(C) Iowa Capital Dispatch
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Nurse with history of working while impaired keeps her license [1]
['Clark Kauffman', 'More From Author', '- October']
Date: 2022-10-03
An Iowa nurse who has faced a series of criminal and licensing-board charges related to alcohol will be allowed the keep her license, the Iowa Board of Nursing has ruled.
In March 2018, Taylor Gill, 29, of Bondurant, was allegedly working at a long-term care facility when it was noticed that her speech was slurred, her eyes were bloodshot and she had an odor of alcohol.
Seven days later, she was arrested on charges of public intoxication and interference with official acts outside the Homewood Suites in West Des Moines. She was later convicted of both charges.
In June 2018, she was again arrested, and later convicted, on charges of public intoxication and interference with official acts — this time after being found in a roadway of Altoona after claiming she had been in a traffic accident. She allegedly kicked a police car and attempted to spit on police and jail staff while being arrested.
In December 2018, Gill was convicted of an open container of alcohol violation. In April 2019, the Iowa Board of Nursing placed Gill’s license on probation for two years for practicing nursing while in an impaired state and for being convicted of a crime related to the practice of nursing.
Two years later, in 2021, while working at a care facility, Gill allegedly delegated to unauthorized individuals the task of administering medications to patients. She also was accused of failing to ensure a witness was present when she discarded unused controlled substances.
In February 2022, Gill was charged with OWI after being found passed out or asleep in the driver’s seat of her car. The vehicle was running and there was an open 24-ounce can of Coors Light in the center console, with several other empty and full containers inside the vehicle.
Four days later, Gill was charged with public intoxication after neighbors complained of her driving through the area at a high rate of speed while intoxicated. The charge was later dismissed.
In June of this year, with the OWI charge still pending, the Iowa Board of Nursing addressed the 2021 allegations related to medications and controlled substances. The board opted to let Gill keep her license, subject to one year of probation and 16 hours of educational training on medication safety and documentation.
Two weeks later, Gill was convicted of the OWI charge, and in August, while working at the Rehab Center of Des Moines, she was charged with operating a vehicle without an ignition interlock device as required and driving with a revoked license. Those charges are still pending.
Gill declined to comment on the case Monday except to say that she is “working with the board” on issues related to her license.
In other matters, the Iowa Board of Nursing recently took action against several other licensees:
Janelle Foster of Moline, Ill.: The board alleges that in October 2020, Foster submitted to a drug screen by her employer and tested positive for cocaine and marijuana use. The testing was triggered by a situation in which the medical facility – unidentified by the board – was unable to locate its emergency box of narcotics. Foster was fired after refusing to submit to additional testing and failing to respond to her employer’s inquiries.
A year later, after speaking to a board investigator, Foster provided the board with a substance abuse evaluation that indicated she had alcohol, cocaine and marijuana disorders, and she was recommended for treatment, which she did not complete. The board recently voted to suspend Foster’s license. She will be allowed to apply for reinstatement, subject to certain conditions, only after completing treatment.
Tara Dixon, aka Tara Dixon Akers, of Center Point: According to the board, Dixon was arrested for domestic abuse assault in July 2020, but the “charges were not pursued.” In September 2020, Dixon was allegedly arrested and again charged with domestic abuse assault. She later pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and was granted a deferred judgment, expunging the case from her records, according to the board.
During a subsequent board investigation, Dixon allegedly acknowledged using marijuana a few times per week and indicated had obtained a card for the use of medical marijuana. She did not provide the board with a copy of that card. The board recently voted to suspend Dixon’s license. She can apply for reinstatement after completing an evaluation and any recommended treatment.
Jesse Garber of Ottumwa: In November 2017, Garber was convicted of first-offense drunken driving after a collision with another car. In April 2021, she was convicted of second-offense drunken driving after a breath test indicated her blood-alcohol level was twice the legal limit for driving. Three months later, in July 2021, she was arrested on a charge of third-offense drunken driving and driving while barred after police received reports of her swerving all over the roadway and going into ditches. When pulled over, Garber’s car had “grass and weeds” stuck to it, and she showed signs of severe intoxication, police said.
Garber later pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of first-offense drunken driving. The Iowa Board of Nursing recently placed Garber’s license on probation for 18 months, during which time she must enroll in a chemical screening program.
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