Not medical advice. One of my kids is an LPN, working on his RN. I just got an email from him telling me he had, because of his back problems, etc., stolen a couple (he says) of pain pills from where he works. The missing drugs were investigated and he ended up going to the cops and admitting what he did. He’ll probably get probation, but of course has lost his job. The question is this: is his nursing career over? What is your personal experience with this? I’d like to give the guy some reassurances, if possible, as he has two children to support. Thanks.
Do they do a background check to get your license for being an RN? If so…I wouldn’t think stealing from the pharmacy would be able to be overlooked. It may have bene different had he already been an Rn. I don’t know really.
This’ll probably get reported the Nursing licensing board, and unless the licenseholder agrees to the stipulations they may offer, I expect they’ll threaten to pull the license.
Expectations will be for treatment for chemical dependency in most cases, with long monitoring for years afterwards.
If the licensee claims to not be an addict, they’ll probably be more inclined to pull the license. The last thing the medical professions want is someone who steals meds, especially when they’re not doing it because of an addiction.
That’s how it goes with most cases that I’m familiar with (and I’m familiar with quite a few). YMMV, etc.
I hope your son gets help.
Thank you for your helpful answer. He’s always had a predeliction to substance abuse, given the history in my family of such. He used to drink heavily and use pot when he was younger. Unfortunately, he’s also prone to bouts of depression, which worries me a lot. He talks about getting help, but I don’t know how serious he is.
Is it reasonable that his employer would notice a “couple of pills” being missing, or am I right to suspect that the problem is more serious than he’s letting on?
I’m 99.9% sure the problem is far more serious than he has let on.
And I’ve been in his position and also in the position of the boss before, too. It’s a lot better to be in the latter position, I have found.
He can get well, and pursue a career in Nursing. But he’ll need to address his substance abuse issues first and foremost, and maintain absolue sobriety to do so.
Doctors have nothing to do the legal ramificiations or the process of this; this is strictly a nursing matter (not to say that QtM’s input is not valuable).
The gravity of misdirecting narcotics etc is something every nurse knows about. I am not trying to heap more pain on your son, but this is a matter that is drummed into us from almost day one of any nursing school. I am sorry to give more pain, but I do wonder if this is the first (or only) time he has done this. Stealing narcs is not easy or simple–it requires forethought, strategy and false documentation on a legal document (the chart). None of these does the BON or the hospital take lightly. We were often told by our instructors that if you mess up enough, you lose your job. If you mess with narcotics or other controlled substances, you lose your license and livelihood.
Since most hospitals do not act kindly or sympathetically toward any nurse who does this (but also because I believe they are mandated to do so), it will be reported to the state board of nursing, which does NOT exist to be an advocate for nurse, just FYI. It is there to ensure proper licensing, professional behavior and standards of licensure etc. and works hard to do so.
This is a huge deal. He may not get that license back. BONs vary from state to state. I suggest he find an attorney who is familiar with BON and nursing regulations. He could enter into drug treatment–there are programs to get the addicted nurse back to the bedside (clean and sober, of course). I am not saying he is addicted, just that there are programs out there and that there are also programs to assist nurses who have diverted narcs to regain their license and return to work. Only a lawyer can know all the ins and outs.
I am so sorry that this has happened. I wish his family and him well. I hope he finds some relief from his pain.
ETA: It is more than reasonable that they would notice a few pills missing. Narcs are counted every shift and at every dispensing. We now have an automated mini-pharmacy from which we can get narcs, but again, they are counted every single time they are accessed. Either he lied about the count (which will be discovered within hours), or he lied and did not give a pt the pain med the pt asked for --but charted that he did, because, again, he must reconcile the taking of a narc and chart that same narc on the medication reconciliation sheet in the pt’s chart. That is known as diverting narcotics–when the pt asks for his med and is either given saline in the IV (in the case of injectable narcs) or plain Tylenol or just told the doctor took them off that med. Of course, he runs a risk that said pt will confront the doctor, but you’d be amazed at how many do not.
