At a Tennessee hospital, a nurse stole fentanyl and AI missed it, state records say

By: Brett Kelman, KFF Health News, Darius Tahir

Outlets: Tennessee Lookout

Published: June 8, 2026

Words: 1,707

Last Updated: 3 days, 19 hours 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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