Final answer:
The nurse should report pilfering of medicines by a colleague to the supervisor, in line with the Nurse Practice Acts, ensuring patient safety and integrity of healthcare practices are upheld.
Step-by-step explanation:
When an on-duty nurse discovers that a colleague is misappropriating medicines, it is mandatory to act in accordance with ethical guidelines and the Nurse Practice Acts. The nurse should report the incident to the supervisor immediately. This ensures appropriate institutional measures can be taken to address the misconduct and prevent potential harm to patients. Maintaining the integrity of the healthcare environment and patient safety are top priorities.
Discussing the incident solely with the colleague might not prevent future incidents, and reporting to local law enforcement might not be immediately necessary unless advised to do so by hospital policy. Overlooking the incident is against ethical and professional standards, and could potentially endanger patient health and safety. In the clinical focus referenced, the hospital acted by terminating the employee and involving law enforcement after discovering the theft of painkillers, which subsequently led to the discovery of patients contracting HIV because of contaminated syringes.