Former VA Nurses Sentenced To Prison For Lying About Care Linked To Veteran Death
Two former VA nurses were sentenced last month for lying to investigators about the medication they provided before a veteran’s death.
In 2022, a federal grand jury indicted Nina Nguyen, 27, and Andrewe Steven Hansen, 31, for lying about their actions leading up to the death of a veteran under their care. The issue of concern was whether the two nurses administered the correct dosage of medication prior to the veteran’s death or if the dosage was paused.
The nurses falsely stated to investigators that they did not pause medication when they, in fact, did pause medication prior to the veteran’s death. It seems likely the veteran’s death was caused, or at least impacted, by the failure to medicate timely. The nurses’ false statements were an apparent attempt to cover up their actions prior to the death.
The incident happened at the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center, and the Veterans Affairs Police Service played a role in the investigation. There was no mention of a wrongful death lawsuit against VA in the matter.
From The DOJ Press Release on OKC VA Nurses
Both nurses knew they paused the medication but lied:
On September 6, 2022, a federal grand jury returned a three-count Indictment against NINA NGUYEN, 27, and Andrewe Steven Hansen, 31, both of Oklahoma City, for making false statements to the Veterans Affairs (VA) Police Service and to investigators with the VA Office of Inspector General, following the death of a patient. According to the Indictment, both Nguyen and Hansen claimed they did not pause medication being administered to the patient prior to the patient’s death, when they both knew they did pause medication.
Nguyen and Hansen both pleaded guilty to lying to a VA investigator. Nguyen was sentenced to six months incarceration in a federal prison for making a false statement to investigators with one year of supervised release. Hansen was sentenced to three months with one year of supervised release.
About Oklahoma City VA Medical Center
As part of VISN 19, the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center serves over 63,000 veterans in Oklahoma and north central Texas. It operates a 192-bed facility.
Specialized programs there include Mental Health Intensive Case Management, Reaching Out to Educate and Assist Health Care Families, Compensated Work Therapy, the Center for Alzheimer and Neurodegenerative Diseases, and animal assisted therapy.
The facility has an annual budget of more than $508 million.
FAQs – Oklahoma City VA Medical Center
Q: What was the budget allocation for the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center in 2019? A: In 2019, their budget was allocated more than $508 million for medical care and $5.2 million specifically earmarked for research purposes.
Q: What percentage of the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center’s employees are veterans? A: Approximately 27% of their workforce, which totals around 2,600 employees, are veterans.
Q: How many prescriptions does the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center pharmacy fill annually? A: Their pharmacy fills more than 1.6 million prescriptions each year.
Q: Did the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center receive any special medical equipment for Veterans with spinal cord injuries? A: Yes, in 2018, it was one of only 15 VA medical centers nationwide to receive the exoskeleton robotic device. This advanced equipment can assist veterans with spinal cord injuries in walking again.
Q: Is the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center unique in any surgical procedures? A: Indeed, they are the only VA medical facility that performs minimally invasive outpatient lumbar spine fusion surgeries.
Q: Has the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center hosted any special events for expecting veteran families? A: Yes, in May 2018, they hosted their first VA baby shower. This event celebrated more than 30 veterans who were expecting a child, marking a special occasion in their lives.
I want to tie in this situation with your other article about disability. How well one does a job is most of the time about their character, Ben, in my opinion. Even if the person is not fully qualified they will take the initiative to get themselves up to speed even after hire. Learning curves are 100% anywhere.
Here are two degreed and licensed nurses who more than likely are not labeled with a condition. But look at what they have done. So Ben the status does not determine how the person will do the job. The companies do not know until they know. Of course there are degrees and licenses and the companies and government uses this to measure the competencies. However this doesn’t determine the full picture.
Take a person with a disability who has a label and who is a nurse because this person has the disability does not make this person less qualified or more reckless. Ben the disability is a separate issue but companies use it against the people and they shouldn’t just like ageism. I knew many UF students who could not stay out of the hospital and had medical withdrawals. So here even age is not a factor. One of the oldest living and still working engineers is 94 years of age. DOT Civil Engineer WWII veteran state of Missouri. So the bottom line is because a label has been put on a person because of a medical condition does not mean they are less effective just like age. It depends on the stage levels and progression of that condition.
