Home Industries Health Services Nursing assistant’s license suspended after arrest, inappropriate relationship with patient

Nursing assistant’s license suspended after arrest, inappropriate relationship with patient

By

Katie Castellani

-

09/03/2024

Screenshot 2024-06-04 at 11.44.01 AM — A NURSING assistant’s license has been suspended after the Rhode Island Department of Health found she was arrested for trespassing and had an “inappropriate personal” relationship with a patient.

PROVIDENCE – A nursing assistant’s license has been suspended after the R.I. Department of Health found she was arrested for trespassing and had an “inappropriate personal” relationship with a patient. Melissa Cordeiro’s license was suspended Aug. 30 after she was placed on “Active Probation” on Aug. 24, according to RIDOH documents. Cordeiro, who worked for

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PROVIDENCE – A nursing assistant’s license has been suspended after the R.I. Department of Health found she was arrested for trespassing and had an “inappropriate personal” relationship with a patient. Melissa Cordeiro’s license was suspended Aug. 30 after she was placed on “Active Probation” on Aug. 24, according to RIDOH documents. Cordeiro, who worked for the home health care service Nursing Placement, had been assigned to work as a nursing assistant at the home of a patient, identified as “K.R.” between October and December 2022. During that time Cordeiro fraudulently reported that she had worked in the patient's home but instead was living there and had sent text messages about having a romantic relationship with the patient. As a result, Cordeiro was put on a two-year probation in August 2023 where she could only be employed at a hospital or nursing period and not an agency that offers home care. From fall 2022 through July 2023, Cordeiro was working as a nursing assistant where a patient identified as “A.G.” was living. It was not clear in RIDOH documents whether “K.R.” and “A.G.” were the same patient. Before A.G. was discharged, RIDOH documents show Cordeiro established a “inappropriate personal relationship” with the patient which led her to move into A.G.’s South Kingstown home in August 2023 to become the patient’s “caretaker and friend.” Then in September 2023 A.G. moved to a rehabilitation center until April 2024, when Cordeiro had taken the patient back to their home where both A.G. and Cordeiro lived. A relative of A.G.'s who had ownership rights to the property had the South Kingstown police issue a not trespassing order to Cordeiro on May, 26. But on June 7 the police were called to Cordeiro’s apartment for a wellness check on A.G. and took the patient to a hospital facility. The police came back on Aug. 24 after getting reports of Cordeiro “being emotionally abusive” to A.G. at the patient’s home. Cordeiro was arrested and charged with willful trespass. Later that day, police got another call that Cordeiro had gone back to A.G.’s home and was trying to coerce the patient into her car. The police found A.G. in Cordeiro’s car and arrested Cordeiro for willful trespass. RIDOH noted in documents that the public health, safety and welfare “imperatively requires emergency action.” Stephanie Ryan, director of operations for Nursing Placement said Cordeiro was not working for the agency when RIDOH suspended her license as she was let go “a long time ago.” Ryan did not specify when Cordeiro was let go or if it was related to the probation. Nursing Placement has complied with regulators throughout the process Ryan said. Cordeiro could not be reached for a comment Tuesday. She is scheduled to be arraigned in Fourth Division District Court Thursday. Katie Castellani is a PBN staff writer. You may contact her at Castellani@PBN.com.