Indiana nurse who eliminated COVID affected person’s oxygen pleads responsible

INDIANAPOLIS – An Indiana nurse accused of eradicating a COVID-19 affected person’s oxygen at a poorly staffed nursing house has pleaded responsible to a felony, however will obtain no jail time.

Connie Sneed, 54, of New Albany, pleaded responsible Thursday in Clark Circuit Courtroom to knowingly or deliberately appearing as a doctor’s assistant with no license, a Stage 6 felony. Beneath the plea deal, she obtained a suspended sentence of 540 days, which suggests she will not serve jail time if she stays out of hassle.

Sneed didn’t instantly return cellphone calls from IndyStar, a part of the USA TODAY Community.

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Nurse posted on Fb about incident

Sneed was a licensed sensible nurse at Wedgewood Healthcare Heart in Clarksville when she drew consideration from authorities for what prosecutors referred to as a “brazen” Fb submit.

Within the submit, Sneed stated she requested the affected person if he needed her to take away his oxygen masks so he might “fly with the angels.” She described it as “the toughest factor I’ve ever performed in 28 years.”

The affected person, James Godfrey, 72, died on April 30, 2020, hours after his oxygen was unhooked. He had been a resident on the nursing house for greater than a month. His medical situations included dementia and occasional despair.

Sneed was initially charged in March 2021 with working towards drugs with no license, a Stage 5 felony that carries a penalty of as much as six years in jail. The cost was amended to the decrease stage felony as a part of Sneed’s plea cope with Clark County prosecutors.

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Prosecutor: ‘Mistake in judgment’ led to ‘very severe end result’

Clark County Prosecutor Jeremy Mull stated in an e mail to IndyStar that it was essential to him that Sneed be convicted of a felony given the gravity of her actions. However he stated different components favored a sentence with out jail time, together with Sneed’s perception that she was serving to a struggling affected person, her distinguished document as a nurse and her acceptance of accountability. The plea deal additionally allowed the case to be resolved with out placing the deceased affected person’s household via a prolonged trial, he stated.

“This case introduced countervailing concerns, however on the finish of the day, the proof left me satisfied that Ms. Sneed was a nurse who deeply cared for her sufferers, however who made a mistake in judgment that led to a really severe end result,” Mull stated. “I’m happy that this explicit conviction and sentence is simply and truthful on this case.”

In an interview with state well being inspectors just a few days after Godfrey’s loss of life, Sneed confirmed that she had eliminated the resident’s oxygen. She stated that she’d had a “horrible” week and was caring for greater than 40 COVID-19 sufferers on the facility when she forgot to inform the resident’s doctor of his decline.

Sneed additionally informed inspectors the resident’s daughter had informed her “if it was her father’s needs she might take away the masks.”

Nursing house had 22 COVID deaths

Going into the pandemic, Wedgewood had the bottom doable staffing ranking from federal regulators – “a lot beneath common” – and was within the backside 15% for whole staffing nationally. It stays poorly rated.

The nursing house was among the many amenities hit significantly exhausting by the virus. A minimum of 80 residents contracted the coronavirus and 22 died, in accordance with state well being knowledge. The 124-bed facility is owned by Columbus Regional Hospital and operated by CommuniCare.

Information present the nursing house and Columbus Regional Hospital settled a wrongful loss of life lawsuit filed by Godfrey’s household, however the hospital has not disclosed the phrases.

Janet McSharar, a medical malpractice legal professional who represented the hospital within the case, stated she couldn’t focus on it. “Each events to this declare agreed to the confidentiality of the settlement,” she stated, “together with all phrases thereof.”

IndyStar has filed a public information request looking for a replica of the settlement.

Wedgewood fired Sneed on Could 6, 2020, after its govt director decided Sneed had not obtained a health care provider’s order to manage oxygen nor to later take away the oxygen provide.

The state’s skilled licensing database reveals her nursing license has been suspended since Could 2021.