Nurses have a difficult job and are often under a lot of pressure at work. When a patient's health takes a turn, or they even pass away, it could lead to questions about the nurse's performance and professional abilities. In a case from Pennsylvania, a nurse was charged with mistreating and even murdering her patients. While her actions are far from the norm in the nursing profession, her story puts an extra burden on nurses throughout the state to maintain the highest standards possible.

If you are a nurse who's been accused of misconduct and your nursing license is in jeopardy, you should call the LLF Law Firm's Professional License Defense Team at 888-535-3686. You can also fill out our contact form, and we'll get back to you.

17 Patients Die Under a Nurse's Care

In May 2023, Pennsylvania Nurse Heather Pressdee was charged with mistreating patients. Almost six months later, the Attorney General announced dozens of new charges against Pressdee involving her patients, including two counts of first-degree murder, 17 counts of attempted murder, and 19 counts of neglect of a care-dependent person. Pressdee administered excessive amounts of insulin to 22 patients since 2020 while working in several different care facilities throughout Pennsylvania.

Pressdee's nursing license was suspended in July 2023 after the charges of mistreating patients. Before the license suspension, she had been disciplined or fired from her previous places of employment. Of the 22 patients she administered too much insulin to, 17 died shortly after, and one patient died a few months later. Investigators obtained text messages from Pressdee's phone, some of which contained complaints from Pressdee about her patients to her mother.

Heavy Scrutiny for Nurses

As a nurse, you are likely under a great deal of professional pressure. Your job is incredibly draining, and you receive little recognition for the hard work you put in. It's also not uncommon for your patients to die, even after you did absolutely everything you could for them. When a patient passes away, or an incident happens that leads to a complaint about your work, you could face serious scrutiny of your work. When news of a case like Heather Pressdee's comes out, it puts care facilities and employers on alert, prompting them to inspect your work more closely.

When you're examined this closely on the job, small mistakes or missteps can seem like something more. You could be accused of mistreating patients or professional misconduct and lose your nursing license.

What to Do if Your License Is in Jeopardy

As soon as you learn about potential accusations of misconduct against you, even if they aren't necessarily criminal charges, you should contact a Professional License Defense Team of attorneys to assist you. At the LLF Law Firm, we help nurses and other licensed medical professionals defend their licenses if they're at risk of losing them. Call us today at 888-535-3686 or fill out our online form, and a member of our team will get back to you.