Nashville nurse admits to swiping opioids from TriStar, Nashville General
Brett KelmanA Nashville nurse has admitting to stealing and abusing opioid medications while working at two of the cities’ most prominent hospitals in recent years.
State officials suspended the nursing license of Nicole Elise Harper, who has been a nurse in Tennessee for about five years, but Harper could potentially get the license back if she undergoes addiction treatment, according to an order from the Tennessee Board of Nursing that became public on this week.
Harper signed that board order, admitting that its contents are true.
The order says Harper confessed to swiping two injectable opioids – hydromorphone and morphine – between 10 and 30 times while working at TriStar Centennial Medical Center in 2016 and 2017.
Harper also admitted earlier this year that she took Oxycodone from Nashville General Hospital while working as a traveling nurse.
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Board documents add that Harper told state investigators she now plans to seek a new career.
Harper could not be reached for comment. She does not appear to be represented by an attorney.
Joe Hagan, a TriStar spokesman, said there are safeguards in place to manage medication administration and accounting.
"In this instance, when the nurse admitted theft immediate action was taken to remove her from the patient care setting and appropriate authorities were notified in accordance with Tennessee Board of Nursing and hospital policies,” he said.
Harper’s suspension was revealed Friday in a monthly report announcement by the Tennessee Department of Health, which maintains public records on licenses for doctors, nurses, chiropractors, massage therapists and other health care professionals throughout the state. More than 100 disciplinary actions were included in the latest monthly report.
Brett Kelman is the health care reporter for The Tennessean. He can be reached at 615-259-8287 or at brett.kelman@tennessean.com. Follow him on Twitter at @brettkelman.