Wisconsin Disciplines Two Nurses for Drug Abuse
Wisconsin’s Department of Regulation and Licensing has disciplined two nurses, in Waterloo and Baraboo, for drug abuse. Elizabeth Forward, 50, a registered nurse from Waterloo, was suspended for taking prescription forms from a physician with whom she worked and forging his name to obtain Valium and Vicodin for herself.
In an interview with the Wisconsin State Journal, Forward said she has complied with the conditions set by the state for cancellation of the suspension, saying she has undergone drug treatment and submitted to random testing and other conditions.
Diane Wilke, 38, a licensed practical nurse from Baraboo, faces a suspension of her license if she does not comply with several conditions, including treatment, testing, and remaining sober, the state said. She will be monitored for five years, officials said.
When tested by the nursing home where she worked in May 2008, Wilke tested positive for barbituates and phenobarbital, according to state documents. The next month, she tested positive for opiates, morphine, and methadone. Wilke told the state she took medications prescribed to her husband as well as some prescribed to her for back pain.