Iowa Nurse Charged After Tying an Elderly Woman to Her Wheelchair

A staff nurse in Iowa has been charged with committing an act that may have had an adverse effect on the health of an elderly patient in her care.

The incident, according to the Iowa Board of Nursing documents, happened on December 11, 2021. The nurse involved took a bed sheet and wrapped it around an elderly female for the purpose of restraining her. There are no other details about the incident in the board’s report.

A news article reports that the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals investigated the incident, treating it as a dependent adult abuse case. Following the investigation, the inspections department determined the nurse’s actions were serious. They issued a citation against the nursing home, Corydon Specialty Care, for resident abuse, and assessed a $41,605 fine against the facility.

The state inspector’s report alleges that the nurse tied the resident to her wheelchair for no other purpose than to keep her restrained and prevent her from inconveniencing the other staff. The elderly female victim suffers from severe cognitive issues and dementia.

According to a worker, she saw Archer and another nurse with the resident in the facility’s dining room. The two nurses were complaining about how they would not be able to get all of their work done during their shift. The witness then heard the two nurses ask for someone to bring them a bed sheet. Later that day, the same witness saw that the elderly resident had been tied to her wheelchair with a bed sheet. The sheet had been wrapped around her legs and her chest, preventing her from being able to stand up.

A second witness, another employee, also observed the woman tied to her wheelchair. At that time, the woman was struggling to get free of the bed sheet and stand up. This employee, along with another worker, said they untied the knots in the bed sheet, but that they had a difficult time getting them undone. One of the facility’s employees took a photo of the woman while she was tied up. According to the state inspector’s report, however, the administrator at the facility later told the employee to delete the photo.

Archer denies any wrongdoing in the matter. However, the board’s final assessment states that Archer’s actions may have adversely affected the resident’s well-being. Although Archer is being allowed to keep her license, she must attend and complete 30 hours of patient management education.

Other Iowa Nurses Sanctioned by the Board

Other nurses in Iowa who have recently been charged and sanctioned by the board include:

• Kellie Jo Allison in Ankeny: This nurse was criminally charged after she was caught stealing prescription medications from patients. Allison was the director of nursing at Martina Place Assisted Living facility at the time. In February 2020, she was formally accused for obtaining hydrocodone and oxycodone medications from two residents at the facility. She also altered medical records to cover up the theft. After a plea settlement, Allision ended up with a $1,000 fine and two years of probation. She did have to surrender her license, but can apply for reinstatement after a year.
• Stacey Tams, Council Bluffs: Charges were brought against Tams for knowingly permitting an unlicensed individual to practice nursing at the facility where she worked in 2019. Tams was employed by the Methodist Physicians Clinic of Council Bluffs at the time of the incident.
• Rebecca George, West Burlington: George was employed as a nurse at an unspecified nursing home facility in 2017. The board formally charged her for having “spilled some liquid morphine” intended for a resident in her care. Following the incident, George failed to report what had happened. As a result, she was ordered by the board to attend five hours of client care education. She was also later arrested, in January 2019, on charges of domestic abuse assault. However, these charges were dropped once she completed treatment for substance abuse.

Call Our Trusted Law Firm When You Need Legal Help

At PKSD, we are dedicated to holding nursing homes and their employees accountable for acts of abuse or neglect against the residents in their care.

Even if you are unsure whether you may have a case, you can contact our firm and request a free case review. There is no charge or obligation to file a claim. It is, however, an excellent opportunity to get answers to your questions from one of our licensed attorneys.

Our experienced nursing home abuse lawyers in Wisconsin are prepared to help. We also accept cases in Iowa and New Mexico. Call today, or any time, to request your free case review.

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