Nurse Facing Drug Charges In Summit County Allegedly Had Needle In Bag
DENVER (AP) - A state suspension order says a needle and syringe were found in the bag of a nurse who was later charged with drug offenses.
The order issued Monday by the Colorado state nursing board against Kimberly Jeanne Burgans said St. Anthony Summit Medical Center in Frisco conducted an audit immediately after four syringe devices that had been emptied of painkiller were found in the women's locker room Jan. 15.
The audit revealed that Burgans, 47, was requesting substantially more painkillers than her colleagues, the state said, adding that a drug test the same day showed Burgans had fentanyl in her system, even though she did not have a prescription for the drug.
A colleague saw a syringe and needle in her bag on her last shift before the test, the state reported. The name of the colleague was not revealed.
The board suspended the license that Burgans had held since 2014 and said further steps might be taken. It did not elaborate.
A telephone number for Bergans could not be located. Court documents don't indicate if she has an attorney.
Burgans was charged March 9 with two felony counts of possession of a controlled substance and one of theft from a hospital, a prosecutor said.
Over the weekend, she surrendered on a warrant and posted $2,500 bond. She is scheduled to appear in court April 20.
Hospital marketing manager Suzanne Lifgren said Burgans was fired Jan. 27 and hospital officials do not believe she put patients at risk.
Last month, a surgery technician was arrested after authorities said he was seen taking a syringe filled with painkillers from an operating room at Swedish Medical Center near Denver.
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