Drug Abusing Nurse Profile
High Stress Present when patient in pain Present when patient dies Demand for perfection
Profile Best nurse on the floor Last person you would suspect Willing to work extra shifts and stays late
Profile May come to work on days off Prefers high narcotic usage floors and signs out more than peers Prefers night shift
Profile Frequently documents waste Nursing notes don’t match drugs given Takes frequent restroom breaks
Profile Often use Schedule II injectables such as Demerol, Dilaudid and morphine Is self addicted Often for personal use only – doesn’t deal
Profile Uses drugs on the job and is impaired or passed out Sloppy record keeping Patients and co-workers complain
Profile Has divorce/child custody issues Health issues Death/illness in family
Methods of diversion Steals from patients who have “as needed” prescriptions Falsifies a doctor’s order
Drug substitution Very dangerous Replaces controlled substances with other drugs Replaces narcotic tubex with saline
Omission Drug will be signed out on the control sheet but not documented on the patient’s chart Usually occurs in the latter stages of addiction when user is getting desperate
Drugs of choice Fentanyl patches
Drugs of choice Oxycontin
Drugs of choice Hydrocodone