TX: HIV - Positive Nurse Gives Up License

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

April 2, 2002

HIV - Positive Nurse Gives Up License

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-HIV-Nurse.html

Filed at 9:01 p.m. ET

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- An HIV-positive nurse accused of injecting herself with stolen hospital drugs and then using the syringe to refill the vials with saline has voluntarily surrendered her nursing license.

Jacqueline Fillingim surrendered her license Monday to the State Board of Nurse Examiners, admitting that she issued Demerol without a physician's order, used the painkiller inappropriately and failed to document administering the drug.

She was fired from the Jourdanton-based South Texas Regional Medical Center in January after admitting she stole the drugs in December and January.

Hospital administrators said she refilled the vials to cover her tracks and that the saline -- containing a small amount of Fillingim's blood -- may have been administered to some of the 1,100 patients given Demerol during the two months.

The hospital has sent letters advising those patients to get blood tests, although the contamination risk is considered minimal.

The case has been referred to the state Department of Public Safety and other agencies. No criminal charges have been filed.

No telephone number for Fillingim is listed in Pleasanton and she could not be located for comment.

Let's hope she gets the appropriate counseling and treatment.

[micro, RN]

and to other HIV positive nurses out there......hope they feel that they can keep on practicing and not feel the need to be "out of the closet" so to say...............

cause there is a bad apple in every bushel.........

and just because you happen to be.......doesn't mean you can't be a great nurse...................probably better...............

will close as I am feeling way too emotional lately...........

[-jt]

Ok but did they also help her get treatment? That would have been more compassionate than just getting rid of "the problem nurse".

SPAN (Statewide Peer Assistance for Nurses)

http://www.nysna.org/programs/span/home.htm