This happens quite often in the VA. The VA mostly hires incompetent caretakers or those who want to do harm to veterans. AND, when a caretaker (pcp or nurse etc) is charged with incompetence or malpractice, the VA ships them to another state so they can continue their crap!
You watch, these 2 nurses, after they serve their time, will be rehired!
Well, at least they caught them and acted upon it. Rather surprising in ever-lawless Amurka.
Off topic: Does anyone know if the VA stopped supporting local Community Care optical providers with frames and lenses? I was just told that my local eyecare place can no longer get frames and lenses from the VA. I can still get my exams, and clinical care via Community, but now I have to drive three + hours one way to pick out frames. Curious if this is real or is Roseburg Vision Department gaming the system to keep the lights on?
You got mother fuckers falling down in the grocery store from pain and crawling out of that mother fucker to the car to avoid someone calling an ambulance just to not risk coming into contact with VA. Federal judge should shut that place down and declare the place unconstitutional for Christ sakes. Where do we we have to go the Human Rights Court in Europe to make this happen? USA does whatever it wants as a member of the UN so I guess fuckin not. We’re just fucked up the ass. Lives ruined.
Another thing they’ll do is one year you can go see primary care every month if need be. Some people need more help right, and if it’s not forthcoming, people are gonna make more appointments. Or if a condition is bad enough someone will want to be seen more. Then they’ll start getting crowded, not hire more doctors, and then they’ll make it to where just about everyone can only see primary care once a year… then off you go. Bye Bye! That’s the way they get rid of people by stealth, out the back door, under the rug etc. Then if you call up there and curse and complain, they’ll exaggerate the interaction and red flag you, maybe even suggest that you have a mental health condition that they overlooked and just happens to be one they don’t treat. I’m not playing around man its like some shit that a nefarious intelligence agency would do. Where are all the lawyers and federal judges when it comes to this shady shit? Place is unethical and in some cases a human rights violation.
“They are the only VA medical facility that performs minimally invasive outpatient lumbar spine fusion surgeries.” Yeah, and if you aren’t there and need so much as a disk replacement, guess what, they’ll send you home to rot in pain for 15 years before they finally do it.. after you’ve wrecked your car or your life is completely destroyed. That’s IF you don’t commit suicide from the pain I shit you not. They will not do surgery for pain even if it’s necessary for you to live any kind of life. Pain pills? You can forget about that too unless you’ve already had surgery. So basically that means they do little to nothing about pain when they easily could. The VA is an outrageous hoax and scam. Never met anyone who wasn’t eventually denied care.
Get benefits, get health insurance, hell.. get benefits and get European passport. Relocate. Politically and socially unstable country. Hazardous to your health if you don’t already have money. They shouldn’t be rolling back abortion rights at this point. They should be expanding them plus euthanasia.
Open VA up to the general public and issue veterans insurance cards. Then see what the real deal is. That place is a hoax and the Holocaust on veterans continues. Just too much denial of care and misfeasance, malfeasance, and non feasance. Only good for suing.
This so very interesting, these two people are given a prison sentence for “LYING TO INVESTIGATORS”
yet Hunter Biden, Joe Biden etc all do the same thing and they are never given prison time their actions just accepted without consequences.
Then the VA issue, how can any veteran ever in his right mind trust the VA with anything they say of do,
the VA is a despicable entity that should be eliminated for the good of all Veterans
Stolen election and Hunter Biden laptop conspiracy theories don’t apply here. Stick to the subject.
Since when is justice not part of this incident, part of it is the VA, the other part is how the justice system chooses who and what to apply to the laws, Reading the article the basic issue remains that these people
lied PERJURY, is the root issue in this article.
Lying about treatment for a patient is, absolutely, unacceptable, at the VA, or any medical provider.
I’ve spent any significant time, after surgeries, at the VA hospital, however, my treatment has been very good, in all encounters.
But I’m believing that the penalties and sentences aren’t enough, in this matter.
Perhaps the article doesn’t go on to describe the loss of License , etc, but, overall, a slap on the hand for loss of life and lying about treatment is unacceptable.
If this incident is truly not representative of the professional care that is expected, it’s not enough.