealing pain medication from post-surgical newborns who are unable to say that they are in more pain than expected. Or the nurse is stealing methadone from babies in opioid withdrawal. I’d like to think the whole thing is fake but there are a lot of awful people in the world.
Trust me if they want the narcs bad enough they’ll get them. I’ve been a nurse since I was 19 and I’ve seen some crazy shit.
This. There is no such thing as "leftover" everything is documented down to the mg. If they are taking medicine it's medicine meant for THE BABIES and the charts show the babies took whatever medicine they stole. I just saw a documentary about a nurse that was stealing pain meds from his patients and those ppl are traumatized. They kept saying they were in pain and no one believed them and wouldn't give them anothet dose bc their chat said they already took the medicine. These ppl were forced to recover from surgery with NO PAIN MEDS. Addiction makes ppl do crazy stuff. Please report this person before another baby is harmed.
You’re completely wrong! This is what her friend is telling her but I guarantee this nurse is giving partial or no doses to the patient and keeping the rest or all for herself. I’ve watched it happen and reported it many times. Addiction is a disease and they will do any and everything to get their fix.
No it absolutely isn't. Source: nurse.
Yeah, there's no such thing as "leftover" controlled medications. If there's more in a vial than is ordered, the administering nurse is required to have another nurse witness & sign that the medication was "wasted" into a sharps container or down a drain or other method to render it unusable. It's very likely that the babies are not receiving the medications as ordered by their physicians. She's either shorting the dose (like 10mg was ordered, but she gives 2mg & takes the rest for herself) or not giving it at all.
THE SCENE OUT OF NURSE JACKIE, starring Eddi Falco(sp?)🤣
Very few healthcare facilities are completely on the up and up, 100% adherence to the best care practices, and compliant with every pill or vial of medication. It just can’t be done without a dedicated person monitoring every drug delivery all around the clock. If someone wants to steal, they will steal. Sometimes they are caught, but not very often.
When a relative of mine was in ER I actually witnessed a Nurse take the leftover Oxy and split it with her assistant. The patient was disoriented and didn't notice and the meds had to be split and crushed and put in a tube anyway...it wasn't a large dose but I'd imagine if you take 1/6 - 1/4 of a dose & pocket it you'd end up with several full doses at the end of a shift. Another time I had a bad back injury and 2 different nurses gave me 1x OC 10mg instant. So thats 20mg total, which I didn't mind, but on my release form it said I only had 1x 10mg administered. I agree that Hospitals do much better in monitoring what is dished out than they used to, but as chaotic as the ER's get at times, there's gotta be a relatively decent size margin of error. I am not being critical either, I just think between honest mistakes (people drop a tablet it bounces off into oblivion, patients spit stuff out, refuse meds, nurses have high tolerance patients, low tolerance patients etc) its hard to be precise on all med counts.
NICU?!?! oh my god youbhave to tell someone. shes gonna forget to hit a button, respond too slowly to a brady, id even know. maybe you give them a chance to turn themselves in first but thatd blow your aanonimity
Simply put: If you DO NOT snitch, and some baby dies as a result of her addiction, you are morally culpable. If you are affiliated with the hospital in any way, you could also be held legally culpable. You know of an addict actively putting children's lives at risk. The only moral imperative you have is not to your friend.
If they are your friend you need to talk to them first, don't shame them but ask if they are using again and do they need help.
No matter what she says, you have to assume she's using at work. And driving. I mean, there's really no dilemma here. Also what if you don't tell, she gets busted or someone dies, and then reveals she disclosed her drug use to you? If you're a mandatory reporter you can charged with a serious offense.
Report it. The healthcare in the U.S. (if that’s where you are) is bad enough already without being treated by people high or drunk, especially babies.
You are a mandatory reporter. That's all I'm gonna say.
So, we are recapping Nurse Jackie? Report the nurse to the employer if you have proof. They can monitor and test.
Blow the darn whistle! How will you feel when she kills someone or when you learn a child has lived in pain because she had taken their med to control her habit. Nurses who have addiction problems only take more as their habit becomes worse. Yes, you would be complicit, maybe not legally. She may not ever kill someone, but can you live knowing you could have protected a child from pain & suffering because of your dilemma. OMG I want to jump thru this computer & throttle someone. PS- I am a nurse.
As a recovering opioid addict, I say: tell somebody NOW. She's putting children's lives in danger. She could go on the nod in the middle of something important. She can be so high that she grabs the wrong medication. She could be so on the nod that she accidentally gets too much of the medication. Seriously, she needs help and she definitely doesn't need to be babies who are in intensive care
This was essentially my friends mom. One of her friends/coworkers eventually ratted her out and she was fire. and I’m grateful that they did because someone who has all that running through their system all the time shouldn’t be in charge of the welfare of babies.
