While in class, a cosmetology student spilled a chemical on herself and experienced a skin reaction. She went to the student health clinic, where a registered nurse (RN), who had been working there for 15 years, saw her. The RN asked the student if she was allergic to Benadryl®. The student said no, so the RN gave it to her. It resolved the student’s skin reaction.
Afterward, the RN’s supervisor checked the student’s electronic records, which indicated that the student was allergic to Benadryl®. The supervisor filed a complaint with the State Board of Nursing (SBON), alleging that the RN gave the student a medication to which she had a known allergy. The SBON then sent the matter to the deputy attorney general, who filed an accusation against the RN.