2. Drug Abusing Nurse Profile

3. High Stress Present when patient in pain Present when patient dies Demand for perfection

4. Profile Best nurse on the floor Last person you would suspect Willing to work extra shifts and stays late

5. Profile May come to work on days off Prefers high narcotic usage floors and signs out more than peers Prefers night shift

6. Profile Frequently documents waste Nursing notes don’t match drugs given Takes frequent restroom breaks

7. Profile Often use Schedule II injectables such as Demerol, Dilaudid and morphine Is self addicted Often for personal use only – doesn’t deal

8. Profile Uses drugs on the job and is impaired or passed out Sloppy record keeping Patients and co-workers complain

9. Profile Has divorce/child custody issues Health issues Death/illness in family

10. Methods of diversion Steals from patients who have “as needed” prescriptions Falsifies a doctor’s order

11. Drug substitution Very dangerous Replaces controlled substances with other drugs Replaces narcotic tubex with saline

12. 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

13. Drugs of choice Fentanyl patches

14. Drugs of choice Oxycontin

15. Drugs of choice Hydrocodone