[dorian204]

This past Friday I was called into my directors office as he told me to go home, with pay, and come back on Tuesday morning and report to HR with my union rep, as there is an pending investigation.
I was confused and taken back on why he would say this to me.
I am a buyer at a hospital, I deal with hundreds of different types of supplies and equipment.
Thursday morning I had a call from my receiving dock that we had an item come in, which was an over shipment, but while looking into this, I had found out that these type of items are kept in the warehouse; needles.
Thursday before my shift ended, I did a quick search on my computer software to see what types of needles I have, and the amount of sizes we carry. I could see we carry dozens of them.
So I took a bag, went down to the warehouse, asked for help to locate these items. I had placed the items in the bag, only 2 different sizes of needles, and headed back to my desk.
I had emptied out my bag, and left the needles on my desk and would investigate the next morning if these needles would be suitable for my department.
Friday morning I had called that department, and the nurse is away till Tuesday, shortly after I got called into my directors office, and he said there is an investigation pending.

The person who helped me out, whom I found out later had reported suspicious activity, and also said it was odd I was in the warehouse at the time.
I am the only one in my office (we have 6 in my office) to start at 8:15 am and leave at 4:30 pm.

My gut is all twisted because someone who helped me pick these items out thought I was stealing.
These items are still sitting on my desk.

[joypulv]

Can't get this story to make a lot of sense.
Will try from the 'prosecution' viewpoint.
1. Why do you need to take actual needles 'to see if these needles would be suitable for my department?' You don't. You have all the specs for each needle on your computer.
2. In hospital supply, EVERYONE knows that every item that remotely might be related to drug use and abuse would be strictly monitored, and there would be written policy about taking any. What does policy SAY?
3. You were the only person in your office when you left them there, and the first person in in the morning. So innocently doing all this at the end of the day doesn't help your defense. You could have been trying to figure out a way to account for taking them before you actually left the premises, or before you shipped them off the premises. You could have gone home to research what sizes heroin dealers like.

So... your story is weak. Mostly this hinges on written policy. Some depends on your job description as a buyer. If it is your job to decide what sizes of needles are needed, how do you make that decision?
I would imagine that you have software that counts quantity used x time. That, and shipment lag time, determines when you reorder and how much.
I just don't see a buyer taking physical needles around to nurses/doctors to show them and ask if they are the sizes they like and use. Yes, you called the nurse for your department (one nurse for a whole department? who was away? what kind of place IS this? or she is the only one in charge of ordering?), but still, why did you feel you needed some physical needles to ask about them?

Your story is just soooo weak.....

But your gut is all twisted with innocence, so convince us. Not that we can really 'defend' you. You talk out all the myriad details with the union rep and HR and your director, and your rep can tell you what your options are.

If you are innocent, and I am in no way judging you from my personal viewpoint, knowing nothing other than the rather confusing story you have written, you are extremely naive. And someone that naive should not be a medical supplies buyer. How old are you? How many years in the medical field do you have?

That would be my defense, I guess. Naivete. Better than stupid, but... it was, sorry.

[dorian204]

1. As a buyer at this hospital, working here for 5 years, we have just been implemented with a new software throughout the region. Its been difficult to explain our users how to order materials, with the training they have also had. The main reason I went to locate these needles we keep stock in the warehouse was to compare the ones my department wanted to return, and ask why would we order from outside the hospital when we have them under the roof. I work close with this nurse, and every time there is a problem, I have stents, catheters, medical supplies around my desk that need to be returned or that have expired, or even behind me sitting on a shelves for years before I started working there. You are correct I have the specs, but no other department has access to them, that was why I took samples and was going to show her as a 'visual' basis. 2. That's something I didn't look into. The sad thing is, there are no cameras in the warehouse. I have never touched drugs, and that would have been the last thing on my mind. I will look into it. 3. I start at 8:15 and end at 4:30. My other co-workers start at 7:45-8:00 and finish at 4:15. How I decide what needles I need is to ask my end user. I called the department but the nurse was away from her desk, the next morning when I had called the department, the nurse's voicemail read nurse was away till next week. She does the ordering for her section of the department. There are two types of orders. Non stock and stock. Stock items are generated automatically non stock items are manually generated, as to my my red flags went up when I saw 5 boxes of needles sitting on my desk to return, when I knew we carried several sizes in the warehouse.

[joypulv]

So for 5 years, no policy was drummed into you? No handbook? Not even online handbook?

Please try to realize that no one is interested in personal statements. I suppose you can tell the people you see Tues that you 'have never touched drugs, and that would have been the last thing on my mind,' but it's not relevant because you can't prove it. In fact, it is exasperating. How you could be so naive is suspicious all by itself, so I wouldn't even say anything. You could SELL them. I made that CLEAR.

You also seem to be missing the point of not needing the physical needles to show the nurse. She knows what they look like. She will have some on hand. You both can look up the specs.

You also seem to be missing the point about taking things out of stock, period, that are not going to an assigned department by way of a written order. How would a camera aimed at you in the warehouse help you? It wouldn't.

So far, you are doing a terrible job defending yourself. If you can talk to your union rep tomorrow, and let him or her do the talking, that might be best. You just don't seem to understand how this works. You could throw all the other items on your desk into a box and bring them with you to show how you use the physical items all the time, and just didn't think... that's the best you can hope for, I think.

But again, this may all boil down to policy. If there's a list of sensitive items that may never be taken from the warehouse, then you are toast.

[Fr_Chuck]

So your union rep tells them they are on your desk. They go there and see they were not stolen. Assuming this was part of your job, checking on this.

So your union rep tells them they are on your desk. They go there and see they were not stolen. Assuming this was part of your job, checking on this.

So your union rep tells them they are on your desk. They go there and see they were not stolen. Assuming this was part of your job, checking on this.

[dorian204]

For example this has happened in a number of occasions, a department wants to return sutures or needles. I've been told by my supervisor if we know another department will take them, we can assign it to them accordingly.
I've hand delivered products that was being returned to department heads asking if they want them.

[talaniman]

Relax. If the needles are still on your desk then you obviously didn't steal them, and had no intention too.

[dorian204]

Also, might I add I am allowed to go to the warehouse and pick out items if my end users are in need of them.

[joypulv]

I beg to differ in the 'relax' department, but we shall see...... hopefully you are all right.

[dorian204]

I spoke with the warehouse manager yesterday.
He said I'll be fine.
Just need to tell the director and hr why I intended to take
The goods off the shelf.
As long as they are sitting on my desk and nothing was taken out
Of the hospital, all okay.

[dorian204]

Everything worked out.
No disciplinary action.
Back to work.

[joypulv]

dorian204 - I apologize for raising alarms.

[ScottGem]

I'm glad it worked out, but I still question the process here. If you have a computerized inventory system, then there should never be a need to take samples unless you are intending to send those samples to a new vendor. Even then the specifications for he items should be enough for a vendor to give you a quote or an nursing supervisor to identify an item.