Former Franklin County nurse charged in connection with Chambersburg patient's death
A nurse faces charges in connection with the death of a patient at a Franklin County hospital, months after a syringe was found hidden in the deceased person's hospital bed.
Sara Rae Miller, 32, is charged with three misdemeanor counts of providing false or fraudulent material information for allegedly failing to document that she administered a "substance" to the patient, who died soon afterward, according to court documents filed by the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General.
Miller, of Indiana, Pa., was working as a registered nurse at WellSpan Chambersburg Hospital on Jan. 10 when the patient became "agitated," according to court documents.
Miller is not a current employee of WellSpan Health, according to spokesperson Ryan Coyle.
A certified nursing assistant (CNA) told investigators they saw Miller holding a small syringe in her hand before she removed the morphine IV line from the patient's wrist, used the syringe to inject a substance into the line, then reconnected the IV on the patient's wrist, according to court documents.
Minutes later the patient's vital signs dropped, and the patient died soon after.
The CNA said it appeared Miller was using her body to try to block her colleague's view of the patient as she administered the substance from the syringe, according to court documents.
After the patient died, that syringe was found in between the mattress and the rail of the bed, the CNA told investigators.
Authorities also learned that the amount of morphine left over after the patient died did not match the amount that records indicated should have remained.
An RN told police they discovered the discrepancy while documenting how much was left and would need to be disposed of. When the RN asked Miller why the numbers were off, she replied, "Well, you spill some things," according to court documents.
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The RN told authorities that if medication was spilled, it still should have been documented, according to court documents.
Talking to police in early June, Miller said she had been working at the hospital for two weeks at the time of the incident and she did not record the use of medication accurately, according to court documents.
It is not clear what the substance was the Miller allegedly gave the patient. Miller did not document it and court documents do not refer to the patient's autopsy or toxicology report.
Coyle, WellSpan Health spokesperson, provided a statement: "WellSpan is committed to providing safe, high-quality care for our patients. Per our standard safety protocols, we shared the matter with the appropriate state agencies and collaborated with them on the investigation. We are unable to share further details but I can confirm the nurse is not employed by WellSpan."
Miller received the charges via a mailed summons last week. Her preliminary hearing is set for 9:30 a.m. Sept. 10 in Franklin County Central Court, located in courtroom 6 at the Franklin County Judicial Center.
Amber South can be reached at asouth@publicopinionnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Chambersburg Public Opinion: AG's office charges nurse in connection with Franklin County death
