Nurse Surrenders License After Sexual Assault
Nurses are in a position to help those who are sick or injured. Nurses often see patients in vulnerable positions, and in some cases, they take advantage of this situation by engaging in unethical activities in patients. For example, a nurse who sees a patient naked may try to gain the patient’s trust and engage in sexual assault.
Unfortunately, this situation has occurred numerous times. It recently happened in Texas, causing a male nurse to lose his license.
At the end of May, a former nurse was sentenced to nine years in prison for drugging and sexually assaulting a patient in a Texas hospital. He was convicted of two counts of sexual assault. A jury sentenced the 35-year-old man to nine years in prison for one count, and 10 years of probation on the second count. The nurse faced up to 20 years in prison for each charge.
The nurse was convicted of sexually assaulting a patient who was undergoing a hip replacement in March 2017. The patient claims she was drugged by the nurse. She woke up twice and found his fingers in her vagina. The man had injected the woman with diphenhydramine—a drug most commonly known as Benadryl—and the woman fell asleep. The nurse then proceeded to sexually assault her.
The woman made a complaint to police officers. The nurse was arrested later that same month. However, this was not the only complaint against the nurse. Six months earlier, another patient at the same hospital also experienced sexual assault by the nurse. The woman was given pain medication against her wishes. She was not in pain, but the nurse gave her medication anyway. She ended up feeling dizzy and sleepy. The nurse then proceeded to touch the woman’s breasts and nipples.
Police investigated the case, but it was closed in January 2017 after the hospital failed to cooperate with officers. There were questions about the identity of the accused nurse. What’s also disturbing is that the nurse has been accused of sexual assault in two other cases at a different hospital. Since 2007, he has also worked at two more hospitals.
These incidents led the state nursing board to suspend the nurse’s license. A few weeks after the suspension, the nurse voluntarily gave up his license.
Keep Your License with Help From a Tampa Nursing License Lawyer
Nurses have a duty to uphold strict standards, which include acting in an ethical manner, both in and out of the workplace. When a nurse acts immorally or breaks the law, he or she faces fines, license suspension and even revocation.
If you are a Florida nurse who is facing license loss, don’t try to handle the charges on your own. The Law Offices of David P. Rankin, P.A. can assess your case. It’s possible to get your charges reduced or eliminated altogether. I have 30 years of experience representing nurses and other licensed professionals. Call my office at (813) 968-6633 or fill out the online form for a consultation.
Resource:
star-telegram.com/news/local/community/northeast-tarrant/article212098844.html
