Swiping pain killers from elderly patients- the allegation facing one local nurse who worked at a rehab/nursing center in Jacksonville.

Overall, three registered nurses working in Jacksonville have now seen their licenses suspended or restricted as a result of recent investigations by the Florida Department of Health. The DOH just announced disciplinary action against 23 health workers across the state.

One of the nurses who’s license is now restricted is 47-year-old Shawn Smith from Green Cove Springs, who worked at St. Catherine Laboure Manor at St. Vincent’s in Jacksonville.

According to records I obtained from the state, Smith admitted to taking about twenty doses of hydrocodone-acetaminophen from three patients for her own personal use in May 2014.  While acetaminophen is not a controlled substance, hydrocodone is and has the potential to be abused.  Records show the people Smith took the medicine from are a 91-year-old female, 75-year-old female and 71-year-old male.

Smith has been arrested for obtaining a controlled substance by fraud, which is a felony. Jail records show she bonded out and court records show she was accepted in to felony pre-trial drug intervention in July. While Smith’s license was restricted, FL DOH records show it has since expired and has not been renewed.

A nurse working at Memorial Hospital has had his license suspended after pleading guilty to obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. The arrest report I’ve obtained says 27-year-old Gary Brower told the hospital he had severe back pain and was not getting enough pain killers through his own doctor. He allegedly told managers he would help relieve his pain by diverting oxycodone from patients.

Court records show Brower was sentenced to 18 months or probation. State law mandates his license be suspended because he pled guilty to a felony.

The second restriction was placed on the license of Alishea Young, who worked at UF Health Jacksonville but has since been terminated. Investigators say Young was working as a floater nurse in March 2014 when coworkers noticed her “exhibiting strange behavior”. State records claim Young was “rubbing a patient’s face while telling her to calm down, beating on a mirror in a patient’s room, beating her fist into a filing cabinet while yelling profanity, and seemingly speaking to voices in her head.”

A drug test performed on Young came back positive for marijuana and benzodiapines, which are sedatives. Young has been undergoing mental evaluation after admitting to a long term marijuana habit and behavioral problems.

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