A traveling nurse’s drug crimes started in 2013, when she served 90 days in jail according to a recent article and is currently on probation for that. However things didn’t stop there, while on a temporary nursing job and only two days after she was given her swipe badge, she started stealing Fentanyl and Midazolam from an automated dispensing cabinet.

Before she got caught, she stole vials of the drugs 34 times.

What was different in this case is that she didn’t take blame and says she isn’t addicted. She put the blame of the thefts on her ex-boyfriend along with the hospital administrators and other staff members.

Because of pointing blame at others, the judge ended up giving her 18 months in jail and another 18 months on extended supervision, even though prison time wasn’t agreed to in the plea deal.

Why didn’t the temp nursing company see the prior drug charges? Why didn’t they see that she was on probation? It is time for States and the Nursing Board to do a better job watching drug related offenses of nurses, even if the drugs are not obtained from the hospital. It all comes down to patient safety and quality of care. Do you want your caregiver to be high on drugs?