A nursing home caregiver who admitted tying a resident into a wheelchair with a bedsheet and who was also convicted of child endangerment can continue to practice nursing, state regulators have ruled.
In January, the Iowa Board of Nursing charged Katherine Becker of Casey with being involved in the unauthorized possession or use of a controlled substance; excessive use of alcohol that might impair her ability to practice nursing; and committing an act that could adversely affect the welfare of a patient.
According to board records, Guthrie County law enforcement executed a search warrant at Becker’s home in July 2021 and found the home “in an extreme state of disarray, with dirty dishes and food remnants found in the kitchen and animal excrement smeared all over the premises.” During the search, deputies seized three marijuana plants and drug paraphernalia and charged Becker with child endangerment for the state of her residence. Becker later pleaded guilty to the charge, according to the board.
In subsequent discussions with the board staff, Becker allegedly indicated she still worked in a nursing home but had recently “gone on a bender” and blacked out for several days.
According to the board, Becker was working at the Atlantic Specialty Care nursing home last September when she used a bedsheet to tie down, in a wheelchair, a female resident of the home. Becker allegedly defended her actions by saying the restraint was intended to prevent the woman from getting up and wandering.
Board records indicate the incident was reported to the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals, which regulates Iowa’s nursing homes, and the agency concluded the matter did not constitute dependent adult abuse.
The Board of Nursing voted recently to indefinitely suspend Becker’s license, but added that the suspension was being stayed pending the submission of a substance abuse evaluation, successful completion of any recommended treatment and the completion of 10 hours of educational training related to elder care.
If Becker cannot meet those requirements within the next six months, the license suspension will take effect.
Other board actions
Among the other Iowa nurses to recently face sanctions from the Iowa Board of Nursing:
— Elizabeth Harvey of Mediapolis: The board recently refused to reinstate the license of Harvey, who was criminally charged with stealing medications from nursing home residents and later tested positive for methamphetamine.
State records indicate the board issued Harvey a license in February 2016. In April 2017, Des Moines County deputies met with Harvey’s employer at the Prairie Ridge Care Rehabilitation Center — now known as Azria Health Prairie Ridge — in Mediapolis. The home’s administrator alleged someone had stolen 119 pills of Tramadol, an opioid pain killer, intended for residents of the home.
Police records indicate Harvey, who was nine months pregnant at the time, admitted she had stolen the medications and that she then tested positive for opiates and amphetamines. Harvey later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of unlawful possession of prescription drugs, and a charge of theft was dismissed. She was placed on probation and awarded a deferred judgment, according to court records.
As a result of that criminal case and other allegations involving patient-medication errors, the Board of Nursing placed Harvey’s license on probation. According to the board, within a few months of her license being placed in probation, Harvey tested positive for methamphetamine and in October 2019, she surrendered her license.
In November 2021, she applied for reinstatement of her license. That application was still pending last November, when she was arrested and charged with first-offense drunken driving after a single-vehicle, roll-over accident on a state highway. According to police, Harvey told the responding officers she was drunk at the time of the accident and said had been on Facetime with a friend when she lost control of her vehicle and struck a utility pole. She pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two days in jail.
In January, the board held a closed hearing on Harvey’s request for reinstatement. At the hearing, Harvey denied stealing Tramadol from patients, denied ever using methamphetamine, and told the board she hadn’t responded truthfully to questions posed during her substance abuse treatment. She told the board she had maintained her sobriety and wanted to return to nursing in a hospital setting.
A few weeks later, Harvey was pulled over and charged with second-offense drunken driving and driving with a revoked license. She pleaded guilty and on April 7, she was sentenced to 90 days in jail.
Four days later, before beginning her sentence, Harvey was arrested again and charged with driving while her license was revoked. Last week, after she failed to appear for her arraignment, a warrant was issued for her arrest. Citing her lack of participation in a recovery program and her admitted lack of candor related to her treatment, the Board of Nursing recently voted to deny Harvey’s application for reinstatement.
— Tara Klein of Marshalltown: The board voted recently to revoke the license of Klein, who was charged last October with violating an agreement with the Iowa Nurse Assistance Program Committee, and with being involved in the unauthorized possession or use of a controlled substance. A hearing on the board’s charges was held in January, at which Klein failed to appear.
Board records indicate Klein’s license was placed on probation in September 2013 due to a conviction for second-offense drunken driving and for making false representations to the board. In October 2014, Klein was convicted of drunken driving again and her nurse’s license was indefinitely suspended, then placed on probation.
In September 2021, Klein was again convicted of drunken driving but retained her nursing license and was referred to the Iowa Nursing Assistance Program. According to the board, she then failed to submit the required substance abuse and mental health evaluations and failed to comply with a drug screening program. In December 2021, Klein was arrested for, and later convicted of, possession of methamphetamine, the board alleges.
Klein can apply for reinstatement of her license in one year if she can provide proof of 12 months’ sobriety.
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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