Coworker Diverting Narcotics: Report to the Supervisor

Conflict Management & Team Communication · Question from the ATI RN Leadership 2023 Proctored Exam study set

Correct answer: Report to the supervisor

Why this is the answer

Patient safety is the priority; suspected substance abuse or theft must be reported through the proper chain of command.

The bigger concept

Suspected drug diversion is a patient-safety issue first: the patient is going without pain relief, and an impaired nurse endangers everyone on the unit. The correct response follows the chain of command — charge nurse or supervisor — not confronting the coworker, staying silent, or telling the patient. Most state boards also impose a duty to report. Note observable facts (counts, wastage witness gaps, behavior) objectively and let the supervisor and pharmacy investigate.

Related Conflict Management & Team Communication practice questions

• Leaving Against Medical Advice (AMA): Nurse's Role
• Pressure Injury From Failing to Turn a Patient: Malpractice
• Unjustified Restraint: False Imprisonment
• Giving a Medication the Patient Refused: Battery
• Charting a Task That Was Never Done: Falsification of Records

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