Many Pennsylvania nurses have access to controlled substances during the normal course of their work duties. A nurse in another state is currently the subject of a licensing board proceeding and criminal investigation regarding accusations against her that she harmed her patients. Two key factors are central focuses of her situation: She is said to have inappropriately handled drugs on the job and also that she tried to infect her patients with Hepatitis C.
The nurse tested positive for the illness some time ago. The Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission suspended the 31-year-old’s license on a recent Monday. Officials claim she took controlled substances out of a secure area and did not properly document waste materials that were associated with those products.
The nurse’s superiors say she told the Commission that she has been aware that she has Hepatitis C for several years. They also say she gave a conflicting response by saying she only recently learned of her illness. An attorney advocating on the woman’s behalf stated it is preposterous to think she knowingly tried to infect her patients by injecting herself, then using the same syringe to inject them.
The woman was arrested and taken to jail but later released because prosecutors say they did not have enough evidence to charge her with a crime. Criminal proceedings are separate from any hearings or rulings issued by a licensing board, although the two sometimes intersect. An experienced Pennsylvania attorney can assist any nurse, doctor or other professional facing a possible license suspension.
Source: thenewstribune.com, “Nurse linked to hepatitis C scare loses state license after release from jail without charges“, Sean Robinson, May 8, 2018