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Respondent at Connecticut nursing-board hearing denies diverting patient medications; Department seeks revocation and fine
Summary
At a licensing hearing, Department counsel told the nursing board investigators verified a patient—s lorazepam prescription was found on the respondent—s property and urged revocation and a civil fine; the respondent denied taking patient medication but acknowledged giving her own prescriptions to a coworker and asked for mitigation.
The Connecticut nursing board heard testimony on allegations that retired nurse Liza Paulson removed a patient—s lorazepam from a facility and provided controlled substances to a coworker, with Department of Public Health counsel urging revocation of her license and a civil penalty.
Department investigator Mister Sebastian testified that coworker number 1 reported seeing a patient—s blister pack of lorazepam on a dining-room table at Paulson—s residence and that investigators later confirmed the patient had a lorazepam prescription. "Taking medication outside of our organization would be considered diversion," Sebastian said in questioning by counsel.
Paulson, sworn and testifying in her own defense, denied diverting patient medication from the Kennedy Center or having a patient—s lorazepam at her home. She said she had a personal prescription for lorazepam and acknowledged giving some of her own prescriptions to a friend and coworker in limited periods. "Basically, what I wanted to say is that I'm a 65 year old woman who's been a nurse actively practicing for over 40 years," Paulson told the board, asking it to weigh her long career and the lack of prior discipline.
Cross-examination highlighted conflicting timelines: Department counsel and a coworker alleged a pattern of sharing from about 2016 through 2019, while Paulson said she provided assistance primarily in 2016—2017 and briefly again in 02/2019. Paulson disputed that she had admitted to a multi-year pattern during her interview with investigators.
In closing, Department counsel told the board the record showed more than a single lapse and argued the conduct posed a threat to patient safety. "This conduct demonstrates a clear threat to patient safety," Department counsel said, urging revocation of Paulson's license and a civil penalty. Defense counsel asked the board to apply progressive discipline instead, proposing a suspended revocation or a one-year withholding of revocation in lieu of permanent loss of licensure or a monetary fine, and noted Paulson—s age and current unemployment.
Board members also questioned Paulson about her private work as a health-care coordinator, whether she had experience medically titrating a patient off opioids (she said she did not have formal experience and had helped as a friend), and about the facility's medication-destruction procedures (she said destruction required two people).
The board recessed for 30 minutes to conduct fact-finding, which they confirmed would be on the record and limited to board members' participation. No final disciplinary decision was announced at the hearing's recess; the board indicated it would continue with fact-finding after the break.
