At a Tennessee Hospital, a Nurse Stole Fentanyl and AI Missed It, State Records Say

By: Darius Tahir

Outlets: KFF Health News

Published: June 3, 2026

Words: 1,696

Last Updated: 1 week, 1 day ago

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About a year ago at Erlanger Baroness, the largest hospital in Chattanooga, anesthesia staff noticed that a nurse was slurring his words and struggling to stay awake while on duty in the surgery center, according to a Tennessee Board of Nursing consent order.

In the days that followed, the nurse failed a drug test and was fired, the order states. The nurse later admitted that for months he had pilfered and abused fentanyl left …

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