Board modifies order to allow suspended nurse to complete CCNW online refresher

At its meeting, the board that oversees nursing licensure under the Department of Public Health voted to modify a prior memorandum of decision so that respondent Aza Dodwell, RN, may complete the board-approved CCNW refresher course offered fully online to satisfy the retraining requirement and move the case toward the probationary monitoring phase.

The modification was proposed after Department counsel and the respondent’s attorney described barriers that had prevented Dodwell from completing the program originally specified in the modification. Julian Kataya, attorney for the Department of Public Health, said the department "has no objection to a modification so that the respondent can comply with the order." He told members Reurse Academy — the originally authorized hybrid provider — refunded Dodwell’s deposit and has been unable or unwilling to register her, leaving the respondent without a practicable route to comply.

Respondent counsel Agie Cahill outlined the case history and the options she presented to the board. Cahill said Dodwell has been suspended since February 2025 following an earlier hearing, that the memorandum of decision was approved in September 2025, and that Dodwell "has been trying to comply with the retraining portion." Cahill described repeated failed attempts to enroll with Reurse Academy (including paying a deposit and scheduling meetings in late November 2025) and said staff did not attend scheduled registration meetings. She offered three alternatives in priority order: the CCNW fully online program (Connecticut), a Florida program that combines online work with in-person clinical hours, or a combination of the South Dakota program plus Florida clinical hours, noting the latter would double time and cost for the respondent.

Board members echoed concern about Reurse Academy’s responsiveness and asked the department to follow up. Board member Mary Deepman said she wanted clarity about which department staff had been handling Reurse Academy communications and asked that the board put the issue on a future agenda for a fuller review. Several members said that because the board had previously approved CCNW as an online refresher course and because the respondent would remain under four years of probation and employer monitoring, allowing the CCNW option was appropriate to let the compliance process move forward.

Board member Cindy moved to "modify the memorandum of decision to allow this respondent to take her refresher course through the CCNW board of nursing approved CCNW refresher course." Elizabeth AA Rodriguez seconded the motion. After brief discussion, the Chair called a roll-call vote; the motion carried.

The board noted that the refresher course is one part of the remedy: after completion and lifting of suspension, Dodwell would be subject to a four-year probation term with employer reporting and restrictions the board described in the original order. The board also said it would schedule follow-up work to examine Reurse Academy’s interactions with the department and to determine whether additional action is needed.

The meeting then moved to public comment (none) and adjourned.