Two nurses from Sioux City among those disciplined

By Clark Kauffman, Iowa Capital Dispatch

The Iowa Board of Nursing has revoked the license of a Cedar Rapids hospital nurse accused of repeatedly showing up for work while intoxicated.

Roberta Ann Natvig of Cedar Rapids had worked as a registered nurse on the children’s behavioral health unit at Cedar Rapids’ St. Luke’s Hospital since 2009. In June 2022, the Board of Nursing received reports that Natvig had been exhibiting signs of intoxication during her work shifts.

Two of Natvig’s co-workers alleged she had repeatedly reported late for work and was visibly fatigued, fumbling over her words, and exhibiting abnormal behavior. Both individuals allegedly told the board Natvig had acknowledged drinking alcohol prior to her shifts.

In speaking to a board investigator, Natvig denied being intoxicated during her shifts, but allegedly acknowledged problems with alcohol abuse. Natvig continued to practice but was enrolled in the Iowa Nursing Assistance Program. Within weeks, she allegedly self-reported the use of alcohol, failed to attend treatment sessions, failed to complete a mental health evaluation, and failed to submit to drug and alcohol screening.

Other Iowa-licensed nurses recently sanctioned by the board include:

Sheena Streckwald of East Dubuque, was recently charged with practicing nursing at an unspecified inpatient hospital while under the influence. Streckwald agreed to surrender her license.

Theresa Hofmeister of Sioux City, was charged with behavior that violated standards of professional decorum. Hofmeister was allegedly working at an unspecified hospital in May 2023 when she got on the intercom and began broadcasting “ghost-like noises” into the room of a minor who was a psychiatric patient. The board issued Hofmeister a warning.

Fawn Munro of Alpena, Michigan, recently pleaded guilty in a federal Medicare fraud case and agreed to surrender her license to practice in Iowa. According to prosecutors, Munro was a participant in a scheme to prescribe $3.3 million worth of unneeded medical equipment to patients she had never seen in return for kickbacks. Munro and other participants in the scheme were responsible for a combined $367 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, according to court records. Prosecutors cited one example in which Munro recommended braces for a patient’s right and left ankles, although the man’s right leg had been amputated years before. Munro has yet to be sentenced in the criminal case.

Derrick Miller of West Branch, recently agreed to surrender his license after being accused of failing to comply with board orders that stemmed from past disciplinary action. In 2014, Miller was accused of working at an unspecified medical center when he overrode an electronic medication-dispensing device in order to procure narcotics, ostensibly for a patient who had a physician order for the drugs. Miller was criminally charged with 10 counts of drug possession, and allegedly admitted that he had taken Xanax for years without a prescription. As part of a plea deal with prosecutors, seven of the 10 felony charges were dismissed in exchange for a guilty plea to three misdemeanor drug charges.

In 2021, the board charged Miller with committing an act that may adversely affect a patient and with failing to safeguard patient medications. The board alleged that while working at an unspecified care facility, Miller lost the keys to a medication cart, left the cart unlocked and unattended, and left medication at a resident’s bedside without a doctor’s order. He was also accused of procuring oxycodone for a resident who didn’t complain of pain and had not requested the medication. As a result of those charges, Miller’s license was placed on probation.

Shelby Houghtaling of Ankeny, who worked for Gentiva Hospice in 2023 when she allegedly procured narcotic pain medications for a dying patient more often than was prescribed. Board documents indicate police then obtained a search warrant for Houghtaling’s home and car and found several drugs belonging to former hospice patients. The board recently voted to indefinitely suspend Houghtaling’s license pending the completion of mental health and chemical dependency evaluations, at which point her license would be placed on probation for one year. The board staff then informed Houghtaling she could “skip” the license suspension since her evaluations were completed before the board issued its order. Houghtaling’s license is in full effect and she is free to practice in Iowa.

Renee Nesbitt of Urbandale, was recently charged by the board with failing to comply with an order related to a law that prohibits nurses from knowingly making misleading, deceptive, untrue or fraudulent representations in the practice of their profession, or engaging in unethical conduct or practice harmful or detrimental to the public. The board has not disclosed the alleged conduct that gave rise to the charge. Court records indicate Nesbitt has worked at Polk City Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and that a 2021 arrest for third-offense drunken driving led to her enrollment in the Iowa Nursing Assistance Program and to a subsequent criminal conviction.

Polly Trefz of Cedar Rapids, was recently charged by the board with performing nursing services beyond the scope of practice for which she is authorized. The board alleges Trefz worked at an unspecified hospital from late 2020 through July 2022 when she administered a dose of intravenous medication to a patient without a physician’s order. The board has required Trefz to complete 36 hours of educational training in medication safety.

Marcia Naberhaus of Sioux City, who was recently charged by the board with involvement in the unauthorized use or possession of a controlled substance, and with excessive use of drugs that could impair her ability to practice safety.  The board alleges Naberhaus was working at an unspecified location when she dropped the case for her glasses, and her co-workers saw a glass pipe within it. Naberhaus allegedly admitted she had been using methamphetamine for several months. The board has placed Naberhaus’ license on probation for 18 months.

Logan Elliott of Middle Amana, was recently charged by the board with stealing patient medications. The board alleges Elliott was working at an unspecified hospital in 2023 when he misappropriated a controlled substance. Elliott has agreed to surrender his license.

Lori Pattison of Sumner, was recently charged by the board with being involved in the unauthorized possession or use of a controlled substance. The board alleges that in July 2023, law enforcement found Pattison in possession of marijuana and methamphetamine. The board recently voted to place Pattison’s license on probation for 12 months. Court records indicate Pattison was employed by the Hillcrest Home care facility in Sumner in July 2023 when she was pulled over and arrested for operating a vehicle while under the influence, and possession of marijuana and methamphetamine. Prosecution of the methamphetamine charge was deferred to June 2024, and the two remaining charges resulted in a conviction.

Editor’s note: This story was revised on Feb. 8, 2023, to include the fact that the board’s indefinite suspension of Shelby Houghtaling’s license never took effect.  

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Deputy Editor Clark Kauffman has worked during the past 30 years as both an investigative reporter and editorial writer at two of Iowa’s largest newspapers, the Des Moines Register and the Quad-City Times. He has won numerous state and national awards for reporting and editorial writing.

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