Volusia County nurse suspended, accused of stealing medications

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The state suspended a Volusia County nurse on charges of stealing medication from her patients.

Investigators want to know what she was doing with the powerful painkillers.

Records show Tammie Clayton worked at The Terrace at Daytona Beach, a nursing home behind the Volusia Mall.

A report says that she told an elderly patient she gave him his pills, even though security cameras show otherwise.

A patient at the nursing home was in so much pain, he flagged down a nurse for medication, but his medical records said he already took hydrocodone.

State officials believe it was no mistake, and Clayton intentionally wrote them that way.

Zayna Gibson's 83-year-old mother has lived at The Terrace of Daytona Beach for five years.

"I am a licensed accountant, if I did that my license would be taken. Her license needs to be taken," Gibson said.

Administrators went to the state after their own investigation showed Clayton allegedly stole dozens of hydrocodone pills from December to January.

Investigators watched hours of surveillance video from Clayton's shift. They would not share the footage but said the entire time she never entered some of the patient's rooms.

A couple patients claim they never even asked for pills.

One nurse recalled a conversation with a resident in which she asked him what he does to relieve the pain.

"I put my feet up for a couple of minutes," he said.

"Don't you ever take pills for pain? Wouldn't that help?" the nurse asked.

"No, I don't need no pain pills," he said.

Another employee told officials Clayton would sometimes not even make her rounds.

Clayton's drug test came back clean, raising questions about where the painkillers were going.

Clayton was fired, but she told the Department of Health she medicated patients based on her nursing judgment.

WFTV