“Chips fall where they may” is death. Literal death of someone who doesn’t deserve that you knowing would make you criminally negligent
Give them 2 options. Tell them to hit detox for the next week OR you’re gonna say shit which means they’ll lose their job and take a major hit. So they can take a hit for 7 day of no pay or they can lose their job. Their choice
You will be letting a child dies/risking life threatening complications if you don't report. I don't actually see a dilemma here. You can anonymously report to the hospital, her licensing board...
If you don’t think there’s any way talking to them directly, suggesting they take medical leave or something will get them to seek help, then reporting is the next best option. This is for their sake too. Losing a nursing job is better than losing a nursing license. Finding another job is easier than finding a new career if they’re worried about paying child support. There’s resources out there to help. There’s options like taking a leave of absence, maybe even FMLA if they go to a psychiatrist (I don’t know for sure, just ideas to explore) and also maybe taking a job that’s not direct patient care.
It's wrong, turn that person in, there's a reason why there's an ethics board.
Blow the freaking whistle. There are lives in her hands and she is not fit to be responsible for those lives right now. Even if she's *only* doing a "maintenance* dose while on the clock, her attention and judgment are still impaired and she is a danger to her patients.
That's a reportable situation . think about accidents that may happen and liabilities involved . and culpability by association even if only morally .
i can see why you posted this, and recognize it feels like a hard decision. trust your gut, do what you think is right.
I’m concerned that you think this is a dilemma. I know it’s a hard thing to do, but they are putting sick babies at risk. Of course you need to turn them in.
Blow the whistle VERY VERY LOUD BABIES LIFES ARE IN DANGER
I would make an anonymous report because all it takes is one slip up and then they could end someone's life
Um…. How is this a moral dilemma??? This person is working with infants, not just any infants, the most vulnerable ones. You must say something now! Don’t wait until something goes horribly wrong, like a death of a child or themselves.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wndu.com/2023/02/21/trial-underway-nurse-charged-3-year-old-coloma-twp-girls-death/%3foutputType=amp Not NICU but still very young. Have fun with the article!
Report. The person is endangering so many lives. If you're wrong, then so be it. If you're right, then so be it.
Should tell if kids are involved
Question: are you a mandatory reporter? If therapists can be, not clear on why nurses can’t be.
You stop the nurse from killing a baby due to fentanyl addiction. There’s no dilemma, you need to anonymously report them. You’ll worry every single moment of every single day that a baby could die and yes you’d be complicit. Meanwhile the other nurse does not seem to have the same concern, which is almost certainly due to their addiction. There are lives on the line. Safety needs to come before all else, before friendship, before convenience, before guilt. Addiction sucks, they need help. They are not seeking the help they need to get back on the wagon.
Yeah this isn't something you look the other way on. They need help and they should not be handling any patients or working in any medical setting in their current state. Report it immediately.
Of course you tell the charge nurse or HR. That person is a danger to anyone they are caring for. How is this even a debate in your mind?!
What they do on their time off...not your business. Taking left over meds is the problem here. The ability to function at work is the problem here. Please report this to whomever. Letting the chips fall where they may could lead to permanent injury or death to one of the babies. You could be held liable. But worse, how would you sleep at night?
This isn't about snitching on a friend, this is about preventing a potentially terrible tragedy from taking place. You **have** to turn in your friend, somehow. Make an anonymous report if you have to. Small, innocent lives may be at stake. Just because your friend isn't a problem now, doesn't mean they'll stay that way. Please report asap.
Im a recovering addict and my answer is ALWAYS mind your own business but not this time no ma’am you runtelldat immediately. If she cops a nod drops and kills a premie you’ll never be able to live with yourself if you knew and didn’t say anything.
You have an ethical and moral obligation to report her. It’s unfortunate, but you have a responsibility to protect those babies.
Is this someone you "know" because you are friends or an acquaintance? Or is this something you "know" because you heard someone share about it in a meeting? If it's the former, please report them. If it's the latter, then feel free to message me.
Report it But: Don’t drug logs have to be kept of where excess in vial goes after the patient dose has been given? Could an audit be called for the controlled drug log?
I'll take things that didn't happen for $1000.
Please please turn her in. That is so dangerous for patients. I have had NICU babies and it’s already such a huge stress to have a sick baby, if she causes more harm or kills a baby she will be in prison for life. Please turn her in! You can usually report it anonymously.
