2 Nevada Nurses Under Investigation After Infant’s Death

Published: August 27, 2010

LAS VEGAS—A coroner has ruled the death of an infant, whose catheter was severed at Sunrise Children’s Hospital, as a homicide.

Two-month-old Miowne Obote died on July 22 after the premature child’s umbilical catheter had been disrupted. The severed catheter caused severe bleeding, which led to a fatal lack of oxygen to the infant’s brain, according to ReviewJournal.com. The coroner’s report did not mention how the catheter was severed.

Two nurses at the hospital – Jessica May Rice and Sharon Ochoa-Reyes – had their licenses revoked after police investigated 14 incidents of disrupted catheters at the facility since February. Both nurses have waived the right for a hearing, which would come 45 days after the Nevada State Board of Nursing suspended their licenses.

Rice and Ochoa-Reyes are currently waiting on the outcome of the police investigation. Hospital officials did not say how long either nurse was employed at the facility.

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Although the death of the infant is being ruled as a homicide, police said the ruling does not necessarily mean the death was a murder. Authorities have yet to file charges in the case. However, Nevada law states that a professional caretaker is guilty of a category B felony if neglect of a patient, including the failure to provide safe care, results in death. Those convicted could face up to a year to 20 years in confinement.

Officials are unsure if any other infants whose catheters were disrupted were harmed. One infant, who had an emergency surgery due to catheter disruption, is now at home.

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