Connecticut nursing board revokes LPN license after admitted diversion and patient-safety charges

The Connecticut Department of Public HealthNursing Board voted to revoke the license of licensed practical nurse Carla Davila (petition number 2022-566) after the department said Davila failed to appear for a scheduled hearing and the board deemed the allegations admitted. The department presented sealed investigative exhibits and told the board the records showed Davila diverted medications from health-care facilities and provided them to a person she was providing home care for. Attorney Joelle Newton, representing the department, told the board Davila"admitted to diverting 1 or more medications" and that, because of the allegations, "the nurse represents a danger to the profession and to the residents of the state of Connecticut." Attorney Newton asked the board to revoke the license. Why this matters: The board treats diversion of controlled substances and other forms of misappropriation as high-risk conduct because diverted medications can cause patient harm and indicate a practitioner may be unfit for safe practice. The hearing record shows the department filed multiple exhibits (investigative report, drug-control report, patient medical records, personnel records and respondent documents). The department moved to admit those exhibits into evidence and to deem the charges admitted after Davila did not appear and had emailed the department saying she could not attend and did not have counsel. Board members discussed remedy briefly. Board member Sal moved to revoke the license; Mary Dieteman seconded. Board members voted in favor; the chair recorded that the license was revoked. Process and next steps: Because the charges were deemed admitted and the board voted to revoke the license, the revocation will be entered in the boardrecord; standard post-decision notices and procedural rights for petitioners apply, including the possibility of later petitions for reinstatement under applicable rules. Speakers quoted in this article spoke during the Davila hearing or the board's remedy discussion and are listed in the speakers section below.