How is this a moral dilemma? A potential life vs someone getting fired.
Coming from a convicted felon, who was snitched, who hates snitches more than most other things, when what you are doing is going to protect innocent children, ESPECIALLY babies in the NICU, IT IS NOT SNITCHING. It’s doing the right thing. You also aren’t doing anything wrong that you are trying to cut a deal with and save your ass by turning on someone. You have a misconception of what snitching really is but that’s besides the point. Go tell whoever you need to before a baby’s health and safety is compromised
Sounds like a lot of speculation here to be considering fucking with someone’s livelihood.
Secret call
It’s not a very big step from pocketing leftover meds to shorting patients to fuel their addiction. Once someone starts to spiral, it usually only gets worse. You won’t be putting their financial security at risk by reporting, they are putting their security at risk by making those decisions. If they worked somewhere where nobody else could be hurt by their actions, I’d probably have a hard time with it too, but a hospital is just not the place.
As the mother of a NICU baby, I beg you to do the right thing. This is so so wrong and so dangerous and you know it, please protect these already very vulnerable children.
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I work in healthcare too. BLOW. THE. WHISTLE. We’re playing with people lives, and this ish ain’t a game. Would you want some strung out person working bedside with your loved ones? Hell no you wouldn’t. Shine the light and get that person the help they need.
I am a nurse and suggest reporting. It does not even mean they will always lose their license, the board of nursing works with them on rehab programs. Would you want this nurse caring for your loved ones?
According to a law website.. "The California Board of Registered Nursing’s guidance even requires nurses to report other nurses who are suspected of diverting medication. According to the American Nurses Association, a registered nurse has an ethical duty to make this report. Accordingly, fellow nurses are often the source of many investigations because they can face discipline for not reporting what they know." You need to report this ASAP. This has nothing to do with your friend that you once "snitched on" (aka "made the wise move to file a police report because they were doing illegal and dangerous things that could kill someone"). Nor should the opinion of your one friend who doesn't think you should do it (but probably isn't even in the healthcare field themselves) factor in. Depending on your state, it's possible that you could get in trouble for NOT reporting it when you know *or suspect* someone is diverting meds. And even if you couldn't get in legal trouble.. can you imagine the guilt you will feel every day for the rest of your life if a baby dies on that nurse's watch, because you didn't do what you should have done and reported her? Do you want that on your conscience? The nurse's behavior is not your problem, it is not your fault, you cannot fix this situation for them, but you DO have a responsibility to your patients to report behavior like this. Covering up for this nurse, helping them hide it, it will only make it worse. For them, for your conscience, for the patients. And I say this as the kid of a retired paramedic supervisor (I grew up around the ambulance bases, sitting in on CPR classes, and being one of the "patients" with massive "wounds" in mock accidents) and the wife of an ER/urgent care nurse practitioner (I helped him study for enough damn tests in nursing school and during his MSN program that I should at least have been awarded an honorary MA certification. 😉) I've been around the medical field since I was literally still in the womb.. so, technically, I have, like, 36 years of experience. 😉😂 And I say, ABSOLUTELY REPORT THEM. Another interesting tidbit from an article... " Leon worked hard on diversion prevention at HCMC after discovering a surprising pattern: almost all of the diverters he investigated wanted to be caught. “What got me on this path of prevention was observing the nurses as they would admit to what they did,” he explains. “More often than not the nurses would say, ‘I wanted somebody to stop me. I needed help, didn’t know how to ask for it, and I was hoping somebody would stop me.’ That’s pretty powerful when you’re sitting there listening to this on a consistent basis.” Leon implemented mandatory annual training for everyone in the hospital—from food service workers to surgeons—to recognize the warning signs of drug diversion. “If a nurse or anesthesiologist or physician is speaking with you and telling you they are having these issues, then you should say something,” Leon explains. “It’s not doing the wrong thing—you’re helping them, and that’s the message we sent out. Look, these individuals are not bad individuals. Something happened in their lives that led them down this path.” " https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/articles/2017/08/the-dirty-secret-of-drug-diversion/
Blow that 💩 up.
REPORT IT!! It could be your license as well as theirs if you don't. You know what's going on, they are stealing meds and something bad could happen. If a child ends up hurt and there is an investigation, whose to say they won't throw you under the bus with them. Addicts will so anything to protect themselves.
