#90 Summary Discharge: Possession, Sale, or Being Under the Influence of Alcohol or Illegal Substances
Nurse diverts morphine and tests positive for drugs.
October 8, 2017
Pamela Zuckerberg
123 South Ardmore Street
Fort Smith, AR 75601
Dear Pam:
This letter is to inform you that, effective October 8, 2017, you are discharged from employment as a registered nurse at Victory Memorial Hospital. On September 29, you were placed on investigatory leave because Francis Franco, administrative supervisor, had reason to suspect that you were diverting drugs. Since then, a thorough investigation has been conducted. It was discovered that from September 24 through September 29, using your Personal Identification Number (PIN), you withdrew morphine that you were unable to account for. Specifically, you withdrew morphine for your patients that was not documented in your patients’ charts, and you withdrew morphine for other nurses’ patients without the other nurses’ knowledge. These withdrawals were also not documented in their patients’ medical charts.
On October 1, you voluntarily submitted to a drug test at the Ozark Clinic.7 Your test results were positive for morphine.
As a result, we have no choice but to terminate your employment for violation of the following provisions of hospital policy 2.05, a copy of which is enclosed:
1.2.2 Dishonesty
1.2.5 Using, possessing, . . . or being under the influence of . . . illegal drugs or controlled substances while on duty, while on Corporation property
1.2.10 Falsification or making a material omission on forms, records, or reports, including . . . patient records
1.2.11 Violating safety or health rules or practices or engaging in conduct that creates a safety or health hazard
In addition, we are required to contact the Board of Registered Nursing to inform them of the events leading up to your termination.
Sincerely,
Emma Sbanotto
Vice President, Nursing
7 This employee apparently believed that the residual drug would have dissipated to a point where it did not show up in a lab test. She voluntarily submitted to this drug test to strengthen her case that she was innocent.