nurse suspended

some crazy shit went down at work yesterday (and i'm not talking about my date).

this week at work, i have continued to be the computer support person.  i have not had patients to care for, only staff and charts and computers.  it's been kind of strange.  a bit boring.  but a nice change of pace.  so, when my charge nurse (and friend) asked me to pick up a patient last night at about 4:45 PM i was a bit thrown for a loop.  as the computer support person, i'm not supposed to have patients.  but i went with the flow; i could tell something weird was happening.

sure enough, something weird happened.  all around the same time, my other friend got pulled into a room with our manager.  i saw the two of them together.  nosy, i wondered what was happening!  but it wasn't good.  our manager ended up questioning her about the narcotics she had given to her patient.  what time did she give them?  how many?  he was not accusing her of anything.  he explicitly stated, "you are not in trouble.  but answer these questions honestly.  and don't mention that we're having this conversation."  of course, she told me.  but...

i could ramble about every minute detail that transpired within a 20 minute period.  or i could just cut to the chase.  a nurse that i work with, the nurse that trained me on my unit almost 6 years ago, was suspended.  obviously, it's a hush hush matter.  i don't know definitive accusations or details.  but i do know that i ended up with one of this nurse's patients for the remainder of the shift.  that the nurse was sent home immediately.  that while i was getting a quick report from the nurse, my manager handed the nurse being sent home a business card (probably with the hospital's lawyer or the nursing union's representative info on it).

whatever went down wasn't good.  narcotics are missing on my unit.  and a nurse was sent home.  sounds like a big deal to me.

i left work feeling hyper, anxious, and a bit awestruck last night.  i recognize that i have the potential to hurt people at my job; we handle very dangerous medications.  but i forget how much trust is put in our hands.  how much access we have to things people pay really good money for on the street.  how mood altering and addictive some of the things i handle on an every day basis are.

i feel for this nurse.  i believe that the nurse is a good person.  but i am so thankful that i have zero desire to do what that nurse may have done.  that i am content with a nice caffeine buzz.  and the giddiness i feel after a hospital date!