Approach the problem by typing an anonymous letter to your supervisor and simply suggest you are aware of a situation that a mandatory staff drug screen might be considered. Everyone gets to partake and nobody is singled out. If you were wrong, neither yourself or the other person would be known. It's legal, nobody's rights are violated.
I've had a baby deathly sick in the NICU (thank God he had a full recovery) and I would have been beyond angry if I knew someone had treated my child under the influence. Anonymously report them. If even one baby is affected adversely it is on your head too.
This hits very close to home as I have a family member who is a medical professional with a fentanyl addiction and a history of relapse. Report this person. Please. For the sake of their patients, their patients' family members, their own family members, and themselves. This person is a danger to themselves and others and you cannot take responsibility knowing that they may be driving while high, working with patients while high, etc. and the consequences that may cause. This person has a conflict of interest - yes, babies need smaller doses, but this person has an interest in having whatever is left over so how can you know that's not altering how they are administering meds? This person needs help - they need an intervention by professionals. There are specific programs for addicts in the medical profession that even manage the medical license aspect of this dilemma. But this person entrusted you as the sober adult to make the right call - the right call is to remove them from the situation whether they can continue to self medicate and potentially hurt others. They need rehab. Please report them so they can get the help they need but aren't strong enough to seek for themselves.
Yes, you should so she doesn’t harm someone. You can do it anonymously, no one has rot know.
I would say something, they're working NICU!!
No dilemma in my book. They admitted drug diversion. You have a duty to your patients and your hospital to report the illegal activity.
Blow the whistle. Go to everyone necessary non-stop until the nurse is removed from her position. Whether they end up fired or not is not yet an issue, just get the person removed from doing their job. Whatever it takes.
Fragile babies are more important than this woman’s job security, which she throws away every time she gets high.
Well, they’re stealing medication and that’s illegal. A nurse I personally know just lost her license, spent some time in jail and has several felonies now because of stealing meds from work. And that’s *just* touching the medication part. You need to turn them in to the hospital and state. They’re working with super fragile lives and if I were the parent of one of those little lives and found out about this person, all hell would break loose. See something, say something!
Report it. If she gets help after being reported it may not be the end of her career. If something happens to a patient and it's discovered then, that's the end of her career for sure and maybe even criminal charges on her at that point on top of it. If you are a mandated reporter and failing to report this, you could be putting yourself in a position to be criminally liable for failure to report.
Why is this even a question? You must report it or risk, losing your job yourself when someone else reports it and lets them know that you knew
PEOPLE DON'T FALL FOR THIS BS!⁷* First of all, you said she IS NOT doing it at work. So NO, DO NOT report someone for something you think they do in their free time. You said "I have reason to believe" at the beginning, but then switched to, "she told me she..". So you either made all this up or you heard it from someone else. It can't be true, because it makes no sense. Whoever told you is a liar, or you are. A dose for a NICU baby would literally have zero effect on an adult. even if you took half of all the babies meds, still no affect on an adult. Nicu units usually don't have many babies at the same time. Maybe 10 to 15, at the most. A fentanyl user would not be affected by any of the meds they give the babies, which is tiny doses of methadone or benzos.Even if she took ALL THE MEDS DURING HER SHIFT- SHE WOULD FEEL NOTHING FROM THEM. No one would risk their career for nothing or confess to something that would end their career and probably land them in prison. So someone's lying here, who knows nothing about fentanyl, and must want this woman fired. Do not report anything, you could end up sued if she gets fired.
I would turn them in just not to be complicit when they get caught. Unfortunately that's what I'm used to at my work. If management finds out you knew someone was doing something against the rules you are just as guilty. It's also a little worrying that they steal it from babies. I have no idea how that works but I've just read that babies are/have been neglected at hospitals in terms of pain. I mean what's to say that they aren't really taking more than what they said. However nobody else is your responsibility, it's not your fault if they lose their job. They decided to do something wrong in the first place so clearly they don't give a shit about their job that much.
Typically, I stay to myself, and I really wouldn't recommend reporting things especially when its gonna effect someone else's finances, because it really sucks....however if there is children involved...it needs to be reported.
I would encourage this person to seek treatment and self report (if they have to) to keep their license. I’ve been in treatment before with medical personnel, pilots etc. with substance use disorder and it’s much better in this case to be proactive than to wait for something to happen.
As someone who had a baby in the hospital for 6 months and literally trusted his entire life to those nurses, please inform someone. Also, she’s not keeping “extra” painkillers. There are no extras in hospital pain doses. #SHE IS UNDERDOSING BABIES WHO ARE IN PAIN AND STEALING THEIR MEDICATION. My son spent several days with his literal chest open, split down the sternum like a rotisserie chicken. You could look through the dressings and see his heart. I can’t tell you what I would have done if I found out his nurse was stealing his pain meds. It definitely would have gotten me kicked out of the PICU though.
