The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) has suspended a nursing assistant for six months and placed her on probation for an additional year following an investigation into unprofessional conduct.
According to RIDOH, the nursing assistant was working for a home care provider when she allowed a patient in her care to name her as a beneficiary of the patient’s Individual Retirement Account (IRA). She also gave the patient morphine on multiple occasions, despite not being licensed or trained to administer the controlled substance.
The nursing assistant told investigators that the patient was too weak to take the morphine herself and that the beneficiary designation was meant to be temporary.
Under a consent agreement with RIDOH, her license will remain suspended for six months. To be eligible for reinstatement, she must first complete training on patient care and professional boundaries.
Once reinstated, her license will be placed on probation for one year. During that time, she must work under direct supervision in a hospital or nursing facility. She is not allowed to work in private homes or in unsupervised settings.
Her license will remain in an “Administrative Inactive” status until RIDOH receives documentation from an employer confirming she has been hired or is about to be hired. At that point, her license will shift to “Active Probation.”
If she changes jobs during the probation period, she must notify RIDOH of her new workplace within two weeks.
The consent agreement was finalized on October 1, 2025.
Compliance Perspective
Issue
Healthcare providers must maintain clear professional boundaries with the individuals in their care. These boundaries are critical for protecting patients’ rights and ensuring ethical, person-centered care. Inappropriate personal or financial involvement with patients, or performing tasks outside of one’s professional training or licensure, can violate both legal and ethical standards. Such actions may result in disciplinary measures, including license suspension or probation. Providers must also be aware that administering controlled substances without proper authorization is not only outside the scope of many healthcare roles, but also a serious regulatory and safety violation.
Discussion Points
- Review your facility’s policies and procedures regarding professional boundaries, scope of practice, and staff responsibilities when handling patient finances, personal matters, or medications. Ensure policies clearly define what is and is not permitted, and that guidance is in place for handling boundary concerns. Collaborating with your compliance team—or with your external compliance consultant—can help ensure that policies are aligned with current state regulations and best practices.
- Provide regular training to all staff on professional boundaries, ethical conduct, and the importance of practicing within one’s licensure scope. Staff should understand the importance of reporting concerns without fear of retaliation. Med-Net Academy offers Protecting Resident Finances, which covers F-tag 602, financial exploitation prevention, and best practices for handling residents’ property, and Delegating to Unlicensed Personnel, which helps licensed staff understand what tasks can be delegated, how to provide appropriate supervision, and how state laws and facility policies apply.
- Conduct regular audits to assess compliance with policies on boundaries and scope of practice, including review of patient records, medication administration logs, and documentation related to financial or legal arrangements involving patients. Working with a qualified third party—such as an outside consultant familiar with regulatory compliance—can offer an objective assessment of risk areas and provide tailored feedback. These audits can also help prepare for survey readiness and reduce the likelihood of citations or enforcement actions.
*This news alert has been prepared by Med-Net Concepts, Inc. for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal advice.*