Nurse Agrees to a Temporary Suspension of Her License
NEWARK — A nurse charged with murdering a patient at Jersey Shore Medical Center agreed last night to a voluntary temporary suspension of her license pending final action by the Board of Nursing.
The Board of Nursing was prepared to vote on suspending the license held by Lorie Hentges if she had not agreed to the voluntary temporary license suspension. A grand jury in Monmouth County last week indicted Hentges for murder.
An Administrative Complaint filed by the Office of the Attorney General with the Board of Nursing alleges that Hentges’ actions grossly deviate from accepted protocols and also constitute criminal conduct. The Attorney General sought her suspension on the grounds that she presented a danger to the safety and welfare of the public.
"This licensee cannot be allowed to work as a nurse given the crime she is alleged to have committed," said David Szuchman, Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs.
Hentges will be permitted to continue to work as a data collector at the Pain Control Center in Brick. She will not have access to medication and not perform any nursing duties. Hentges and her attorney agreed that should she violate these conditions, her nursing license will be revoked.
The Board of Nursing is one of the licensing boards within the Division of Consumer Affairs.
Deputy Attorney General Kim D. Ringler is representing the state in this matter.
