Choking Death
The Iowa Board of Nursing recently charged licensed practical nurse Samantha Smith of Burlington with failing to assess or evaluate a patient and committing an act that might adversely affect a patient’s welfare.
The board alleges that on Dec. 5, 2025, Smith responded to an incident at the Klein Center, which is a nursing home that’s part of Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center in West Burlington.
A female resident of the home was reported to be choking in the dining room.
According to the board, Smith failed to perform the necessary assessments of the woman’s vital signs and instead took her to her bedroom.
Smith then gathered the resident’s medications for the evening and placed the pills in the woman’s mouth, giving her water while the woman continued to cough and gag. The woman eventually spit out the pills.
Smith then placed the woman’s CPAP mask in place, covering the woman’s mouth and nose, to help with the woman’s sleep apnea.
About 10:30 p.m., five hours after the choking episode, another nurse discovered the resident was struggling to breathe and had vomited in her CPAP mask. Her oxygen saturation levels were at 34% — with anything below 88% typically considered a medical emergency.
Another nursing home worker reported overhearing the nurse exclaim, “Oh, my God,” as she realized the severity of the choking incident.
An ambulance was summoned, but the resident died before emergency services arrived at the nursing home, according to the board.
When state inspectors asked Smith whether she had performed “any assessments, like listening for lung sounds, vital signs or checking oxygen levels, (she) teared up and stated no.”
State inspectors proposed, but held in suspension, a $10,000 fine against the Klein Center. State fines are typically suspended if federal penalties will be imposed by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The Iowa Board of Nursing recently settled its disciplinary case against Smith by issuing her a warning. As part of that settlement, Smith has agreed to complete 15 of educational training on patient assessments.
Hopefully, Smith will be able to avoid incidents like this in the future. Nursing homes frequently hire undertrained and underpaid nurses, so sadly, something like this will end up happening again.