NewsOK
Nurse loses license for 20 years over sex with hospice patient
A hospice nurse has been barred from her profession for 20 years after admitting to a sexual relationship with her married terminally ill patient. The Oklahoma Nursing Board in August disciplined Amber Van Brunt, 33, of Shawnee, for unprofessional conduct. Now, she is asking an Oklahoma County judge to reverse the board's order “to correct this miscarriage of justice.” A hearing is set for Wednesday. At the heart of the appeal is an ethical question: Is it ever right for a nurse to have sex with a patient? Van Brunt's attorney told the judge the consensual relationship with the patient was on the nurse's “own personal time,” while she was visiting as a friend, not while she was on duty caring for him. The nursing board responded that there is evidence of sexual contact during nursing visits but that it doesn't matter when it happened. “The nurse is the professional in this situation. It is the responsibility of the professional to say no to the vulnerable patient,” the board's attorney told the judge. “The rules … do not mean simply while you are on shift; they mean during the entire time ... you are assigned to the care of that patient, whether that is six days in the hospital or six months in hospice care or six years in a nursing home.” The patient, Chris Reiter, 43, suffered from Lou Gehrig's disease. He said he was seduced. Van Brunt worked for Angelic Family Hospice in Shawnee...
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