Nurses accused of drug-related misconduct

Lacy Bridgeford

Bridgeford was fired from her job and convicted of felony theft of narcotics in 2009 for diverting from Riverview Hospital in Crookston, Minn. A year later, the board issued a stayed suspension of her license and ordered her to pay a $500 fine, despite her testing positive for Tramadol and failing out of state monitoring. She also failed to attend a conference with the Nursing Board. She was suspended in March 2012 due to probable cause that she violated the 2010 order. Her license was reinstated in July 2012.

Board actions: State monitoring, report to the board, reports from her nursing supervisor.

Her license was revoked in 2009 for several reasons, including having a sexual relationship with a vulnerable adult patient in 2006, and being charged with felony drug possession and burglarizing the patient's home. In 2007, she resigned from a Minneapolis medical center after she was suspected of stealing narcotics from patients. In 2008, she failed to respond to inquiries from her employer about billing for services that were not supported by documentation. Her license was reinstated in 2013.

Board actions: Must only work in facilities licensed by the Department of Health, cannot work in certain settings, state monitoring, report to the board.

While Dumpprope was working at an Eagan assisted living facility in 2009, staff received reports that she was showing signs of being sedated and that narcotics were missing. She admitted taking the narcotics and diverting Vicodin, Xanax and Ativan for a year, for a total of more than 10,000 pills. The residents' insurance companies were billed for the pills.

Board actions: $1,000 fine, must be supervised and cannot work as a manager, cannot work in certain settings, must participate with state monitoring, report to the board, maintain sobriety.

She gave four times the prescribed dose of morphine to a patient while working at a Minneapolis hospital in August 2010. When questioned, she said she was addicted to alcohol and unable to concentrate while at work due to being hung over. She was fired. She was admitted to inpatient chemical dependency treatment where she reported heavy use of cocaine in 2008 and drinking up to three-fourths of a gallon of hard alcohol daily in 2010.

Board actions: Continuing education, state monitoring, report to the board, abstain from drugs and alcohol.

In 2001, Miller admitted stealing narcotics from her employer. While working at a Burnsville long-term care facility from 2011 to 2012, she made medication errors, including giving incorrect doses or failing to give any at all and failing to check expiration dates of prescriptions before administering them. She was twice stopped by co-workers before giving higher-than-prescribed doses of medications. After the second incident, morphine was missing at the end of her shift. She resigned. Miller denied diverting the drugs.

Board actions: Must be supervised by a registered nurse, cannot work in certain settings, board must approve new employment, one-on-one consultation, state monitoring.

Sippola diverted narcotics from February to August 2009 while working at a St. Paul hospital. He told the board that his patient care "may have been affected by his substance use." The board issued a stayed suspension of his license. He was discharged in January 2011 from state monitoring for positive, missed and invalid toxicology screens, and suspended by the board in April 2011. The board reinstated his license in June 2011.

Board actions: $2,500 fine, state monitoring, abstain from drugs or alcohol. Unconditional license granted after he met requirements.

Source: Minnesota Board of Nursing