Recently, a number of Iowa nurses, including one from Ottumwa, were licensed by the Iowa Board of Nursing.
Another Iowa nurse was accused of stealing a patient’s painkillers three times and agreed to waive her license.
Last October, police and paramedics were called to the Coon Rapids home of Roberta Landon, a licensed Iowa nurse, after receiving a call about a suspected drug overdose. According to state records, they found Landon at home in an unresponsive state.
According to police records, Landon, then 66, worked at the New Homestead Nursing Home in Guthrie Centre. According to the investigation, the day before the incident at her home, Landon was working at a homestead and signed out of her patch of fentanyl, a narcotic pain reliever that is applied to the skin of an elderly female resident. It turned out that it was.
However, upon examination of the resident, an old patch was found on the skin. Landon allegedly flipped the patch over, with the unmedicated side facing out, and signed and dated it as if it was a new patch he had obtained. Landon allegedly admitted to police that he took the resident’s painkiller patch for his own use.
Landon recently agreed to relinquish his license after being indicted by the Board of Nursing for stealing patients’ medications, falsifying records and doing other things that could adversely affect patient welfare. .
Police charged Landon with unreasonable neglect of a dependent adult, theft, and possession of a controlled substance. A hearing in the case is scheduled for June 5.
Landon has a history of disciplinary action and criminal charges related to her practice of nursing.
In 1991, Landon embezzled the narcotic pain reliever Demerol from a Missouri medical facility and was subsequently convicted of a felony. The Iowa Board of Nursing later issued Landon a violation warning.
In 1998, the Board indicted Landon for committing the unethical act of stealing drugs from the Manor of Malvern, the nursing home where Landon worked. Injected with Demerol, she later staggered and was found to be on the verge of passing out. Officers allegedly found several needles or syringes in the car seat next to Landon.
According to the investigation, Landon took Demerol, which was intended for residents suffering from severe pain, and replaced the missing medicine with a diluted solution to cover up the theft. The Board of Nursing has since revoked her license.
In 2002, the Board of Directors agreed to reinstate Landon’s license, subject to certain limitations. A year later, Landon waived his license instead of complying with these restrictions. In 2011, the board of directors agreed to reinstate her license.
Other Iowa nurses recently licensed by the board include:
Mindy Jones, Stuart – Last March, police searched Jones’ home and found many boys scattered throughout the house, according to court records. At the time, Jones was working for the General Nursing Network. She told police that her methamphetamine pipe was hers and that she recently started smoking meth.
Jones later pleaded guilty to drug possession and the child endangerment charge was dismissed. placed on probation. During that time, she must abstain from alcohol and illegal drug use and undergo a chemical test.
Joel Anderson, Omaha, Nebraska – Anderson is said to have been working at an unspecified Iowa hospital last September. The hospital’s pharmacy found that he had taken three doses of narcotics that had never been recorded as being administered or discarded to patients. Subsequent audits found no record of several narcotic and non-narcotic drug withdrawals by Anderson, administered to patients or discarded. Anderson said he had a medical condition and had run out of medication prescribed to treat the condition, which may have contributed to his behavior. Anderson was charged with failing to do so and ordered him to complete 30 hours of training related to medical documentation.
Ranae Faris, West Des Moines – Faris was indicted by the board of directors for unauthorized use of a controlled substance. She claimed that while working at an unspecified Iowa hospital in July 2022, she took a reasonable suspect drug test and tested positive for cocaine. The board put Faris’ license on her 18-month probation. In the meantime, she can continue her practice while being screened for chemicals.
Jeri Moore, Dexter – Moore was indicted by the board for falsifying patient records in connection with her employment as a home health nurse. The board ordered her to undergo 30 hours of ethics training.
Rebecca Winter, Sheldon – Winter was charged with committing acts that could adversely affect the physical or psychosocial well-being of patients. claimed to have “actively interacted with pediatric patients.”
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