Middle School Nurse Allegedly Comes to Work Inebriated and Hostile
When a middle school nurse in South Carolina appeared to be intoxicated at work, the principal tried to send her home. Instead of leaving, Pamela Miller McDill, who insisted she was sober, cursed and became belligerent. The county sheriff’s office said it had no choice but to charge her with disorderly conduct and take her into custody.
It’s not clear whether officers administered a blood alcohol test. In South Carolina, authorities can determine a person is under the influence without a blood test if they slur their speech, can’t maintain balance and coordination, or smell of alcohol. The police report indicates McDill met all of these criteria.
Criminal charges aren’t McDill’s only problem right now. State licensing boards frown on medical professionals coming to work inebriated, which means she could also face disciplinary proceedings and the suspension or loss of her nursing license. The Professional License Defense Team at the LLF National Law Firm helps nurses protect their due process rights and defend their license. If you’ve been accused of wrongdoing on the job, call us at 888-535-3686 or send us a message online.
A Nurse Believed to Be Intoxicated is a Nurse in Trouble
Medical licensing boards take allegations of working while intoxicated very seriously, whether or not the nurse also faces criminal charges. Coming to work under the influence of drugs or alcohol puts patients’ lives at risk because it impairs the nurse’s judgement, memory, and reasoning. An intoxicated nurse could give a patient the wrong medication or administer it incorrectly, make critical errors in patient records, store life-saving drugs and equipment improperly, and so forth — the list of ways a nurse who isn’t completely sober can endanger patients is a long one.
Given the potentially disastrous outcomes, nurses who are suspected of being under the influence at work can expect repercussions that affect their ability to earn a living. Loss or suspension of the license is likely, but it’s also possible the board will mandate evaluation and costly, time-consuming treatment.
How a Licensing Board Determines Intoxication
Whether a nurse is charged with a crime for coming to work intoxicated is a factor in licensing board investigations, but it’s not determinative. Even if charges are dropped, a board might revoke or suspend a nurse’s license.
To determine whether the accusation of coming to work intoxicated is valid, the board will begin with the evidence collected at the scene or immediately after the incident: law enforcement’s observations, blood test results, and a physical examination. They’ll also probably look at prior medical assessments, drug and alcohol tests, reports in employment files, and statements from supervisors, coworkers, and even, in some cases, patients.
Licensing boards use lower standards of evidence than criminal charges, which means it takes less for them to find against a nurse and decide to ruin their life by suspending or revoking their license. Often the suspension happens immediately, before any real investigation or due process occurs.
Timely Legal Guidance Matters
Any nurse accused of misconduct needs to act quickly to navigate a board investigation successfully and protect their license.
The LLF National Law Firm’s Professional License Defense Team recognizes that everyone accused of violating their board’s standards of professionalism deserves due process, and that presenting their side of the case as thoroughly and clearly as possible is important. If you’re in trouble with your state’s licensing board, send us a message online or call us directly at 888-535-3686.