The Connecticut Board of Examiners for Nursing on Oct. 1 rejected a proposed consent order that would have placed school nurse Dolores Dear on a formal reprimand and six months’ probation after department counsel said she provided a nonprescribed asthma treatment to a student and failed to document medication administration properly.

Department presentation
- Attorney Kataya told the board that on or about Dec. 2, 2024, Dear provided an asthma treatment and an inhaler that was not prescribed to the child and advised the child’s parent to administer further treatments; the next day, the nurse reportedly performed a hallway physical exam of a child who appeared to have difficulty breathing.
- The proposed consent order would have included a formal reprimand and a six‑month probation requiring education in nursing scope of practice and documentation.

Board concerns and vote
- Board members expressed stronger patient‑safety concerns than the proposed order addressed. Lisa Freeman and Salvatore Diaz said the conduct showed poor judgment and an out‑of‑scope practice that, in a school setting, lacked direct supervision. Cindy Arpin asked for employer reports with tolling language and a longer period of oversight; Salvatore Diaz suggested the nurse might need supervised practice before returning to an independent school‑nurse role.
- After discussion, the board voted to reject the consent order as written. Members directed the department to return with a stronger proposal if it seeks an agreed resolution.

Context
- Board members stressed that school nurses often practice without immediate clinical supervision and must therefore adhere closely to scope‑of‑practice and medication‑administration rules. Several members noted prior, unrelated program issues around LPN training in the state as context for heightened scrutiny.

Ending note
- The department and board will re‑examine the case and may present a revised consent order or pursue other administrative remedies.