50 new moms suffered ‘excruciating pain’ when delivery nurse stole meds, feds say
A nurse in Iowa has been sentenced after officials say she stole medication from at least 50 women who had just given birth.
Christina Eileen Olson, 43, pleaded guilty to to one count of acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, deception, and subterfuge, one count of adulteration and misbranding with intent to defraud and mislead and one count of false statements relating to health care matters, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa.
McClatchy News reached out to Olson’s attorney for comment on April 2 but did not immediately hear back.
According to officials, while Olson was working in the labor and delivery unit at a hospital in Waterloo, she was responsible for caring for late-term pregnant women, women in active labor, postpartum women, and women recovering from recent cesarean sections.
The women were prescribed Schedule II narcotics, such as hydromorphone, oxycodone, and fentanyl, to manage their pain.
Between January and March 2022, Olson used her position as a nurse to steal narcotics from at least 50 new moms, officials said.
“In order to cover up her crimes, Olson used a variety of fraudulent means, including falsely documenting that she had administered pain medication to new mothers when she had not done so,” officials said.
As a result of stealing the medications, some of the women suffered “horrible and excruciating pain,” officials said.
On March 23, 2022, one mother had given birth via C-section in a high-risk pregnancy. Olson was tasked with administering pain medication to her and documenting how much the baby ate, officials said.
However, on March 25, Olson did not check on the mother or baby and documented that she gave the mother pain medication when she actually stole the medicine for herself, according to officials.
The mother asked the next nurse on shift for pain medication, but because Olson falsified documents that said the mother was already given pain medicine, the next nurse made the mother wait 30 minutes before providing her with medication, officials said. The mother’s baby also had gone unfed after the mother’s husband repeatedly asked for formula, according to officials.
On March 26, Olson was drug tested at work and tested positive opiates and marijuana, officials said.
“Another nurse then found an open fentanyl vial, an open ephedrine vial, and an epidural bag in another new mother’s room. The hospital’s records revealed that Olson had removed these three items under the new mother’s name despite the fact there were no such orders for her,” officials said.
Olson later admitted to investigators that she “routinely drank alcohol and used marijuana while working.” She said in order to pass an earlier drug test at the hospital, she injected another person’s urine into her bladder, officials said.
As a part of a plea agreement, Olson forfeited her nursing license. She was sentenced to one year and one day in prison.
