An Oklahoma licensed practical nurse working at a nursing home was terminated in February 2022. According to the Board of Nursing complaint, the nurse admitted to a substance-abuse problem, to diverting a patient's Schedule II controlled dangerous substance for personal use, and to subsequently destroying the patient's narcotic record.
The nurse was charged with felony larceny of a controlled dangerous substance in March 2022 and pleaded guilty in September 2022. The court ordered a five-year deferred sentence, supervised probation, a psychological assessment and payment of fees, an assessment and costs.
The Board also reported that the nurse failed to cooperate with its investigation and that all attempts to contact the nurse were unsuccessful. Citing grounds including falsifying patient records, diversion of controlled substances and failure to maintain custody of controlled dangerous substances, the Board proposed to temporarily suspend the license pending a hearing on the merits.
The Oklahoma Attorney General's office issued a supervisory letter in 2023 concluding the Board had adequate support for the proposed action. A temporary suspension pending a hearing is an interim measure, not a final disciplinary finding.