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Need direction: sister (nurse) is using remnants of patients' meds

X

xboxist

Diamond Member
Very serious topic - hopefully I can get some preliminary help from some of you. Probably wall-of-text incoming. No getting around it, apologies.

My sister (22) graduated from nursing school this past spring and landed a position at a hospital shortly after. She lives with my parents and I live out of state. When I was visiting home over the holidays, my parents told me that they found some needles and various meds in my sister's bedroom sometime in the Fall. Like any mother would be, mine was shocked and outraged. It was a very hard (and expensive) four years of college for my sister and my mom's first reaction was that of anger... for my sister to so quickly be willing to throw all that schooling away by jeopardizing her young career. She confronted her and it led to a blow up, and basically my mom left it at "you need to get help - please don't be afraid to get help."

Apparently since that day, it's kind of been the elephant in the room where they don't directly talk about it. But my mom has been trying to monitor it and see if my sister is showing signs of continued use. I think she's just hoping it goes away so she doesn't have to press the issue and potentially ruin her relationship with her. As of today, my mom has noticed recent clues to make her believe that my sis is still using.

My parents are trying to figure out how to help my sister. Drug use does not run in the family. This was a huge shock to all three of us. We want to help her without immediately putting her career in danger. Obviously my sister's life comes before her job but we need don't know where to start. I've done some preliminary searching for some sort of hospital employee medication abuse program, but nothing like that is turning up. I'm certain she needs professional help at this point, but can that be attained without her instantly being turned in and terminated? She works in a Michigan hospital, for what it's worth.

My sister and I are not super close, given the 500-mile distance between us. But we do talk probably once a month on the phone and get along very well. She doesn't know that I know about any of this yet. If my parents can't soon figure out something and start some sort of help process, then I will come forth and talk to my sister directly. I can't sit idly with her life in danger.

I've never felt so helpless as a brother in all my life. If anyone has advice, I'd love to hear it.
 
Needles? Hmm...

What meds? With other people's names on the bottles?

Maybe she just wants to be Dr. House.
 
Shiz man, don't you wish problems could be simple? My advice to you is not to confront her directly, your ma has done that and if you do that you'll be treated to the same distance she gives your ma. The most you can do is try to have a better relationship with her and hope she mentions this use to you. Ask her if everything is alright, ask her if everything is as she hoped it would be and take her answers seriously. Drug use is quite hard to confront because if you confront it at the wrong time or from the wrong angle, you'll just be lumped into the "square" category that cannot provide help. The most you can do is see if your sister sees this as impacting her life and helping from there.

Counselors could probably help you talk more, but you'd need a basis for going to counseling. There is no easy solution, just try to be there for your sister and look for the warning signs.
 
I don't think you can get fired for having an addiction....stealing meds however might get you canned, unless your stealing is a direct result of the addiction then you probably have a fighting chance....up here in Canada anyways.

What is she using?
 
unless your stealing is a direct result of the addiction then you probably have a fighting chance....up here in Canada anyways.
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not here in the states; caught = perma-ban from medical work.
 
DaTT said:
I don't think you can get fired for having an addiction....stealing meds however might get you canned, unless your stealing is a direct result of the addiction then you probably have a fighting chance....up here in Canada anyways.

What is she using?
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Opiates, duh. 😛
 
If she's holding remnants of "actual" patients med...it's a bad sign and goes against Nursing protocols and as well the hospital. Either she purposefully does not administer medications to her patients, it could affect their safety (patient), losing her license, and a huge liability on her and the hospital.

But first, confront her and be upfront about the situation. Make sure it's just not the patients meds and not just "practice placebo colored pills" that were provided from her school. And also how many needles are there? It would be helpful what kind of medications she's siphoning off.

Anyways, best of luck with you and hopefully this can be solved in a formal matter.

*Student Nurse atm
 
On that day when my mom confronted my sister, she tried to at least somewhat justify her actions by saying that she's only taken the excess amounts after they've been given to the patients. Basically the nurses are supposed to dispose of the unused portions, but that process is not very tightly monitored.

My mom wrote the names down of the meds she found in her room that day, but I can't recall any specifics other than morphine. I will call her tomorrow and ask her again.

Thanks for the responses so quickly - means a lot to me.
 
Hmm. That's not a good sign.