Also, depression really cannot be diagnosed very well unless/until one is free of alcohol and other mood-altering substances for at least 3 months.
rigs, I certainly didn’t mean to imply physicians had any input into RN or LPN fate here. I specified it was the Nursing board that would handle this, and used “Medical profession” generically as an umbrella term for licensed professionals delivering health care.
Hugely helpful, and thank you. I think I need to fly down there and talk to him in person. I’m very worried about his mental health. He had done so well to get this far, overcoming a lot of alcohol problems earlier in his life, and I was very proud of him for buckling down (I even started a thread when he got his LPN ticket). He’s only a couple of classes away from his RN and now his career is most likely on the rocks, and he’ll have a criminal record.
Yes and yes. A clinic or hospital that keeps narcotics around has to track them like they were gold bullion. Any discrepancy at all has to be resolved. (We don’t keep narcs at our clinic for this very reason. If we need anything, we get it piecemeal from the pharmacy next door.)
At the same time, even if he did only take “a few pills” from work, odds are it was part of a bigger problem.
Not much to add to the above, really. He can survive this as long as he is completely up front about everything, does everything they ask of him, and has people to champion him in the future.
I didn’t think that you did. 
I was just clarifying for Chefguy.
Chefguy–your son will have to face a lot of music–I didn’t know he was in school to get his RN. I think you do need to go down to see him. Like DrJ said, this can be salvaged, but only by this being his “bottom” and him doing a whole mess of work.
He was on hiatus from school, as he’s been working double shifts in order to keep ahead financially, even though I’ve been paying for the schooling. To add to the work load problem, his best friend died suddenly, which sent him into a depression he really hasn’t recovered from. Add depression to chronic back problems and sleep deprivation (he also has RLS), and it’s a recipe for disaster. He really needs to get on top of this, as he has no other skills other than at the labor level. Looks like AA or NA might be good start.
Chefguy, I wish your son the best in dealing with his problem. My advice would be to get an attorney. At the disciplinary hearing I had to go to for school, the nurses with attorneys seemed to have better deals worked out.
It sounds like he is an addict. Many of us started abusing drugs/alcohol due to pain and depression.** eleanorigby** is right on with her info. If he wants to keep his LPN license, the Board of Nursing in his state is most likely going to have him enter a peer assistance program. All states are different but many do give nurse addicts a chance to get clean and keep their license.
As stated, the board’s primary purpose is to keep the public safe, not to help the nurse. However, many do have an agency to assit the addict with qualified professionals that steer you in the right direction as well as monitor. In NY, it’s called the PAP and it’s voluntary. Basically you can choose to enter the program OR the board will discipline you. Most choose PAP. PAP will have the nurse go into a detox or rehab facility or outpt. rehab if appropriate. Most nurses are monitored by PAP for at least 2 years. This includes treatment, random urine checks, limits on where you work, etc. Sometimes they require the nurse to temporarily surrender their license. That’s usually in the beginning of the process. As the nurse gets better, restrictions are lifted and hopefully the license is returned. It’s a long, involved process but one that has saved lives.
I truly hope your son gets the help he needs. It’s great that you are supporting him. Good luck.
Good lord, eleanorigby, it never occurred to me that “diverting narcotics” actually meant taking them away from the patient who needs them! :smack:
I don’t know how it escaped me. Of course, it makes “sense”, if you’re desperate enough to steal drugs in the first place. I just always assumed drug thieves were claiming ignorance of number discrepancies.
Gah. This is one of those “ignorance fought” things I’m almost be happier not knowing.
If he can no longer be in nursing, are there other related fields open to him after this kind of incident? I’m thinking EMT or something? I hope things work out for him. Good luck.
I’m heading down there this week to see what can be done. For a 30-year old, he’s still pretty naive about attorneys, etc. Anybody know a good lawyer resource in the Minneapolis area?
Make sure they specialize in nurses facing disciplinary charges. There are a few nurse/attorneys around that do this.
Minnesota does have a program to help people in the health professions if they have substance abuse, physical or mental health issues that impair their ability to do their jobs. So it is possible he could be referred to them.
It usually takes more than a “few” to set off any major investigation. A working floor nurse can easily aquire a “few” via waste/dropped pills/shorting patients/patents who decline, etc.
Thank you very much for this. I’ll get my daughter on it right away.