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Nebraska’s Chief Medical Officer has revoked the license of a Bellevue nurse in response to a petition filed by the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office.  Timothy Tesmer says the petition charged L.P.N Curlee Schneiders with gross negligence, unprofessional conduct and other violations in the death of a veteran at the Eastern Nebraska Veterans Home in Bellevue last June.

According to the petition, an elderly man requested a snack and was brought to a common area where Schneiders was sitting at the nurse’s station and wearing headphones.  Tesmer says at Schneiders’ direction, a certified nurse assistant provided the veteran with food that did not meet the criteria for his required soft diet.

The petition indicates Schneiders was in the room during the entirety of the time the patient tried to eat his food, but glanced at him only briefly. In video surveillance, Tesmer says the patient was seen choking while Schneiders was in the room.

According to the petition, the man lost consciousness and remained unconscious without Schneiders’ assistance for about 10 minutes. During this time, he says the certified nurse assistant was responding to other patients.  Tesmer says the patient ended up dying.

Dr. Tesmer found Schneiders committed gross negligence and “shockingly unprofessional conduct”, failed to properly supervise the certified nurse assistant and that her actions constituted gross negligence as she was the only staff member who had the opportunity to adequately monitor the patient while he ate.

Schneiders’ nursing license was revoked on February 20.