Not surprising though. I'm pretty sure most people on the planet would pretty happily become addicted to opiates..lol
 
xboxist said:
On that day when my mom confronted my sister, she tried to at least somewhat justify her actions by saying that she's only taken the excess amounts after they've been given to the patients. Basically the nurses are supposed to dispose of the unused portions, but that process is not very tightly monitored.

My mom wrote the names down of the meds she found in her room that day, but I can't recall any specifics other than morphine. I will call her tomorrow and ask her again.

Thanks for the responses so quickly - means a lot to me.
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This seems like a problem. I'm pretty sure she'll get drug tested at her work at sometime, and unless she has the same prescriptions as the ones she's taking, she will get fired and will never work in medicine again. There is no easy way to talk to someone about this, but you should try, with as much tact as you can muster.
 
I just read the title again. If she is taking meds from the hospital, or patients meds, she will never work in the medical field again if she's caught. It's called moral turpitude and it's taken quite seriously.

I have no idea how to actually help her realize what she's doing, other than letting her know what happens if she gets caught, but that may not even be enough. The main thing is not to push her away right now because it will just make it harder to talk to her in the future, let your parents confront her.

I hope it works out, I really do.
 
She needs professional help right now, both to get off the drugs and realize that she's throwing her career and life away.

Getting her there is the problem :\
 
911paramedic said:
I just read the title again. If she is taking meds from the hospital, or patients meds, she will never work in the medical field again if she's caught. It's called moral turpitude and it's taken quite seriously.

I have no idea how to actually help her realize what she's doing, other than letting her know what happens if she gets caught, but that may not even be enough. The main thing is not to push her away right now because it will just make it harder to talk to her in the future, let your parents confront her.

I hope it works out, I really do.
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/this
 
Its most likely going to go one of two ways.

1) Shes going to get busted outside of work (Most likely picked up high by the cops) and she'll get a criminal record and then fired
2) She'll get busted in some fashion at work and maybe end up with a criminal record and get fired.

Both instances will be the absolute end of her career.

The first thing you have to realize is this simple, but very painful, fact. If she doesnt want to help herself there is nothing you can do for her. For that I am sorry.

If she truly does want help and want to beat the addiction she needs to find a rehab treatment program of some type. Whether thats in the form of weekly meetings with NA or admitting herself into some form of rehab where they keep her under lock and key for a week or 3 really depends on how addicted she is.

There is no easy solution. She will most likely not wake up tomorrow and say "Gee your right, that was dumb" and stop. She may tell you she has, but theres a very real chance she will be lying.

While ironically the best place for treatment could be the very facility she works at she could also be jeopardizing her job by going to her facility for treatment! To some degree her best course of action may be to try to seek treatment through work but I would be very surprised if she wasnt immediately relieved of duties at least until she had successfully completed a drug treatment program.
Having said that the best way for your employer to find out is through the employee coming for help rather than through the employee being caught using or stealing drugs.

Obviously your sister isnt the first in the medical field to become addicted. She certainly wont be the last.

I think I would start with a visit to my family doctor to at least get some advice and guidance as to what a hospitals policy is in regards to such issues and what may be the best way to proceed. I dont believe I would name my sister in that conversation as I dont believe doctor/patient confidentiality covers criminal actions.
 
xboxist said:
".. she's only taken the excess amounts after they've been given to the patients."
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Not only is she stealing, she is committing a felony by even possessing the morphine without a prescription. If she gets caught it's not going to be pretty, and I hate to add how dangerous it is to take morphine (use) in the first place.

Don't look at this lightly it's the same as a heroin addiction, the only difference is she gets hers at the hospital instead of the street corner.
 
xboxist said:
On that day when my mom confronted my sister, she tried to at least somewhat justify her actions by saying that she's only taken the excess amounts after they've been given to the patients. Basically the nurses are supposed to dispose of the unused portions, but that process is not very tightly monitored.

My mom wrote the names down of the meds she found in her room that day, but I can't recall any specifics other than morphine. I will call her tomorrow and ask her again.
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wow - where/when do you think she got a taste for the stuff?
 
Specop 007 said:
Its most likely going to go one of two ways.

1) Shes going to get busted outside of work (Most likely picked up high by the cops) and she'll get a criminal record and then fired
2) She'll get busted in some fashion at work and maybe end up with a criminal record and get fired.
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You missed the worst-case (and only outcome if she isn't caught)

DEAD.

