Nebraska Registered Nurse's License Revoked For Patient Abuse, Unprofessional Conduct

From Nebraska Examiner:

By Paul Hammel

December 12, 2022

LINCOLN — The State of Nebraska has suspended the medical license of a registered nurse for being belligerent and disrespectful with colleagues and overly aggressive with patients.

In one instance, cited by the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, nurse Scott Shoff left a patient’s mouth and nose bloody after physically pushing the person onto a hospital bed. A colleague quoted him as saying, “I’m going to put your ass to sleep, I’m going to tie you down, act like a man, you weren’t invited to the hospital.”

Shoff, in a settlement agreement with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, agreed to the allegations against him and consented to a revocation of his nursing license.

A nurse since 1994

Court records indicate that Shoff, a Kearney resident, had been licensed as a nurse since 1994. He also held nursing licenses in the states of Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Nevada, South Dakota and Wyoming.

Messages sent to Shoff seeking comment on Friday were not returned. Nurses in other stories have said that working during the pandemic, often with short staffs, has been particularly stressful.

Under the settlement agreement, Shoff could file for reinstatement of his license in two years, but it would have to be approved by the health department and state nursing board.

A seven-page disciplinary petition filed last month stated that in August 2019, Shoff had been warned by Mary Lanning Hospital of Hastings that his conduct, which included swearing at patients and being combative with staff, violated hospital standards.

Agreed to improve conduct

Shoff agreed then to improve his behavior. But on Jan. 1, 2021, while dealing with an agitated patient undergoing treatment for substance abuse and altered mental status, Shoff asked a co-worker to leave the room and obtain restraints for the patient.

He grabbed the patient’s forehead and pushed him onto the bed, the co-worker said, and held him down so hard across the chest that the patient’s face turned red. Shoff’s forearm was left bloodied, as was the patient’s nose and mouth.

The hospital terminated Shoff on Jan. 25, 2021, after citing additional instances of misconduct.

The revocation agreement with the state, approved Nov. 22, cited abuse of a resident, dishonorable conduct, unprofessional conduct and violation of work policies and procedures.

Nebraskans want accountability from their elected officials and government. They want to know whether their tax dollars are being well-spent, whether state agencies and local governments are responsive to the people and whether officials, programs and policies are working for the common good. The Nebraska Examiner is a nonprofit, independent news source committed to providing news, scoops and reports important to our state.