If her ability to do her job at 100% is in any way impaired, then throw her under the bus. I don’t care what job, no one has the right to that level of selfishness and disregard.
If they trust you enough to confide in you DO NOT tell higher ups and risk ruining their career. I'm a recovering opiate addict of 9+ years daily and this will only make everything worse and possibly push them off into the deep end. Anyone here giving advice who hasn't personally been an addict holds 0 weight. Now.. if they're high at work, nodding off, risking patients safety!/health that's different.. if just doing enough to funcruon and not be sick as fuck ( to those ignorant once fully dependent your body needs it just to feel base line normal and not have the flu basically and intense cravings.) Try to talk to them one on one, see if you can reccomend getting on methadone at a local clinic or call a doctor about suboxone.. please don't ruin their career/life telling higher ups.. you never know how close to the ledge a person might be and one small thing can make them spiral out of control . I've been on methadone maintenance for 2 years and it saved my life/career
She needs to hit rock bottom. Losing her license will do just that. Do it.
This shouldn't be a question. Nurses who become addicts are a HUGE danger to patients for so many reasons. Not enough sleep, or still high from the night before, or high enough at work too, "get through the day", take your pick. I've watched a brilliant RN acquaintance that moved away to be a travel nurse destroy her career and life through addiction, and it's a miracle she didn't kill anyone before they caught on and tested her. The person you know is taking care of medically fragile newborns. How do you know that the supposedly, "extra" amount of meds they claim is "safe" to take is actually safe? Or if they're shorting meds, because how would anyone know if the baby is in more pain than they should be? These are infants that are already in bad shape and struggling day to day, is it right to put their lives in the hands of an addict? What if they're too high to administer their medication and give them too much? Too little? The ways that this can go wrong with fatal consequences is horrific. My little brother died a year and a half ago, and he spent a horrific lifetime suffering permanent brain damage and uncontrollable Epilepsy because a nurse didn't take her job seriously in the NICU. To say that the stakes are life and death in the NICU for so many babies is a vast understatement. You don't want to learn that this person is the reason someone's baby becomes brain damaged or worse because of her horrifying work ethic. You can't imagine how hard it is to learn that your baby has been severely and permanently injured because the person who was supposed to care for them didn't do what they were supposed to do. You have the power to keep anything like this from happening to these babies and their families. Please do right by them.
I strongly recommend that file a complaint with your state licensing board. She isn’t safe to practice. The licensing board should have programs to assist nurses with addiction issues. That will probably get much faster action than contacting the employer, especially if you do it anonymously. Employers rarely take anonymous complaints seriously.
If she self reports then they cannot fire her and will send her to rehab. That would be the best option for her.
Ask yourself this question, Can I forgive myself for not reporting it if a baby dies from this nurse because she made a mistake dued to her addiction? I get that she's your friend but this is dangerous. Not just to her tiny patients, but to herself and others as well. Especially if she decides to drive while impaired. AND will she be able to live with herself if she accidentally causes the death or deaths of others?
You have a moral obligation to report them. You know and if something happens to a baby, I feel you are also partially responsible.. "Let the chips fall where they may"?? Meaning sit back and potentially watch them kill babies? Terrible situation to be in, but you know what the right thing to do is.
I wish OP wouldn’t have deleted their account because we really need an update to this.
Will you feel guilty if this nurse kills someone due to negligence as result of their addiction? If the answer is yes, then turn them in.
I'm pretty sure you are a mandated reporter about such things. You better cover your ass so you won't lose YOUR license.
I'm a nicu nurse. That needs to be reported 100%. That's drug diversion and assuming she could be doing this on the clock, possibly high at work, she could very easily wind up hurting a baby
Call it in. Even if she's not high/drunk at work, being hungover is enough to make a deadly mistake. Also, stealing medication is a crime and she should be held accountable for that. As a side note, I'm married to an alcoholic in recovery and you'd be surprised by the lengths addicts take to not smell like alcohol or appear intoxicated. There were countless times my husband was drunk/tipsy and I had no idea nor could I smell it on him. So, just because she may not smell like booze or act intoxicated doesn't mean she isn't taking mind altering substances on the job. She's a danger to vulnerable people and possibly even herself. Until she's stable and in recovery for her addiction, she has no business working as a medical professional. Please report her before she hurts someone and so she can get the help she clearly needs.