American nurse accused of using her own drug needles on patients

Cora Weberg, a former nurse at MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, Washington, has been accused of infecting people with Hepatitis C using her own needles.

The 31-year-old is dealing with charges of second-degree assault, as well as medication theft. The investigation has been going on since 2017 when two patients were admitted to the hospital with Hepatitis C.

Through genetic tests, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined that Weberg was the common source of the disease since she was the only nurse who treated both patients, as reported by the Chicago Tribune.

It has been confirmed that the registered nurse has resigned and that her license has been suspended given the ongoing investigation. But despite the charges, Weberg claims that she didn't infect anyone.

She did, however, admit to have diverted controlled substances, such as fentanyl and hydromorphone, known as pain management narcotics, from the hospital's pharmacy.

During a news conference on Tuesday, Weberg, who is currently unemployed, argued that she never 'intentionally or unintentionally' used a needle on a patient that had been previously used on herself.

The 31-year-old also said that she wasn't aware of being a Hepatitis C carrier since she had given blood on several occasions before and had never been diagnosed with the disease.

Through its Chief Operating Officer, Chris Bredeson, MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital issued a notice on April 30 to 2600 patients who were given intravenous narcotics between August 4, 2017, and March 23, 2018, when the nurse was on call.

“The nurse’s actions violated our organization’s values. We sincerely apologize to the two patients infected and the patients who need to be screened.”

Chris Bredeson, People, April 30, 2018

According to People, Weberg was arrested by Puyallup Police Department officers at the U.S.-Canada border as she was preparing to depart the country for a trip to Guam.

Her mother, Eunice Weberg, who is also a registered nurse, claimed that her daughter would never hurt anyone, an opinion shared by Bryan Hershman, her legal representative.