Morphine overdose is super-easy to do; you will pass out, breathing repressed, vomit, and choke to death.

Don't think morphine is easy to get past either; the physical convulsions, shitting yourself, possibly bight your own tong.

professional help from a councilor is needed immediately.

I had a friend with a morphine addiction in high-school, he came very close to death.
 
as a former opiate addict, whie i never used needles, i can tell you with %100 certainty that, she will not stop using until she wants to. Does she get sick if shes without drugs? with opiate addiction its %100 certain that if you go without it, its the same as withdraws from heroin. Get her to a detox, and then a 60 day program, tell her work shes going traveling,no body needs to know her business.

You need to deal with this asap as every day goes by your dosage increases to feel the same affect, with higher doses the with-drawls are killer, and the chance to overdose is higher.

If you have any questions from a former addict, im here to help.
 
DixyCrat said:
You missed the worst-case (and only outcome if she isn't caught)

DEAD.

Morphine overdose is super-easy to do; you will pass out, breathing repressed, vomit, and choke to death.

Don't think morphine is easy to get past either; the physical convulsions, shitting yourself, possibly bight your own tong.

professional help from a councilor is needed immediately.

I had a friend with a morphine addiction in high-school, he came very close to death.
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Well arent you a ray of sunshine..... 😛

I was trying to avoid stating the obvious with that one.
 
Specop 007 said:
Well arent you a ray of sunshine..... 😛

I was trying to avoid stating the obvious with that one.
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What I think I'm saying.. and it is hard to say... is that it may be a good idea to turn her in if there is no other way.

She will end-up dead if this isn't stopped; If she refuses it may be time to offer the ultimatum: stop or you will be turned in, of only to save your life.

But I don't know the right way to do this; but nar-anon or a psychologist specializing in such things would know.

Not having money or a nar-anon available, I would kidnap her and force her into rehab or maybe turn her in; jail and no career >> dead.
 
DixyCrat said:
What I think I'm saying.. and it is hard to say... is that it may be a good idea to turn her in if there is no other way.

She will end-up dead if this isn't stopped; If she refuses it may be time to offer the ultimatum: stop or you will be turned in, of only to save your life.

But I don't know the right way to do this; but nar-anon or a psychologist specializing in such things would know.

Not having money or a nar-anon available, I would kidnap her and force her into rehab or maybe turn her in; jail and no career >> dead.
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Ah gotchya. I see what you mean and your very right. You pick up the phone and call the cops. Being that sis lives with the parents its very easy for the parents to give permission to enter to the cops and thats that. Her career is ruined, she'll have a criminal record, most likely hate everyone guts for the rest of her life, but she will get the help she needs.

Of course the flip side is if the sister doesnt want help to just let her go on with what shes doing until it all comes to a head, hopefully either from point 1 or 2o in my post and not point 3 from your rainy day post.

Not to make light of the situation mind you, but man I've been through it more damn times than I want to count. Buddy addicted to meth and coke, another addicted to meth, wife addicted to prescripts and went to rehab 3 times....

Yeah, for damn sure it aint ever easy.
 
People, let's not overreact. She isn't going to end up dead just because she's addicted to opiates. Unless there is reason to believe she's that deep, don't freak out, and don't ruin her career. At least give her a chance to hit bottom herself first.
 
Yep; very hard to say.

That said, when the state took my brothers away from my parents for coke-abuse it was the best thing that could happen to them.

Unless there is reason to believe she's that deep, don't freak out, and don't ruin her career. At least give her a chance to hit bottom herself first.
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If she isn't now, she will be in the future; the kind of messed up mind it takes to get to the point that you would risk so very much for a high does not say "recreational" user to me. It will not go away, nor will it get better over time. But you are right, don't call the cops right now... but do contact a psychologist or nar-anon.
 
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If it were me I would turn her ass in myself. The fact that she is throwing away her life and education is NOTHING compared to her causing the death of someone else while she is using on the job.

Think about if she killed or caused injury to a child while under her care getting busted with some drugs and losing her job is the least of her worries, and your parents could lose everything if the police decide to raid the house.

Nurses have huge responsibilities to patients and their well being often more than doctors.

The fact she is willing to risk others lives and well being only means one thing to me....fuck her. Ship her ass to jail and yank her license.
 
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