The Associated Press and the Boston Globe reported on February 11, 2011 that a nurse who was
supposed to sedate a patient before kidney stone surgery took most of the painkillers for herself1
and told the patient to “man up” — giving him such a small dose he was writhing in pain on the
operating table, according to criminal charges.
During surgery, the patient told doctors he was experiencing severe pain. Hospital staff told police that
the nurse, on the other hand, was distracted, kept falling asleep, and was gesturing and talking loudly.
One technician told police the patient was screaming while the drugged nurse told him to “go to your
beach. . . go to your happy place.”
The Hospital (located in Minneapolis) officials found empty syringes in the nurse’s pocket. She refused
a drug test and resigned. The nurse was charged with theft of a controlled substance, a felony.