A 63-year-old Iowa nurse convicted of stealing a patient’s painkillers has agreed to surrender her nursing license.
According to court records and documents from the Iowa Board of Nursing, Anita Hoyt of Rockwell City was criminally charged earlier this year with unlawful possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of a prescription drug, theft, and two counts of dependent adult abuse.
Police records indicate that in February, Hoyt stole 14 hydrocodone pills that belonged to a Rockwell City woman. The pills were stolen from the victim’s home and, according to prosecutors, Hoyt was the victim’s caretaker at the time of the theft.
In October, Hoyt and Calhoun County prosecutors reached a plea deal in which Hoyt pleaded guilty to one count of dependent adult abuse and one count of unlawful possession of a prescription drug. As part of the plea deal, she admitted stealing the patient’s drugs. In return for the guilty plea, the three remaining charges against Hoyt were dropped.
Hoyt was then granted a deferred judgment that entails one year of probation. If, at the end of one year, she has complied with the terms of her probation, all court records related to her arrest and prosecution will be expunged from the public record.
Hoyt can apply for reinstatement of her nursing license in one year, according to the Board of Nursing.
More nursing board actions
In an unrelated matter, the board has indefinitely suspended the nursing license of Alissa Turner, 30, of Sioux City.
On June 23, police officers served a search warrant for Turner’s house and car as part of a homicide investigation that focused on an associate of Turner’s. A search of Turner’s car uncovered 8.7 grams of marijuana in the center console of the car, while a search of her home uncovered more marijuana, plus a marijuana grinder and unspecified “THC substances,” according to police.
At the time, Turner worked for Jackson Recovery Centers, a substance abuse treatment provider in Sioux City. Prosecutors later dismissed the drug charge and Turner pleaded guilty to a charge of frequenting a disorderly house and a charge of allowing an unauthorized person to drive a vehicle. She was fined $365.
The board has also ordered Dezaree Major, 47, of Woodward, to complete 30 hours of continuing education. According to the board, Major was working at unspecified Iowa nursing home in 2021 when, for five months, she falsified various medical records and performed nursing services beyond the scope of her license.
Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com. Follow Iowa Capital Dispatch on Facebook and Twitter.
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